Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s new region of Paldea, based largely on Spain and Portugal, will have its own regional forms, just like Alola, Galar, and Hisui in previous Pokémon titles. We’ve already seen one Paldean ‘mon in the form of this adorable Ground/Poison-type Wooper, but that’s the only new regional form to be revealed so far (no, Wiglett does not count).
So, where else in the back catalogue of more than 900 Pokémon could Scarlet and Violet look for inspiration? What influences and creatures from the real world could be used as the basis for some transformations? And what would fans look for in the rest of the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Paldean form lineup?
Well, that’s what we’re here to answer. Let’s make this clear before we go any further that this is strictly speculation, and is not based on any leaks that have emerged around Scarlet and Violet. These are just some cool ‘mons that we think would be perfect for fits for the region of Paldea, or that are prime candidates to receive a new form due to their popularity.
Paldean Absol
Generation 3’s Absol boasts one of the coolest Pokémon designs to date, and we think it could make the great basis for a Paldean form representing one of the most iconic animals of the area of the world Paldea is based on – the Iberian Lynx.
Sure, there are other candidates to take on the role of this big cat – Liepard is one, or maybe we could get yet another regional version of the Meowth line. However, Absol definitely has feline qualities, and a redesign to more closely resemble an Iberian Lynx could look amazing. With Lynxes being quite intimidating and mysterious creatures, it could still keep its Dark typing. But due to the animal’s habitat of forests and grasslands, a Dark/Grass dual-typing could work too.
We’d be very surprised if a Lynx-inspired Pokémon does not appear in the Scarlet and Violet Pokédex, whether that be as a Paldean form or as a completely new Pokémon.
Paldean Tauros or Bouffalant
Spain is renowned for the controversial yet heavily romanticised sport of bullfighting, and if Game Freak wants to represent that in some way, then the slightly boring Normal-type bull Pokémon of either Tauros or Bouffalant would make the perfect subject.
With a recolouration to the typical black bull you see in bullfighting and type change to Fighting, a Paldean form of either of these Pokémon would be an on-brand addition.
A new type combo
In Alola, Galar, and Hisui, a few regional forms were given some of the never-before-used type combinations that still remained. Legends Arceus’ Normal/Ghost-type Zorua and Zoroark are recent examples. There are several type combos that are yet to be explored, so it’s likely we’ll see at least one of them stuck on a Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet.
Two of the spiciest are Ice/Poison and Fire/Fairy, so which ‘mons could take on those type combinations and change the Pokémon type chart drastically?
Perhaps, living up in Paldea’s large icy mountain, are Gulpin and Swalot that have evolved to become Ice/Poison-types to deal with the bitter conditions. And maybe Pyroar’s Fire/Normal typing could be swapped out for Fire/Fairy, with a striking redesign to boot. There are plenty of other candidates out there, but those are two that would be interesting to see.
The token Gen 1 Pokémon
As we all know, Generation 1 will always get some sort of love, regardless of how many years it’s been since Red and Blue came out. We’ve already seen regional forms in past games for the likes of Rapidash, Electrode, Arcanine, Weezing, Raticate, and even Mr. Mime has got one. So, which Pokémon from Kanto will be getting an inevitable Paldean makeover?
The aforementioned Tauros is of course likely, but there are two other leading candidates for our money. The first is Arbok (and maybe also it’s pre-evolution, Ekans). The Poison-type cobra is one of Gen 1’s coolest designs, and it could quite easily be given a Spanish twist by looking at any of the country’s venomous snakes. With its interesting patterns and scarcity, the Lataste’s viper could be a striking model to base a Paldean Arbok on.
The second candidate would be Pinsir. It admittedly received a cool Mega Evolution in X and Y, but Pinsir’s bold design and lack of an evolution means there is still scope to do something exciting and fresh with it. A Paldean Pinsir could maybe evolve into a bigger, scarier Bug/Fighting, Bug/Dark, or Bug/Steel evolution? Or, if Game Freak wants to get more adventurous, something like an Ice-type Pinsir up in those mountains would be fun to see.
So there are some potential Paldean forms to mull over as we wait for the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet release date to roll around. Hopefully it won’t be long until we get the full list of Paldean forms confirmed.