Spray cans at the ready
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)
The Pokemon Company is teasing something new for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and fans think they’ve already figured out what is might be.
Yesterday on August 29, the official Pokemon Twitter account tweeted out the strange set of images just below. The accompanying hashtag makes it abundantly clear that the strange images on rocks and trees are from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and the tweet specifically mentions the region of Paldea, where the two new games are set.
Hey Trainers! We’ve managed to obtain these photos of some strange markings taken by a photographer from Paldea. 📸They seem to be getting a lot of attention from the region’s citizens… Any guesses what they could mean? 🤔#PokemonScarletViolet pic.twitter.com/BRiJRkgfwrAugust 29, 2022
The Pokemon community is already hard at work cracking the latest set of hints. As you can see below, one eagle-eyed Twitter user, thinks that a trainer who appeared in a previous trailer for Scarlet and Violet will use this new Pokemon – whatever it ends up being – due to the person holding a spray can.
in a previous trailer, a trainer type was revealed that wears a gas mask and holds spray paint. combining this info with khu’s hint, the “aiai” may spray some substance to attack, like spray paint. it seems likely that this trainer used the aiai pokemon as well. pic.twitter.com/AzfKP8PFJEAugust 29, 2022
Additionally, there’s many theories going around that this new Pokemon will be a Poison-type creature. This theory is mainly couched in the gas mask used by the trainer in the screen just above, but it’s also worth noting the colors in the third image from the Pokemon Twitter account bear a striking resemblance to Muk’s Alolan form.
Finally, Pokemon leaker Riddler Khu has been skirting around the leaks. Their hints (opens in new tab) have led fans to assume that a new Paldean Pokemon will be a normal/poison type based on the Aye-Aye lemur. That typing doesn’t currently exist in Pokemon, which would make the new arrival an interesting specimen.
We have the best followers (namely @CedricBGN1), because they our attention to things like the work of Spanish painter Agustín Ibarrola, famous for his land art that strongly resembles the latest new Pokémon tease!https://t.co/mz4c13wQj2 pic.twitter.com/u8LxKGzWsBAugust 29, 2022
Interestingly, the new images look incredibly similar to an art installation by Spanish artist Agustín Ibarrola. The artist painted a vast number of trees in a forest called Kortezubi in northern Spain, which Pokemon fans are now linking to Scarlet and Violet.
Again, it’s worth remembering Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are intentionally based in a region styled off Spain, so this theory that the new artwork represents Ibarrola’s Oma Forest exhibition is very likely. Perhaps we’ll find out soon who, or what, is actually responsible for this coloring in Scarlet and Violet.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launch later this year on November 18 for the Nintendo Switch.
Check out our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet PokeDex guide for a full list of all the new and returning creatures so far.