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The second Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer revealed new Pokemon, locations and people – but most importantly, hints at a potential gym theme. What if Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s gyms are designed 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 other elements, one theme or another seems likely.
Game Freak isn’t shy about leaving hints of upcoming announcements in its trailers. For example, the first trailer showed four Nintendo Switches on a single table, which now serves as a nod to four-player co-op. Below is our analysis of several screenshots of both the first and second trailers, leading us to believe that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet features one of the most popular motorsports in Spain. And come on, the legendary Pokemon literally have wheels sticking out of their chests.
Legendary Pokémon design
At first glance, only Miraidon, Pokemon Scarlet’s legendary box, looks like it has technology. In the second trailer, we can clearly see Miraidon’s jet engine legs in action and its digitized eyes. Its maw, which might resemble scales, actually resembles carbon fiber upon closer inspection. Sure, jets are mostly made from carbon fiber, but so are Formula 1 cars due to their superior strength, durability, heat resistance and incredibly light weight. Corresponding motorsport.com, the use of carbon fiber for F1 cars was a new development in 1981 with the debut of the McLaren MP4/1. F1 cars used to be made out of pretty much the same materials as regular cars. Although F1 cars in our world obviously have wheels like average cars, Miraidon has evolved beyond need here.
However, not Koraidon. Scarlet’s Legendary box looks totally naturalistic, save for the hoop sticking out of her chest. While not functional in its current state, it’s not uncommon for Pokemon to take various forms, even wild. Maybe Koraidon and Miraidon will get new forms that will make them… mobile. Mobile? To speculate further, we believe that Koraidon could transform into a water “vehicle” due to his webbed hands and feet, and Miraidon could transform into some kind of air “vehicle”. It could also just be design motives. Irrespective of this, these are vehicle-related motifs.
A new type of Pokémon Center
These structures appear to replace traditional Pokemon centers, but they have an easily accessible all-outdoor design with an outdoor seating area.
They even appear in cities with this design (see below), but when seen outdoors they always have a sidewalk around them. They are similar to “gas stations” and could serve as “pit stops” for tired trainers and their Pokémon.
The attendants aren’t too clear, but each appears to have at least two people, one who appears to be a Sister Joy with a cap on her pink hair. There are three different banners under the counter – blue, red and green. The blue could represent Poke Mart items, red the Pokemon Center, and green could represent various items. Above the service counter is a wraparound screen with gauges for a variety of things from travel to shoes to tires.
A region with… tire advertising?
It’s a bit hard to see, but behind our friend Nemona is an ad across one of the pit stops at the Pokemon Center. Zoom in on the same ad behind her pawmi to get a wider view. It appears to be an ad for a specific brand or type of tire, with a black and yellow tread design behind the main text.
Perhaps the Qwilfish mascot is alluding to the extra grip the tire has over difficult terrain.
gym
If Game Freak follows a similar framework to Pokemon Sword and Shield, there’s a good chance this proposed F1 theme will be most prominently featured in Scarlet and Violet’s gyms. In this shot of a large castle town, the circular modern building in the hills stands out not only for its design but also for its location. F1 races require a lot of space. What better place for an oversized gym than in the hills just outside of town? The screenshot perfectly hides what lies behind the tallest part of the building. The building itself appears small for a gym, but the size might make sense if the structure we see houses the bleachers that overlook the gym’s track.
Even though the Scarlet and Violet Gyms are only F1 themed with no actual races, we still have one big question: why does this region need so much space for Pokémon battles? Sword and Shield’s Gigantamax used the height of soccer stadiums, but what mechanic uses the space and implied speed of F1? There is a chance that this theme is purely for aesthetic purposes.
The other clues
Crossed flags are an iconic symbol for racing. These are shown in the second trailer in conjunction with what appear to be different landmarks, possibly marking gyms or other points of interest.
The second trailer also included 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, these logos look like ornate license plates. Note that the details of the plates (the quarter wheels on the top right and left, and even the pattern of the border) also mimic the design of the legendary Pokemon. While F1 cars don’t have number plates, that still sticks with the car theme.
This topic could be completely off the mark, but why else would Pokemon Centers suddenly look like gas stations? Share your Pokemon Scarlet and Violet theories with us below. For confirmed Pokemon information, see our confirmed List of Pokemon in Scarlet and Purple and your Version differences, including the version exclusive professors.
Casey DeFreitas is a contributing editor on the Guides team at IGN. Catch them on Twitter @ShinyCaseyD.
Miranda Sanchez is the Editor-in-Chief of Guides at IGN. She is a big fan of stationery and fountain pens. You can sometimes find them on Twitter.
