Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Unleashing Dipplin's Untapped Potential in an Exciting Gen 9 Journey
Dipplin's missed opportunity to embrace Gen 9's new regional gimmick leaves fans questioning its relevance and the potential for redemption through Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC leaks Will this evolution be enough to salvage the gimmick's reputation?
Highlights
The introduction of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC brings about the addition of exciting evolutions, namely Dipplin and Archaludon. However, it is unfortunate that the inclusion of only a limited number of Pokemon in the new regional forms gimmick hindered the opportunity for further expansion.
No Pokemon that matches the rumors of a new edible regional fake has been announced yet. Dipplin's candy apple design could have been the speculated Pokemon, indicating a missed opportunity for Game Freak. It may be premature to introduce evolutions to Applin and Duraludon, considering there are older Pokemon that many believe require updates. Dipplin had the potential to embrace Gen 9's new regional gimmick but failed to enhance the overall game experience.
Game Freak is introducing two new evolutions, Dipplin and Archaludon, as part of the upcoming DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. However, Applin's evolution could have been used to enhance Gen 9's underdeveloped gimmick of regional fakes. The limited number of Pokemon included in this new gimmick, specifically four from the Diglett and Tentacool lines, did not fully satisfy players.
Despite the anticipation for future DLC, rumors of a new edible regional fake coming to Scarlet and Violet began to circulate. Though these leaks originated from Riddler Khu, no such regional fake has been officially announced yet. However, considering Dipplin's candy apple design, it is possible that it is the rumored Pokemon. While there may be additional new Pokemon yet to be revealed for the DLC, it appears that Game Freak missed an opportunity to take Dipplin in a different direction.
Another Applin Evolution Feels Out of Place
During the Scarlet and Violet's DLC showcase in Pokemon Presents, it appears that the new evolutions introduced are currently exclusive to Generation 8. Up until now, evolutions that spanned across generations and regional variations were mostly limited to the earlier Pokemon in the series, with a few exceptions like Decidueye. However, in comparison to the DLC for Sword and Shield, it seems premature and unnecessary for Applin and Duraludon to receive expanded evolution lines, especially when there are many other older Pokemon that some believe are in need of further development or updates.
While Duraludon can be justified as previously being a single-stage Pokemon, the situation with Applin is more problematic since it already had two separate evolutions. It is likely that these two Pokemon were chosen due to their shared Dragon-type, but the evolutions of Applin were initially tied to the version exclusivity in Sword and Shield. This meant that the items required for Flapple and Appletun were limited to their respective games. Considering the positive reception Applin and its evolutions received, it is possible that Game Freak's reasons for including them range from capitalizing on their popularity to simply wanting to introduce a new Pokemon inspired by candy apples.
Dipplin Should Have Embraced Gen 9's New Regional Gimmick
If Game Freak had wanted to address these potential oversights, they could have introduced Dipplin as a new regional variant for Scarlet and Violet instead. Dipplin's design is mainly distinguished from Applin by its stem-like horn and candied shell, which is not typical for evolutions that usually undergo significant changes. While not the only Gen 9 Pokemon to have minimal changes upon evolution, others like Palafin or Dudunsparce have different forms that justify it. However, Dipplin remains largely unchanged after evolving, even maintaining its Grass/Dragon typing.
Given that Scarlet and Violet only introduced four new Pokemon in the base game and fans were quick to believe Khu's leaks about new regional variants, Dipplin could have been an opportunity for Game Freak to enhance the gimmick. It not only follows the naming convention for regional variants, but Dipplin could have been a Fairy-type influenced by other food-based Pokemon like Swirlix and Alcremie. Furthermore, while Paradox Pokemon were likely the main focus for the base game, Dipplin highlights how the new DLC Pokemon for Scarlet and Violet could have made up for the underutilized gimmicks of regional forms and variants.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
