WithPokemonbecoming a worldwide phenomenon where every major release sells millions of copies, the franchise is one of the biggest on the market. It is widely assumed thatGeneration 9Pokemongamesare in the works despite no official announcement, simply because it’s been the trend for Nintendo and Game Freak to release a new mainlinePokemongame every three years on averag. However, this wasn’t always the case, and there was a time when there was no guarantee of anotherPokemongame. Yet there was a pattern that indicated which ideas The Pokemon Company wanted to explore in the future.
While Mew and Celebi didn’t necessarily hint at Gen 2 and Gen 3Pokemongames, it’s very likely that the Mythical Pokemon from Gen 3 onward did come with clues about the following Generation. It remains a mystery whether these Mythical Pokemon were designed specifically to hint at future games or if they were conceived at a time when Game Freak was already working on the next set of titles, making their designs inherently more in-line with the themes of following games. Yet, this became a pattern that can often accurately predict what the setting for newPokemongames could be.
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How Gen 3 Mythical Pokemon Hinted at Generation 4
Mythical Pokemon are basically like Legendary Pokemon, but usually released to the public through events,Pokemonmovie tie-ins, and the like. ForPokemon Ruby,Sapphire, andEmerald, the Mythical Pokemon were Jirachi and Deoxys. The overall themes ofPokemon DiamondandPearlwere creation, space, and time - embodied by Arceus, Palkia, and Dialga, respectively.
Space is something both Jirachi andDeoxysincarnate to an extent, both in terms of the vastness of space and ideas about heavenly places. Furthermore, Jirachi’s design is heavily influenced by Japanese culture, and it would be fitting to think that it was foreshadowing the last Japan-inspired settings inPokemongames up to this point.Pokemon Diamond,Pearl, andPlatinumwere the perfect games to close the Japanese cycle with precisely because of the themes of godhood that Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina all exemplify.
How Gen 4 Mythical Pokemon Hinted at Generation 5
Pokemon DiamondandPearlintroduced the most Mythical Pokemon in the series, tied withPokemon BlackandWhitedepending on whether players consider Phione a Mythical creature. InPokemon DiamondandPearl, the major Mythical Pokemon to possibly hint at Generation 5 were Shaymin and Arceus, with a notable mention toDarkraias a parallel withPokemon BlackandWhite’s Dream World. As for Shaymin, the creature symbolizes gratitude, which is a big theme inPokemon BlackandWhite’s storyline around N and Team Plasma.
N is led to believe that people are ungrateful toward Pokemon, quick to abandon or abuse them, which he changes his views on after being confronted by the main character. Meanwhile,Arceusis the creation deity, and Gen 4 games featured multiple new evolutions or baby forms for existing Pokemon. This is important becausePokemon BlackandWhiteended up presenting a local Pokedex without any of the older critters until the post-game, and the setting was also the first to be based outside of Japan - a fresh start.
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How Gen 5 Mythical Pokemon Hinted at Generation 6
Pokemon BlackandWhitefeature some interesting Mythical Pokemon that explicitly referred to a European setting for Gen 6. The main and most on-the-nose is Keldeo, a creature added to the Swords of Justice (inspired by theThree Musketeers) Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion. Keldeo is supposed to be D’Artagnan, the hero and main character of theThree Musketeers, which is clearly a reference to France and its culture beforeGen 6’s Kalos regionwas announced.
Despite Meloetta not being a big hint toward Gen 6’s setting or plot, the remaining Mythical Pokemon fromBlackandWhiteseemingly do have connections. Genesect is a Pokemon modified by human scientist to be the most powerful of all, and it has a laser cannon on its back - not unlike the Ultimate Weapon that Lysandre uses in Kalos. Victini’s ties to Gen 6 come its location inPokemon BlackandWhite: Liberty Garden, inspired by Liberty Island. Liberty Island is famous for the Statue of Liberty, which was a gift from France to the American people, again pointing toward a French setting for the next game.
How Gen 6 Mythical Pokemon Hinted at Generation 7
Pokemon XandYfeatured three mythical Pokemon, two of which were, in retrospect, a huge hint toward some of the mechanics of Gen 7. Diancie is a Mythical Pokemon made of crystals, and it is a different form of Carbink - not an evolution of this Pokemon. This was probably a hint to regional variants for Pokemon coming with Gen 7, but also to the Z-Moves system. Z-Moves were used through the power of special crystals collected primarily through Alola’s Island Challenge.
Hoopa is a Mythical Pokemon that has several rings on its body, all of which can be used to twist space and dimensions in a way that allow it to summon even Legendary Pokemon. This is exactly what happens inPokemon Ultra SunandUltra Moonwith the Ultra Beasts, very being another hint at what Gen 7 would bring before it was ever announced.
How Gen 7 Mythical Pokemon Hinted at Generation 8
The Mythical Pokemon inPokemon SunandMoonare Magearna, Zeraora, Meltan, Melmetal, and Marshadow, though there are theories that Magearna was supposed to be a Gen 6 creature who got held back. The most obvious reference toPokemon SwordandShield’s Galar regionare Meltan and Melmetal, which don’t particularly fit the themes ofPokemon SunandMoonbut blend in perfectly with the UK-based region. This is mostly due to Galar being very mechanically advanced, a probable callback to the United Kingdom’s leading industrial revolution.
Another Mythical Pokemon that could have been hinting at Gen 8 isMarshadow, a Fighting/Ghost-type that could be a representation of shadowboxing. Boxing is considered a very British sport, at least in its modern form, and Marshadow’s martial arts themes could also be a hint toPokemon SwordandShield’s Isle of Armor DLC. Lastly, if Magearna was indeed thought up as a Gen 7 Pokemon, it would be a rather noteworthy hint to the Galar region because of its Victorian aesthetics and steampunk themes. There are many ways in which MythicalPokemonhave been hinting at future games, even if a lot of it comes down to fan speculation, and it’s not unlikely that Galar’s Zarude does the same thing for Generation 9.
