Pokémon Day turned out to be a critical hit. The 14-minute-long broadcast, which debuted on Sunday, Feb. 27, highlighted some extraordinary new additions coming to existing Pokémon titles, such as Legends Arceus and Pokémon GO. But the real legendary catch of the day was the culminating few moments of the livestream, which presented the new mainline Pokémon games encompassing the franchise's ninth-generation: Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.
The announcement trailer provided little information surrounding the forthcoming experience, aside from showcasing some distinct locales and the title's three starting Pokémon of Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. The trailer's description provided via YouTube proves these games will be based within an open-world setting. But, where specifically?
For context, the series' previous two mainline games, Pokémon Sword and Shield, were set in a region called Galar, which is quite readily a Pokémon reimagining of the UK, more specifically Great Britain itself. Other previously-visited Pokémon regions, from Kanto to Unova, are similarly designed as real-world offshoots, which begs the question of where exactly Pokémon's newest game might be set.
The trailer released on Sunday didn't name or highlight where exactly Scarlet and Violet will take place, but vigilant fans and Poké-sleuths alike have seemingly unlocked the secret inspiration for Game Freak's next outing. According to Jordan Middler of VGC, who did a great deal of the heavy lifting, various pieces of evidence picked from the teaser prove Pokémon is now headed to Spain.
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One of the main pieces of evidence is found as the map on the wall as the protagonist character strides into the frame. The following scene, a front-facing view of a docked Nintendo Switch, also shows a bit of the southern edge of the map. Many fans are claiming this wall decor might be an early indicator of Spain's inspiration on Pokemon's next game, as the map shares an abundance of similarities with its real-world Spanish counterpart.
Another major point of documentation is witnessed in both the Flag of the Spanish Republican government in 1977 and the Flag of the Second Spanish Republic, Spain's official flag that stood from 1931 to 1939. Pokémon's newly stylized Scarlet and Violet share color schemes in name and aesthetic, as the missing yellow from those flags can be found in both titles' art.
If those two aspects just weren't enough, there are also various forms of Spanish-like iconography found throughout the teaser, specifically the architectural design of buildings. Though few areas were shown, Scarlet and Violet have one building that looks nearly identical to Spain's Sagrada Familia, which can be found in Barcelona.
Like its Pokémon counterpart, the church features thin cone-like structures that poke up into the sky like massive spires. It's a world-renowned landmark that remains still in construction, despite its designer Antoni Gaudi having passed over 100 years prior. While Scarlet and Violet's version may have a Pokéball nestled within its precipice, it's not anything new for Game Freak, as various locales of the same ilk have been refashioned in such a way to fit the mold of its offered world.
There's also the fact that most Pokémon found in a specific region take after that region's naming conventions, or utilize the language as Pokémon names. In this case, as mentioned previously, the three starter Pokémon for Scarlet and Violet prove worthwhile in diagnosing where the games will take place, as the fire type starter, Fuecoco, translates to "Firecracker" in Spanish.
Assuming all are true, Game Freak may well be taking Pokémon to the grape-filled countryside of Spain, where Pokémon will finally roam about free in a fully-realized open-world setting. In any case, fans won't have to wait long, as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet debut in late 2022, according to the Pokémon Company.
