Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s second trailer revealed new Pokemon, locations and people – but more specifically hints at a possible gym theme. What if Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s gyms are themed after Formula 1? There’s a chance it could be MotoGP instead, but given the heavy vehicle theme we’re seeing between the new legendary Pokemon and in other elements one theme or the other seems likely.
Game Freak isn’t shy about dropping hints about upcoming announcements in the trailers. For example, the first trailer featured four Nintendo Switches on a single table that now serves as a nod to the four-player co-op. Below is our analysis of several screenshots from both the first trailer and the second that lead us to believe Pokemon Scarlet and Violet features one of Spain’s popular motorsports. And come on, the Legendary Pokemon literally have wheels sticking out of their chests.
Legendary Pokemon Design
At first glance, only Miraidon, Pokemon Scarlet’s box Legendary, seems related to technology. In the second trailer, we can clearly see the legs of Miraidon’s jet engine in action and its digitized eyes. Its maw, which might resemble scales, actually resembles carbon fiber on closer inspection. Sure, jets are usually made of carbon fiber, but so are Formula 1 cars, due to their superior strength, durability, heat resistance and incredibly low weight. According to motorsport.comThe use of carbon fiber for F1 cars was a new development in 1981 with the debut of the McLaren MP4/1. In the past, F1 cars were made from almost the same materials as normal cars. While it’s clear that F1 cars in our world have wheels like average cars, Miraidon has evolved beyond the need for it here.
But not Koraidon. Scarlet’s box of Legendary looks completely natural except, well, the band sticking out of his chest. While not functional in its current state, it’s not unheard of for Pokemon to come in various forms, even wild. Maybe Koraidon and Miraidon will take on new shapes that make them… drivable. driveable? To speculate further, we believe that Koraidon could turn into a watercraft because of its webbed hands and feet, and Miraidon into some kind of aircraft. They can also just be design motifs. Anyway, they are vehicle related motives.
A new kind of Pokemon Center
These structures appear to replace the traditional Pokemon Centers, but they feature an easily accessible, full-outdoor design, complete with an outdoor seating area.
They even appear in cities with this design (shown below), but when seen in the open they always have pavement around them. They resemble “gas stations” and can serve as “pit stops” for tired trainers and their Pokemon.
The attendants aren’t too clear, but each seems to have at least two individuals, one that appears to be Nurse Joy with a cap on her pink hair. There are three different banners under the counter – blue, red and green. The blue can represent Poke Mart items, red the Pokemon Center and green can represent various items. Above the service counter is a wraparound screen with advertisements for various things from travel to shoes and… even tires.
A region with… Tire ads?
It’s a little hard to make out, but behind our friend, Nemona, there’s an ad on the other side of one of the Pokemon Center’s pit stops. Zoom in on that same ad behind her Pawmi to get a broader view. It appears to be an advertisement for a specific brand or type of tire, with a tread design in black and yellow behind the main text.
Perhaps the Qwilfish mascot alludes to the tire’s extra grip on tricky terrain.
Gym
If Game Freak follows a similar framework to Pokemon Sword and Shield, then there’s a good chance that this proposed F1 theme will be most prominently used in Scarlet and Violet’s gyms. In this shot of a large castle town, the encircled modern structure in the hills stands out not only for its design, but also for its location. F1 racing needs a lot of space. What better place to have an oversized gym than in the hills next to town? The screenshot perfectly hides what is behind the highest part of the building. The building itself may seem small for a gym, but its size might make sense if the structure we see houses the bleachers that face the gym.
Even if the Scarlet and Violet gyms only have F1 themed with no actual racing, we’re left with a big question: why does this region need so much space for Pokemon battles? Sword and Shield’s Gigantamax took advantage of the height of football stadiums, but which mechanic will make use of F1’s space and implied speed? There is a chance that this theme could be used purely for aesthetics.
The other tips
Crossed flags are an iconic symbol for racing. These are shown in the second trailer in conjunction with what appear to be other landmarks, possibly marking gym locations or other points of interest.
The second trailer also featured a reveal of the “full” logo design for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The text logos both have prominent borders with a profile of their respective Legendary Pokémon and four mysterious symbols. Interestingly enough, these logos look like ornate license plates. Note that the details of the plates (the right and left quarter wheels and even the pattern of the rim) also mimic the design of the Legendary Pokemon. While F1 cars don’t have number plates, it sticks with the car theme.
This theme can’t be right, but why else would Pokemon Centers suddenly look like gas stations? Let us know your Pokemon Scarlet and Violet theories below. For confirmed Pokemon information, please visit our confirmed list of Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet and their version differences, including the version exclusive professors†
Casey DeFreitas is editor of the guides team at IGN. Catch her on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD†
Miranda Sanchez is the editor of guides at IGN. She is a big fan of stationery and fountain pens. You can sometimes find her on Twitter†
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