Pokemon Scarlet and Violetwere initially revealed almost exactly eight months ago, and now only a few weeks separate fans from the official release of Gen 9 games. It may be a jarring thought to some thatPokemon Scarlet and Violethave only revealed very few Pokemon so far, with today’s new trailer showcasing Greavard, a Ghost-type puppy whose breed is likely based on Briards or Bearded Collies. Greavard is part of the dog trio ofPokemon Scarlet and Violet, which many leaks have covered over the past few months, alongside Fidough and another undisclosed Dark-type critter.
A key feature ofGreavardfrom both the found-footage trailer and the dedicated in-game spotlight video is the fact that this Pokemon hides its incorporeal body underground with the exception of a lit candle stuck on its head, which is always shining purple light. Ghost-type Pokemon are often portrayed with purple flames engulfing them or parts of their bodies, with another very recent example coming from Ceruledge, which also happens to be a Fire-type and theViolet-exclusive counterpart of Armarouge. However, in the case of Greavard, the lit candle on its head almost feels like The Pokemon Company is teasing fans of another beloved evolution line that’s allegedly not in Gen 9.
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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Greavard Could Be a New Chandelure
According to multiple sources, Chandelure and its pre-evolutions won’t make it into Gen 9 games, to the point that a leaker known as Riddler Khu stated thatseven fan-favorite Pokemon will return inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, excluding Gen 5’s Fire/Ghost candelabra. According to Khu, this list includes the most popular critter from each generation ofPokemongames from the first to the eighth, and the only odd one out is Chandelure, which is not in the base game. This news alone was grim to some long-standing fans, even if Gen 9 has its own Fire/Ghost hybrid in the form of Ceruledge.
Some believe that the reason why the Chandelure evolution line is not in the games is to blame onTerastallization, which could have spawned all sorts of memes for placing a fiery candelabra on top of this Pokemon’s head. While it makes sense to a degree to have major new features dictate which pocket monsters come back and which don’t, the Terastallization theory doesn’t seem all that likely now that Greavard has been revealed. In fact, it could run into the same issues as the Chandelure line with a candle on its head that looks a lot like Litwick, the base form of the Gen 5 evolution line.
As such, the fact thatChandelure won’t be inPokemon Scarlet and Violetseems all the more a way to tease its fans now that there doesn’t seem to be a sound reason to remove it. Still, it’s worth mentioning that this is very likely a coincidence based on the new standard of the so-called “Dexit,” or Pokedex cut, with Gen 9 games apparently only hosting a total of around 300 returning species out of over 900 as ofPokemon Legends: Arceus.
Chandelure could still be added to Gen 9 games with the rumored DLC, which is also set to include the third Legendary forPokemon Scarlet and Violetand other critters that were cut from the base game. Greavard’s addition could change the discourse aroundPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s version exclusives, as both of its reveal trailers star a Naranja Academy character, leading to the hypothesis that the new Ghost-type dog is in fact only available inScarlet. Overall, there’s also a chance Chandelure fans will get a little something if Greavard’s evolution taps into similar themes, perhaps building upon the candle as a main aesthetic feature.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetrelease on November 18, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
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