I probably fall into the "gen-wunner" category. The first generation of Pokémon games came out when I was just hitting my Gameboy stride and when your portable consoles didn't have the benefit of re-chargeable batteries. Yes, back then we were at the mercy of the lifespan of "AA" batteries. If they died, it was digging through drawers for some freshies or taking some out of the TV remote, much to the dismay of parents and older siblings. Don't get me wrong, I played the other generations too. The original is just simply the best for me. But I digress.
On November 18, 2022, the ninth generation of Pokémon games is coming to the Nintendo Switch. Say hello to the Paldea Region, where new characters and pocket monsters await! Officially, some of the new faces have been revealed. If you head to the official Scarlet and Violet website, you can see some new starters and legendaries:
I'm most amused by Smoliv - small olive? Certainly looks like it has one on its head!
Of course, the new legendary title creatures deserve their own shot, Koraidon and Miraidon:
Now, here's where it gets interesting for me. An unnamed has shared with me what may be even more new Pokémon from the upcoming ninth generation.
At this point, I am skeptical as to whether this is fan art or not. But it could be the real deal. Admittedly, I have missed out on several generations. I have really only completed games from the first generations. So please pardon me if some of these pictured above are from prior games. But a simple Google search of the above (i.e. "flamingo pokemon" - "flying squirrel pokemon" - "fox log pokemon") reveals no matching images.
I'm particularly fond of the possible legendary owl Pokémon featured prominently in the center of the image. It appears to have two sets of wings, with some type of gold in its stomach. At the bottom left corner appears to be a combination leaf/water type. The fox/log one in the bottom right corner just looks ridiculous to me.
My other two favorites here are the medieval/Gothic dragon type with speared wings and a knight-style helmet & the psychic/ghost looking type with a Schyther-style body. We also have a flying apple, two Paras-looking ones, a leafy raccoon, a turtle in a half-cracked shell ala Togepi, a flamingo, and a flying squirrel.
Again, I have no idea if the "leaked" graphic above is legitimate or not. Perhaps I'll have to wait until November to see, but it's interesting nonetheless. The upcoming Pokémon titles Scarlet and Violet are said to have "open worlds" -- both urban and wilderness areas without borders between the two. It sounds interesting, and I'm not quite sure what that would look like. The games are available for digital pre-order, at $59.99 a piece, or if you want to get the physical double-pack:
As you may expect, the games are currently only available for pre-order via the official Nintendo store.
