During a new trailer giving fans a better glimpse into the world they can expect to see in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Game Freak delivered its first shocking twist for the new game. Breaking from its longstanding tradition built across not just the mainline games but practically all of its spin-offs, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are set to be the first games to feature two Pokemon Professors.
While it may appear to be a simple change at face value, this Pokemon reveal seems poised to have a major impact on the game's story. While the reveal of the new Legendary Pokemon for each game is exciting, it seems that the new Professors, Sada and Turo, are going to have more of an integral role than any previous Professor previously.
The New Pokemon Professors
The first new Professor revealed in the trailer - albeit it was only seconds before her counterpart - was Professor Sada. The first break with tradition, though arguably a more forgivable one, is that Sada, nor Turo for that matter, appear to be related to trees. As many fans know, trees have been the usual inspiration for Professor names, at least within mainline games. Sada itself could come from different origins, such as the Sadabahar, which would align with tree-based names. The etymology of the name could tie back to orchards, and it might share some connection to the real-life region of Sada situated in Spain. Their appearance is the best signifier of what players could expect from them, as Sada's fashion appears to be prehistoric, signifying they might be interested in the origins of Pokemon and their history.
By contrast, the second Professor Turo bears a more futuristic dress sense. To counter Sada, it could be that Turo is more interested in the future of Pokemon and their evolution over time. The name "Turo" isn't easily connected to any trees, though there is a place called Turo Park in Barcelona, Spain that may be the basis of the name. Not only is Turo Park a green space within the city that was reclaimed from an old amusement park, it boasts exceptional biodiversity in terms of size and age of trees.
This helps point to the idea of Turo representing the future of Pokemon, being enamored by technology and construction. However, it's also worth noting that "pasado" and "futuro" are the Spanish terms for "past" and "future," adding further weight to the professors' temporal-based naming convention.
New Story-Driven Pokemon Professors
The parallels are easy to identify when comparing these new Pokemon Professors Sada and Turo with the Legendaries revealed in the same trailer, Koraidon and Miraidon, both aligning respectively with each Professor. It would appear that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's stories will focus on this juxtaposition of past and future, a fitting narrative if taking into account Pokemon Legends: Arceus' recent release, as this could have influenced the direction Scarlet and Violet is taking. But it's altogether possible there this still more to unpack from the break with tradition.
The first time Game Freak broke traditions and introduced two of something was back in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, with the introduction of Teams Magma and Aqua. While not specifically version-exclusive teams, depending on which game players chose, the team the player would find themselves allied with and which they would oppose changed, which ultimately led them into a confrontation with each game's mascot Legendary. There's good reasoning to suggest that Game Freak may be revisiting this idea since it has already been confirmed that Sada and Turo are version exclusives, and might mean that whoever players meet as their Professor in Scarlet and Violet, they could run into their counterpart during the story.
Too Early For Speculation
While fans are still reeling from the revelations born from the new trailer, it's just too early to say for sure what this sudden departure from tradition could mean for the games. As much as players will want to read into the decision, it could very well transpire that the choice to have two Pokemon Professors is more to compliment the story than to embellish it, and would align with other traditions of version-exclusivity seen with each new generation of games.
There is still plenty more to glean from the recent trailer, as well as even more left unknown, ranging from the region's name to any new evolutions or forms fans might be hoping to see. However, Sada and Turo do promise a more engaging Pokemon story centered on past and future, allowing Scarlet and Violet to fit in with past games that have previously looked to land and sea or time and space.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet releases on November 18, 2022 for Nintendo Switch.