Out of the three starters for rumors of Scarlet and Violet's 105 new Pokémon carry the promise of even more fan-favorites - but the starters especially so, with several leaks and rumors surrounding the games focused on them and their eventual evolutions. Pokémon SV releases on November 18, so it should only be approximately two short months before fans are able to use these three on their journey through Paldea.
Scarlet and Violet begin the ninth generation of Pokémon games. They take place in the Paldea region, an area heavily inspired by Spain and its culture. Players will take on the role of a student at one of two version-exclusive schools, Naranja Academy and Uva Academy, and receive a special assignment called the Treasure Hunt that will see them travel across the region completing three separate storylines that they'll be able to play through at the pace they see fit. Unlike the linear maps of past games, Pokémon SV will be completely open-world with mechanics that allow players to traverse it easily. Recently, it was confirmed that players' Pokémon will be able to walk alongside them and battle autonomously, bringing back the popular Follower Pokémon feature while at the same time giving much-needed innovation to the series' battle mechanics.
With all the other information coming from the Pokémon Company leading up to Scarlet and Violet's release, it's odd that there's been no news on the starters since their announcement. Many other things have come in the form of trailers and official announcements, such as Pokémon like Lechonk, Fidough, and Smoliv, as well as the Terastallization gimmick. It seems like a given that the starters' evolved forms would be shown off before release, and hopefully they will be before long. If promising designs like the ones Pokémon SV has revealed so far are any indication, they should only be an improvement on their base forms.
Quaxly Takes Third Place In Scarlet & Violet's Starter Designs
Out of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's three starters, Quaxly sadly takes last place when it comes to design. This isn't to say that its design is bad; it's actually quite good. Quaxly has crisp colors and a clean shape, giving its design a pleasant simplicity. It's a much better duck Pokémon than others like Ducklett, and its blue legs and feet - along with the emphasis placed on them on the Pokémon SV's other cute starters.
What direction Quaxly's evolutions will go in is hard to say, but there are a number of rumors surrounding them. The final evolution is said to be Water/Fighting-type, allegedly the Dancer Pokémon, and has been compared to a Brazilian Carnival dancer by online leaker Centro LEAKS on Twitter, who has been accurate in the past. With this in mind, it could have plumage akin to its pompadour across its body, especially its back. If this is inaccurate, a sailor could be another good inspiration, calling back to Spain's history of pirates and seafarers. Either design could focus on kicking with powerful legs, and be a fitting final stage for Quaxly.
Fuecoco Is Runner-Up For Pokémon SV's Best Starter Design
Fuecoco, the Fire-type crocodile, takes second place out of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's starters. It has a very nice and cute design with its happy face and the fiery tuft on its head. Its design even stands out among Pokémon's other Fire-type starters, and may be the best of them. Fuecoco's design also represents Paldea's Spanish roots; it bears no small resemblance to a stuffed piquillo pepper, a common dish in Spain. Its laid-back personality revealed on the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet website only adds to its appeal, as does its love of food. The only drawback to Fuecoco's design is the yellow squares on its chest and back. These are unnecessary and somewhat ridiculous, and have been compared - rightly so - to slices of cheese in various online memes. Scorbunny, the Gen 8 Fire-type starter, featured them as well, but hopefully the trend doesn't continue in the future.
Centro LEAKS has compared Fuecoco's final evolution to an egg and said that its category is the Singer Pokémon. It is supposedly Fire/Ghost-type, a relief given Pokémon's history of repeatedly making Fire/Fighting final starter evolutions. Since it's a crocodile, it would appear that Pokémon SV's Fuecoco will break Fire starter tradition, but its final design is far from certain, so this is not an absolute. It could very easily become a snake to keep the tradition alive, and take inspiration from one of Spain's mythological creatures, the Cuélebre. The tuft of fire on its head could even translate into fiery wings if this is the case.
Sprigatito Has Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's Best Starter Design
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's best starter design belongs to Sprigatito, the Grass-type starter. Its design doesn't leave much to be desired, being simplistic enough to be pleasant while still having enough details to be interesting. In addition, Sprigatito is adorable, and is made even more so by its hilariously accurate cat-like personality of being attention-seeking and capricious according to its profile on the new Pokémon design in Scarlet and Violet.
According to the current rumors, Sprigatito's final evolution will be Grass/Dark-type, and is known as the Magician Pokémon. It also supposedly has a long wand topped by a pink fruit. There aren't a lot of ways it could be a downgrade from Sprigatito, but a big one is to be bipedal. Starters have been increasingly human-looking in the last few Pokémon Generations, and Gen 8's were the most so yet with inspirations from human roles such as drummers, soccer players, and secret agents. Pokémon are meant to be monsters, so it's somewhat frustrating that some of the most prominent ones are becoming less and less monstrous. There is potential for a bipedal Sprigatito evolution to be good, but the fact remains that there are more cons than pros to SV's Sprigatito being bipedal. Sadly, however, almost all the prominent rumors surrounding it state that Sprigatito's final evolution will stand on two legs in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Source: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet (Quaxly, Fuecoco, Sprigatito), Centro LEAKS/Twitter
