Opelucid City Could Be a Template for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Version Differences

gamerant.com:

Version differences have been part of the Pokemon franchise since its inception. Red and Green started a trend of using exclusives to encourage trading, with monsters like Ekans exclusive to Red version and Sandshrew to Blue version. Pokemon Gold and Silver took this a step further by introducing two box art Legendaries — Ho-Oh and Lugia — whose presence in the main plot would differ slight. While each pair of entries approaches their exclusive content differently, some Black and White offerings could point to design ideas for the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Despite being scheduled to release this November, there are a lot of mysteries regarding Scarlet and Violet. Fans know about its three starters Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly, as well as its Legendary Pokemon Koraidon and Miraidon. They also know the game will be open-world and feature four-player co-op. However, Generation 9's new region doesn't have a public name, and potential gimmicks like time travel can only be inferred through sparse pre-release information and rumors. If time travel does shape Scarlet and Violet, the design of Unova's Opelucid City could be an instrumental callback for Game Freak.

Hoopa Could Serve Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Rumored Time-Travel Gimmicks Well

Game Freak has kept much about Scarlet and Violet close to the chest, and this is ultimately a good thing considering how thoroughly the franchise's marketing has revealed elements in past titles like Sun and Moon. Some reputable leakers like Riddler Khu have given interested followers something to think about, but any non-official information should be taken with a grain of salt. Even without that, it's clear the debut titles for Generation 9 are themed around the past and