Pokemon Scarlet and Violet made a big splash with very little in their announcement. Other than a quick glimpse at the new region and the reveal of the new Pokemon starters, not much was shown. Many fans have speculated, shared info, and looked thoroughly at the trailer. Some fan theories make a lot of sense, like the three paintings representing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s starters’ final evolutions, but a lot of it remains to be seen.
However, there is one very minute rumor swirling around out there. It’s whispered, waiting to become more widespread, and based on the rumor itself, it seems likely the rumor will become more mainstream. It has for every generation it's come about to prior. Simply put, some already believe Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will somehow feature a second region, namely Kalos.
It’s Not The First Time These Pokemon Rumors Have Spread
It’s not every generation, but there are constant rumors that one Pokemon generation will add in more than one region. This is to allow fans to see an older region on newer tech, but truth be told, most regions are no longer limited to outdated hardware. Back when Pokemon Sword and Shield was announced and it was revealed that the Galar region was at war with another (at one point), many hoped that there would be two regions in the game. This went so far as to suggest a tunnel connected it to another region, based on the structure of it. Of course, this was not true.
Why Pokemon’s Two Region Rumors Are So Popular
It does pose the question as to why these rumors are so popular, and it goes back to the games many consider to be the best of the franchise: Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. These games introduced the Johto region, as well as allowed players to once again return to Kanto to collect even more badges. This was an incredibly popular feature and was possible, in-game, as the Kanto and Johto regions are side by side (as are their real-world inspirations).
Since then, many have hoped for another entry that could bring back and utilize another region, too. As tech has expanded, this may have made this more difficult for the Pokemon franchise, but the simple truth is many fans have been calling for it to happen again for generations.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Could Bring in Kalos (And Why It Probably Won’t)
That’s partially why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are so exciting. Kanto and Johto are the last two regions to ever be side by side. Hoenn and Sinnoh are both based on parts of Japan, but are nowhere near each other nor Kanto/Johto. Unova is based on New York City, and while Alola is based on Hawaii, they are still far apart. Kalos is based on France, and Galar is also on its own, being based on the UK. Except Kalos isn’t alone anymore.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are clearly based on Spain, meaning if the game world follows the real world (as it often has in terms of proximity), then Spain and France share a border. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s region then likely shares a border with Kalos, and since this is the first time since Kanto and Johto, Kalos could realistically appear in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in some tangible way.
Now, it could appear as a second endgame region; perhaps it is only a piece of Kalos. It’s uncertain as of this writing how it would manifest, if it even did. One gen doing it is hardly a reliable precedent, no matter how much fans want it to happen, and there’s one feature of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that makes this seem unlikely.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been described as open-world games, and depending on how that world is organized, this could mean players could run straight to Kalos. It’s likely it would be blocked off in this case or could serve as some form of endgame content for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, or it could allow players to compete in another Pokemon Gym challenge. But, overall, the open-world aspect could conflict with adding a second region.
After all, Game Freak would probably want fans to check out more of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s new region (although, there would be plenty of time for both). Who knows, perhaps it’s not that big of a deal, and Kalos does appear in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in some way. As it stands, there is so little known however that this is nothing but pure speculation, but just as Kanto and Johto are side by side, it stands to reason that this new region and Kalos are side by side.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are scheduled to release in late 2022 on Nintendo Switch.