Predicting A Pokemon Legends Galar's Starters
Highlights Pokemon Legends: Arceus could shape the future of the franchise after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, indicating a potential sequel with elements from the game and a different region. A Pokemon Legends Galar game could feature starters different from the standard options in Pokemon Sword and Shield, following the precedent set by Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Chikorita, Charmander, and Mudkip are logical choices for Grass, Fire, and Water-type starters in a Pokemon Legends Galar game, considering the culture and history of 18th and 19th-century Britain.
Although the approaching release of The Teal Mask DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is the focus for many fans of the series, Pokemon Legends: Arceus could potentially be the blueprint for the future of the franchise after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. There is already a solid foundation for a sequel to Pokemon Legends: Arceus to build upon, taking elements of the game and translating them to the distant past of a different region. Although it was recently introduced in Gen 8, the Galar region holds a lot of potential to expand the lore of a game in this style, and the potential starters for this game are already clear.
Similarly to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the starters for a Pokemon Legends Galar game wouldn’t be the standard options presented to players in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Since Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes three starters from previous generations, Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott, and offers players a choice between them instead of the standard Gen 4 starters, it’s likely a follow-up to the title would do the same. With this precedent in mind, there are a few options for starters that would make the most sense in a Pokemon Legends Galar title.
The Pokemon Most Likely to Be Starters in a Legends Galar Game
The Galar Region of Gen 8’s Pokemon Sword and Shield is based on the real-world United Kingdom, specifically England and Wales, both of which have a deep and complex history that could serve as inspiration for a Pokemon Legends game. If this title was set around 100–200 years in the past, Galar would likely look similar to the UK during the Industrial Revolution, which could prompt the emergence of the Pokemon League and Pokemon battles as the huge spectator sport it would become in the region. This time period offers clues as to which starters would be the likely choices given to new players.
For a Grass-type starter in a Pokemon Legends Galar game, Chikorita makes a lot of sense given the culture of 18th and 19th-century Britain. Chikorita is said to emit a soothing aroma from the leaf on its head that creates a calming atmosphere for those around it, which could make this critter a popular source for tea, as it was a luxury good in Britain during this time. It’s likely that Chikorita could have been kept around in Galar to farm its shed leaves for tea, resulting in a regional variant for Meganium that becomes a Grass/Fairy type, since the Fairy type is often associated with mons based on food.
A strong contender for a Fire-type starter in this game would be Charmander, an already popular starter that fits in quite well with the lore of the region. Dragons play an important role in the folklore of the real-world UK, and their imagery can already be found around Galar through statues in places like Hammerlocke. The modern champion of Galar, Leon, also uses a Charizard as his ace, so it’s possible the mon has a history within the region and could have a Fire/Dragon type regional variant that served as inspiration for the draconic iconography seen throughout Galar.
The Water-type starter that makes the most sense for a Pokemon Legends Galar game would be the Mud Fish Pokemon, Mudkip. This critter is said to make its home in marshes and swamps, making an area based on the moors of Scotland like the Galar Region’s Crown Tundra a perfect place for this mon to be found. Although Swampert’s Water/Ground typing would already be fitting for this locale, a regional variant could become a Water/Ice type or even a Water/Poison type to better suit the landscape of the Crown Tundra.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available for Nintendo Switch.