Pokemon GO 9th Anniversary post teases major Gen IX debuts

Pokemon GO is turning 9 years old, and the developers just revealed a vibrant anniversary poster to commemorate the event. Like past anniversary imagery, this poster features an enormous cast of Pokemon from throughout the generations. While veteran players will immediately identify many of the familiar faces already in the game, a few surprise additions have raised new rumors.

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Pokemon GO 9th Anniversary teases Paradox Great Tusk and Iron Treads

The poster is festive with cheer — streamers and fireworks fill the sky and trainers stand amidst their favorite Pokemon. But when you take a closer look, and something catches your eye. Standing in the midst of the crowd are two very recognizable characters from Generation IX, making their first surprise appearance in Pokemon GO artwork: Great Tusk and Iron Treads.

Both of them are Paradox Pokemon, a special category that debuted in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. They are enigmatic forms of familiar species from either the ancient world or the far future.

Great Tusk and Iron Treads (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Great Tusk has a prehistoric resemblance to Donphan and is found only in Scarlet, while its futuristic variant, Iron Treads, is found only in Violet. Their inclusion on the poster is particularly significant since neither of them have formally debuted in Pokemon GO.

Their addition suggests that these two could be coming soon, perhaps being the beginning of a wider release of Gen IX's Paradox Pokemon to the mobile title. With 22 Paradox Pokemon total — 11 ancient and 11 future counterparts — there is ample space for growth.

This involves heftier hitters such as Roaring Moon, Iron Valiant, and even box legendaries Koraidon and Miraidon.

Fans are now left to speculate: Is this the start of an all-out Gen IX Paradox event? Will the developers slowly roll out the rest of the Paradox forms from Scarlet and Violet?

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Mega Mewtwo might still not debut in Pokemon GO

Mega Mewtwo forms (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Interestingly, another notable absence raises eyebrows — Mega Mewtwo, a long-anticipated form that GO has teased in past announcements, is nowhere to be seen in this year’s poster. While some hoped its appearance would finally be confirmed during the anniversary, its absence may suggest that the wait isn’t quite over.

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As Pokemon GO approaches its 9th year, the game is far from slowing down. If Great Tusk and Iron Treads are in fact on their way, players could be looking towards an exciting time to fill their Pokedex in the game.

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