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With the debut of Pokemon Horizons, a new Pocket Monster was hinted at by the showrunners. This has led to substantial fan speculation that the new creature may make an appearance in the DLC for the Nintendo Switch's Scarlet and Violet games.
Art of a lizard or dinosaur-like Pocket Monster has done the rounds on social media after The Pokemon Company alluded to the creature a few days ago. Suspicions surrounding its inclusion in Scarlet/Violet were confirmed, and the official press release remarked that the beast will be available in the two Switch titles thanks to "the treasure of Area Zero."
In a Reddit post on the official Pokemon subreddit, one player examined the creature's crystalline body and attempted to connect it to the Terastallization phenomenon. They remarked:
"It probably absorbs Terastallized energy to transform into Terapagos."
Pokemon fans discuss the new inclusion, link it to Terapagos
When Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC was announced, a few new Pocket Monsters were also unveiled. This included Terapagos, a turtle-like creature that shines like a crystal, somewhat similar to the Tera Crystals seen in Scarlet and Violet. "Tera" is even in the creature's name, further linking the new Pocket Monster to Terastal energy.
Some fans in a Reddit thread by the user MadeByPeppers speculated that the creature unveiled in the Horizons anime might be a prior evolution or baby form of Terapagos. Others have suggested that it may be a different form that can become Terapagos when certain conditions are met.
According to The Pokemon Company, the new monster will be able to internalize Terastal energy when it's facing difficult challenges to shield itself in some fashion. This has led fans on the Reddit post and elsewhere to assume that they'll need to collect Tera Shards by completing Tera Raids to help fuel the new Pocket Monster's defensive ability.
Given the recent uptick in themed Tera Raid events in Scarlet and Violet, it's possible that Game Freak may be giving players a hand by offering them extra Tera Shards before the DLC releases in Winter 2023. The DLC is called The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero.
Given that Game Freak has also linked the new monster to "the treasure of Area Zero" in their press release, it's possible that this creature will be integral to the new DLC, at least the first portion, since the DLC is broken into segments.
The release on Twitter also remarked that the creature is similar to Terapagos but said its true nature was still shrouded in mystery. This leaves the Terapagos connection ambiguous at best for the time being. However, that didn't stop Scarlet and Violet players from speculating in the resulting Twitter thread.
Whatever the case may be, the Horizons anime may be the best indicator players have of this new Pocket Monster since Scarlet and Violet's first leg of their DLC won't arrive until late 2023.
Perhaps the adventures of the series' new protagonists will unveil additional information that can help fans examine the big picture a little more clearly than before.
