Pokémon Fans Think They’ve Found a Hint to Scarlet & Violet in Sword & Shield
The trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is full of brand new information, but eagle-eyed fans think it also helps prove that 2019’s Sword and Shield was hinting at new games.
Reddit user DDD-HERO published an image of the Sword and Shield Ionia Hotel in Chichester. Since its launch, the hotel has featured a rope-lined room with wallpaper decorated with oranges and grapes, which was apparently not found anywhere else in the game.
Although it sounds strange, oranges and grapes are also part of the visual theme in Scarlet and Violet. The setting for the new games appears to be based on Spain, which is known for its blood oranges and grapes – both fruits are present in the new trailer and can be seen to represent scarlet and purple.
Image credit: Reddit user DDD-HERO
Game clips don’t mention this too much – although we do see a few orange trees in the new open-world – but the live-action portion of the trailer shows two fruit shields set up, as well as a fruit bowl full of them.
Therefore, fans think that developer Game Freak teased Scarlet and Violet in “Sword and Shield” by including a cordoned-off area. Other theories go so far as to suggest that the area will be open and include intergenerational interactivity when new games are released.
You can see images of oranges and grapes in the Scarlet and Violet trailer below:
An update to DDD-HERO’s Reddit post includes what is seen as another potential reference to future games, this time in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. In the original Diamond and Pearl, the patch of flowers in the game’s starting city was white, but the remakes change them to scarlet and purple pattern.
The Pokémon Company announced Scarlet and Violet on February 27 to celebrate Pokémon Day, and even introduced new newcomers Sprigatito the Grass Cat, Fuekoko the Fire Crocodile, and Quaxley the Water Duck.
Released in late 2022, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet promise to be an “evolutionary” step for the franchise, which takes place in “an open world where various borderless cities blend seamlessly into the wilderness.”
Several other announcements came from Pokémon Presents Showcase, including a big new update for Pokémon Legends: Arceus and more. Read all about them in our review of the holiday.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally tweets @thelastdinsdale.
