The Pokemon anime has been airing for over 25 years, showing off the game’s regions, gimmicks, and Pokemon through the eyes of protagonist Ash Ketchum. Featuring a story centered on compassion, teamwork, and discovery, it’s little wonder why the show continues to be a hit among Pokemon fans.
Though the anime follows a different narrative from the main series of games, there are some basic similarities between the two. Ash and his friends usually travel to the game’s most recent region, showcasing the area’s new landscapes and Pokemon forms. Any new regional Pokemon usually make some kind of cameo in the show, displaying the fun new creatures of an exciting area. However, it seems like the anime has also been hinting at future game features all along.
One Pokemon fan, Twitter user @ActualAero, pointed out some illuminating similarities between the older anime episodes and the current games. Many were surprised at how often the anime reflected the latest gimmicks, and began theorizing that maybe the anime and the games are more similar than previously thought.
Pokemon Anime – Predicting Game Gimmicks?
It’s only been a couple of days since the August 3rd Pokemon Presents, which revealed a new trailer for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. Among flashes of Paldea’s beautiful rolling fields came a particularly fun reveal – Terastallization. Certain Paldean Pokemon are able to crystalize into a form, changing their type and their move effectiveness.
Seeing this, Pokemon fan @ActualAero had a realization – it looks strikingly similar to the Crystal Onix in the Pokemon anime. Both Pokemon were gem-like, though Scarlet/Violet took it further with the type change. Looking even further, they spotted a few more illuminating similarities:
In the image, ActualAero lined up screenshots of three Pokemon and corresponding screenshots of the anime. Misty’s giant Gyrados (later revealed to be able to Mega Evolve) above Pokemon XY’s Mega Evolved Gyrados. Next, a massive floating Dragonite above Pokemon SwSh’s Gigantamaxed Dragonite. Lastly, a crystal Onix above Pokemon Scarlet/Violet’s Terastallized Sprigatito.
Looking at each of ActualAero’s examples, the results are striking. It really does seem like the Pokemon anime featured a game gimmick before it was implemented in the game. Whether the anime inspired future games or had sneakily foreshadowed them, it’s a surprising revelation. Chances are, it’s a fun bit of collaboration that further unifies the Pokemon media universe.
Following the discovery, some Pokemon fans joked that the next game gimmick would feature all-pink Pokemon, much like Episode 88 of the anime. Though these pink Pokemon were the result of a region-specific berry, it is a fun feature to think about. It’s possible that the next game may bring back another exciting moment from the anime – but for now, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet launches on November 18th.
