The Pokemon franchise is no stranger to changing the way its games are played. Some of the information about Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet already points to a true open world, which could drastically change the series' future. This could be just a start as there are bound to be more changes once the games are released. When it comes to starter Pokemon though, the series has stuck to its roots, especially for its mainline games. This likely means that while the starters for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet already look interesting, they won’t do anything revolutionary when compared to the previous eight generations of games. This isn’t a bad thing, but with over 25 years of history and nine generations of Pokemon games, it feels like the right time for some subtle changes to be made.
This specifically could be done by addressing the typing of the starter Pokemon for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Following the reveal of Gen 9’s starter Pokemon, fans already know the primary typings of Fire, Grass, and Water that Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly have. This has been the norm since Gen 1.
Pokemon Starters' Secondary Typing
The secondary typing that many starter Pokemon have helps to diversify them, but they’ve also followed a tradition in their own right. As a whole, they change the resistances, immunities, and super effective moves that the evolutions of starter Pokemon are subject to, but in recent generations, they also reinforce what’s already super effective and each starter’s assigned counter. This is best seen in the final evolutions of the Gen 6 and 7 starters, who all gain secondary typings in their final evolutions that are weak to each other.
In Pokemon X and Y, Chestnaught is Grass and Fighting, Delphox is Fire and Psychic, and Greninja is Water and Dark. Similarly, in Pokemon Sun and Moon, Decidueye is Grass and Ghost, Incineroar is Fire and Dark, and Primarina is Water and Fairy. This typing set-up seems to have become the norm for the series over time with the only noticeable missteps happening in Gen 3 and 4. Blaziken and Marshtomp aren’t a perfect example of divergence from this trend, but the Fire-Fighting and Water-Steel typing that Infernape and Empoleon have, respectively, marks the only time a starter has a secondary typing that is super effective against the secondary of the starter that acts as their counter.
However, while this might seem like a happy little accident, it shouldn’t be left at the wayside. Incorporating similar type pairings in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet could help Gen 9 stand apart from the most recent Pokemon releases. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet breaking the zodiac theory does do this some by making Fuecoco feel more independent of the other Fire-type starters, but a different approach to dual-typing for starter Pokemon could have even more of an impact.
Useful Pokemon-type combinations that work against one another could add a different stake to the Pokemon franchise’s long-standing rival battles while also providing even more diversity to the already unique starters. It would change how these Pokemon might be used in more competitive settings and also allow for more options when facing the player’s rival. In itself, it wouldn’t completely revolutionize the rival battles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but it would help them feel different than they have in other generations. This approach might also help to smooth over some of the negative sentiments that some players have developed for the more recent rivals that fans have encountered in later generations of Pokemon.
PokemonScarlet and Violet Starter Typing
The importance of making starters stand out isn’t just for rival battles, though. Starter Pokemon are often looked at as the secondary mascots for each generation of games. This stems from Gen 1 when the final evolution of Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charizard were the box art Pokemon for Blue, Green, and Red before it was changed to each new generation’s Legendary Pokemon. Starters can become synonymous with the generation they were introduced in because of this, and if Pokemon Scarlet and Violet take a different approach to the final typings for Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly then the ability for Gen 9 to stick out in the minds of longtime fans increases.
While Pokemon is well past the days of worrying about the promotion of its new generations, amplifying Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s new region and ability to be recognizable doesn’t hurt. Something like making secondary-typing on the new starter Pokemon give each one a leg up against their counterparts would likely increase each game’s footprint in players’ minds.
With the possibility that Pokemon Violet’s Legendary Pokemon might be a lion, this could turn into a significant advantage. Subverting fan expectations, while risky, is part of how Pokemon has remained so relevant for over two decades. The series has used the same core concept with each generation of games, while applying different tweaks here and there. The starter Pokemon for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet being one of the areas that are altered to deliver something new to fans would be an innovative way to open players up to new possibilities. This doesn’t have to mean completely changing the Pokemon types of the starting trio from Fire, Grass, and Water in future generations, but it would leave the door open for such possibilities.
New directions like this might be intimidating for some, but Pokemon games excel at striking a balance. It already looks like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are a return to form for the Pokemon series, so including some new direction on top of what players are already aware of could help even the scales. Too little new and fans might be less concerned about rivals than they are about the games as a whole and too much could alienate returning players. Changing the current trend of secondary typing on starter Pokemon, however, could be the just right move for making Pokemon Scarlet and Violet the best they can be.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are releasing in late 2022 for Nintendo Switch.