The Pokemon Company, Game Freak and Nintendo just dropped this June 1, 2022, the release date trailer for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, revealing Gen 9 legendary pokemon Koraidon and Miraidon, here’s what their names entail in Japanese and how it reveals one of the biggest themes of the game.
Koraidon is the main legendary pokemon of the Scarlet version, while Miraidon is the legendary that players will be able to catch in the Violet version. When it comes to the Pokemon franchise’s naming conventions and traditions, legendary pokemons tend to keep their Japanese names in all languages. And these names have special meanings embedded into them. Meanwhile, standard pokemons, most notably those whose names are a pun, tend to see their names getting adapted during localization.
What’s The Meaning Behind Koraidon and Miraidon In Japanese?
The legendary pokemons of Generation 9 are themed around time: Korai means “from time immemorial” while Mirai means “the future”. Koraidon and Miraidon are the past and the future.
This open the gates to a lot of possible speculation regarding Scarlet and Violet‘s story, and we might have some time travel shenanigans on our hands. Nothing is confirmed yet though. And perhaps part of the fanbase will find that redundant considering the previous game Pokemon Legends: Arceus had spacetime related plot, with the protagonist getting transported into the past.
It’s also interesting to note the character design for Koraidon and Miraidon also reflect their names. Koraidon has an ancient and traditional look, while Miraidon looks robotic, like a mecha, and has a futuristic feel to it with how sleek it is.
Lastly, the two professors’ characters design also reflect these past and future themes. Take at look at Sada, the professor in Pokemon Scarlet, and Turo, the one appearing in Violet. You can tell what the developers at Game Freak had in mind at a single glance and there’s no need for further explanations.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be released worldwide on November 18, 2022, exclusively on Nintendo Switch. You can check out the trailer below if you missed it.
