Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Bellibolt Looks Suspiciously Like a Beta Gold and Silver Pokemon

gamerant.com:

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans have taken to social media to point out how the newly-revealed Bellibolt looks similar to the beta version of Politoed in Gold and Silver that was ultimately cut from those games. A leak a few years ago revealed a variety of Pokemon designs that were cut from Pokemon Gold and Silver, including some designs that would eventually transform to become Pokemon that did indeed make it to the final product.

One such Pokemon that went through a redesign was Politoed. Politoed was a new evolution for Poliwhirl that was introduced in the Pokemon Gold and Silver games, with players able to get their hands on one by trading a Poliwhirl that's holding a King's Rock item. The version of Politoed that made it to Pokemon Gold and Silver is an bipedal toad with green and yellow coloring and a swirl on its stomach to match others in the Poliwag evolution line. However, it once looked quite different. The original version of Politoed was rounder, stood on all fours, and had large, bulbous eyes on the top of its head.

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This original version of Politoed looks strikingly similar to the recently-revealed Bellibolt. The two Pokemon have similar bulbous «eyes» on their heads and are very round. The markings on their stomachs look alike as well. This has led some to connect the dots and come to the conclusion that Bellibolt's design is based on the original design for Politoed from the Pokemon Gold and Silver beta, but it's also possible that it's just a coincidence.

While Bellibolt bears some resemblance to the original version of Politoed, this does not mean that it's a regional fake. After all, that original Politoed never actually made it into the