Are Pokémon Scarlet and Violet set in different time periods?

Even as fans get more information about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, including a look at new Pokémon and features, the actual lore and narrative elements remain a mystery. 

Throughout the games’ most recent trailer, players got a glimpse of several new areas, Pokémon, mechanics, and even a few characters that will be appearing during their journey through the as-of-yet unnamed region. And two of those characters have sparked fans to speculate if a previous rumor of the games taking place in each other’s past and future has some actual weight. 

Like with most Pokémon games, leaks and rumors are endlessly popping up online as users try to capitalize on the hype cycle of a new iteration for the series. But within the sea of garbage, there is always going to be a few nuggets of valuable information floating around. 

Related: Everything that was revealed in the June 1 Pokémon Scarlet and Violet trailer

One such rumor was based on several elements of the original trailer and some wording for SV’s announcement, pointing to a clock moving back and forth, the region’s design merging ancient architecture with modern technology, and more. Additionally, some fans previously predicted that the new cover Legendary Pokémon could be themed around time, but more in the sense of one represents the past, with the other more tied to the future. 

This only gains more weight with the actual reveal of Koraidon and Miraidon, along with the SV’s professors, Professor Sada and Professor Turo.

Are Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Koraidon and Miraidon based on time?

While little is currently known about Koraidon and Miraidon, the cover Legendaries for Scarlet and Violet respectively, just looking at their designs and reveal easily ties into the theme of past and future periods.

Koraidon has a much more natural look, with colorful features and wild feathers adorning its body. It looks like a creature that would be depicted in cave art or spawn countless local legends in areas where it was seen, like that of older legends. 

Meanwhile, Miraidon incorporates elements of electricity, plasma, and even some mechanical parts, which make it feel out of place in the past and more at home in a future dominated by technology. It even has jet thrusters for legs!

Are Koraidon and Miraidon the same Pokémon?

The two Legendary Pokémon also look shockingly similar in their overall design, at least when it comes to shape and general layout. And, much like Black and White’s lore regarding Reshiram and Zekrom previously being one Pokémon, Koraidon and Miraidon could potentially share a similar origin. 

No concrete information is known about the two Legendary Pokémon yet, but with their designs being so similar and the themes of time being prevalent in early images, maybe they are actually the same Pokémon just placed in a different time period. It is possible the Legendary adapted over the years, or has an ability that lets it change based on its environment—though, we will have to wait for more information to truly know for sure. 

As of now, it is more likely that Koraidon and Miraidon are different Pokémon, but each represents something important to SV’s story. 

Everything we know about Professor Sada and Professor Turo

During the most recent trailer, Game Freak revealed that players will be picking their professor when they choose what version of SV to play; Professor Sada and Professor Turo are technically version-exclusive content. 

Professor Sada, a woman with a wild design that looks like a cavewoman blended with a modern Pokémon professor, is exclusive to Scarlet. Meanwhile, Professor Turo, a sharp man wearing a futuristic suit of some kind underneath a lab coat, is exclusive to Violet. 

Both Professors are mentioned as “carrying out research into lore passed down in the region,” though nothing specific is mentioned about either of their goals or how their research is going. Even so, just based on their designs and English names, we can surmise that they are based in that same time theme. 

Professor Sada’s name is likely pulled from Pasado and Pasada, which is Portuguese and Spanish for the past. The opposite is true for Professor Turo, whose name is a direct pull from Futuro, the Portuguese and Spanish word for the future. 

With these context clues in place, it is highly likely that time will play some role in SV’s story, or at least the setting. Maybe it will be closer to the themes of Black City and White Village from Black and White, where, depending on the version you are playing, the time for specific locations, characters, or other details will change.