The first episode of the new Pokémon anime aired in Japan today, and fans got their first look at a never-before-seen Pokémon. While it’s not the first time that the anime debuted a Pokémon before the games do, it’s a pleasant surprise when these rare occurrences do happen. We don’t yet have a name for this turtle-like creature, but there are some hints to its origins.
An attentive fan might have noticed that the color and shape of the new Pokémon looks similar to Terapagos, a legendary Pokémon that was revealed on Pokémon Day earlier this year. Terapagos is the mascot of Scarlet and Violet’s post-game DLC, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. We also don’t have confirmation if there is a biological relationship between the two Pokémon, though I suspect that it might be a baby form like the mystical Phione (which can only be obtained by breeding Manaphy, but doesn’t evolve into one). Terapagos will be available in the second DLC wave, The Indigo Disk.
Update, 4/17/2023, 10:45 a.m. ET: On April 17, Nintendo confirmed on Twitter that the new Pokémon is related to Terapagos in some way, and that it will be appearing in the Scarlet and Violet DLC. No other information about its typing or name has been revealed.
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Not a lot is known about Terapagos either, but we’ve seen hints of it in the Scarlet and Violet games. According to a research station in Area Zero, Terapagos might be responsible for the Terastallizing mechanic in the Paldea region. The Scarlet and Violet books describe a “disk” Pokémon that had a shell with “overlapping hexagons’’ and “gleamed like a gemstone.” I’m hoping that the anime reveals more about both of these Pokémon before we can finally catch them this fall.
After Ash Ketchum finally became a Pokémon master, the anime wound down and ended its 26-year run. A new Scarlet and Violet anime was announced to take its place. Pokémon Horizons: The Series features entirely new protagonists and an adorable captain Pikachu. I’m glad that Ash is finally freed of his immortality curse and might be allowed to age for the first time in two decades.
The new anime just started airing in Japan, but won’t be out for months as The Pokémon Company just wrangled a new streaming deal with Netflix in which episodes are released in waves. Boo. So you’ll have to dodge spoilers for awhile longer if you want the unfiltered Pokémon watching experience. Good luck with that.