What Wiglett's Inclusion Means for the Future of Pokemon
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet recently revealed the latest pocket monster to be joining the Paldean region in the form of Wiglett. Unveiled during a fake webinar where a group of alleged Pokemon scientists looked for new species, Wiglett was at first assumed to be a regional form of Generation 1's Diglett. However, as the conversation around the Pokemon developed, it was made clear that despite some design similarities, the latest monster in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was its own form.
Like Diglett, Wiglett also features a large, pink nose and beady eyes, with most of its body being hidden underground. However, as pointed out by the Pokemon scientists, Wiglett can elongate its body, has different coloring, and it lives near water, something that Ground-type Pokemon such as Diglett would normally avoid. While this is enough for Game Freak to entitle Wiglett as a whole new Pokemon, some fans still aren't convinced, as the minor variations on the Diglett design being dressed up as enough to make a new pocket monster raises a bunch of questions about the future of the Pokemon franchise.
Pokemon Fans Want Pikachu Clones to Get Evolutions
While it may seem somewhat existential to determine the purpose of any creature, in the realm of Pokemon design, Wiglett appears as a bit of an anomaly. In the franchise's past, plenty of Pokemon that share a similar design are referred to as Regional Variants, and they are meant to show that throughout the series' settings, creatures evolve differently. Diglett even has an Alolan variant from Generation 7, for example, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has already shown off Paldean Wooper, explaining that it's not scrapping the idea of Regional Variants.
This then leaves Wiglett in a strange space, as
Read more on gamerant.com
