A large part, and arguably the biggest draw, of any new generation of Pokémon is the wide variety of creatures that are introduced to the series. Every generation brings new and creative design ideas to the table and Scarlet and Violet are no different in this regard. Between the newly introduced monsters and updates made to the models and animation of older Pokémon, Scarlet and Violet are potentially the best games in the (mainline) series for how the Pokémon look.

For the last few generations of Pokémon, new designers have been brought into the team at Game Freak to bring fresh ideas to the table in what a Pokémon design can be. Pokémon Sword and Shield (the previous generation) found interesting concepts for new monsters that were markedly different from the norm of the series, particularly Pokémon like Stonjourner and the 4 Fossil Pokémon. While these designs may be seen as divisive for long-time fans of the series, they are unique and memorable in their own way. This uniqueness is something that must be considered now that the total Pokémon count reaches 1008 different creatures.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet expand on this new expansion and expression in Pokémon designs that has been slowly creeping in over the last few generations. Introducing 103 new Pokémon, these games ensure that every single one of them is memorable in some way. By incorporating the three necessary elements of Pokémon design (cuteness, coolness, and silliness) in a variety of ways these games ensure that each newly designed monster earns its place and feels at home in the hordes of creatures already in existence.

Among the roster of wholly original Pokémon there are numerous stand outs.

Fidough and its evolution Dachsbun are both Pokémon whose designs extend in creative ways through the evolutionary line. For example, a puppy evolving into a larger dog is something seen in previous Pokémon like Growlithe and Arcanine, however by adding the element of the Pokémon also being raw dough evolving into a baked good is another design concept that allows these Pokémon to set themselves apart. Moreover, these Pokemon take inspiration from both dog breeds and baked goods commonly found throughout Europe and Spain, the setting for these games. Therefore, not only do these designs work in a vacuum and become reusable for inclusion in future games, but also feel naturally at home in the region that they are introduced in. 

The entirely new designs are not the only exceptional designs in the game, as ones based on previous Pokémon manage to be exceptional in their own way.

Alongside the standard regional variants seen in previous generations, represented this time with by Paldean Wooper and the three Paldean Tauros breeds, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet introduce the concept of convergent evolution to Pokémon. These convergent evolutions are new Pokémon that heavily share characteristics and nature with previously discovered creatures, but are completely unrelated only appearing the same due to a similar course of (Darwinian) evolution. The main difference between these convergent evolutions and regional forms are that regional forms take inspiration in the same basis as the original species. For example both Kantonian and Alolan Sandshrew are based on shrews. However these convergent evolutions have different inspirations. Where Diglett and Dugtrio are based on moles, Wiglett and Wugtrio are based on garden eels and therefore cannot be classified as the same species of Pokémon. This concept expands the Pokémon world and makes it feel more natural and alive in its environments, assisting in the world building of the games and giving the player new monsters to use in their adventures.

Moreover, these games also introduce Paradox Pokémon which can be seen as this generation’s version of the Ultra Beasts from Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Paradox Pokémon, while they appear to be existing creatures how they existed or will exist in the past and future respectively, are in actuality implied to be cryptid-like monsters. Based around the philosophical concept of something existing in some form even if we only ever imagine it as a story (such as bigfoot) taken to a literal extent, these Pokémon are said in the Pokédex to be creatures from folklore and science fiction magazines in the Pokémon world given life; hence their resemblance to other Pokémon. These Paradox Pokémon add sufficient lore to these games and make for interesting new captures that bring old Pokémon to the forefront again in ways that are entirely refreshing, giving a reason for player exploration and immersion.

In particular for these Paradox Pokémon, Iron Bundle (a futuristic version of Delibird) is a great example of this concept. Delibird is a Generation 2 Pokémon that was never given much attention. It has been exceptionally weak since its inception and never seen much use by players by any means; and only ever used for marketing by The Pokémon Company. Therefore, with the introduction of Iron Bundle and it being a particularly powerful Pokémon, Delibird is given some form of new life both figuratively and literally, being given a reason for a form of this monster to be used by players.

Old Pokémon not given new forms are not left out however, as every old Pokémon reappearing in this game has had updated textures and animations, with some even receiving entirely new models.

The texture updates seen in this game for old Pokémon are a fantastic addition to preexisting designs. Since the series’ mainline transition to 3D the models have all utilised the same flat shading style with no textures and very desaturated colours, hurting many of the older Pokémon’s designs in the graphical jump. Therefore with the addition of new textures to these older models, and different shading styles being used for different Pokémon, it makes them feel more like actual creatures that have a place in their world’s ecosystem rather than just cartoon monsters for a player to encounter. For example, Scizor has always had metal armour coating its body, but prior games made this armour appear dulled and rather drab; therefore by changing the texture of Scizor’s body and applying a more reflective shading to it, the Pokémon feels more as it was always intended to, improving its in-game design significantly.

Charizard is another Pokémon that greatly improved in terms of in-game design in its transition to these new games. In previous 3D games, Charizard’s model and idle animation made it not feel as intimidating as it was intended to. It being stuck flying and its maw being particularly rounded made it feel awkward and stiff as a character. Therefore Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet updating not only Charizard’s idle animation to have it be standing on the ground again, but also updating the actual model as well to make it brow, head, maw more angular and intimidating in design is a definite improvement. Charizard, among others, now feels more fitting to what its design should have always been.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet have some of the most consistently strong designs in the entire Pokémon series. A lot of the inspirations for new creatures are refreshing and unique, with new forms of older Pokémon being interesting takes on pre-existing designs. Moreover, the willingness to go back and update older Pokémon to help them feel more in line with their modern day counterparts is an appreciated addition to these games that was not expected.

Watch the trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet here:

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