Pokemon Scarlet and Violetfans have taken to social media to point out how the newly-revealed Bellibolt looks similar to the beta version of Politoed inGold and Silverthat was ultimately cut from those games. A leak a few years ago revealed a variety ofPokemon designs that were cut fromPokemon 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 thePokemon Gold and Silvergames, with players able to get their hands on one by trading a Poliwhirl that’s holding aKing’s Rock item. The version of Politoed that made it toPokemon Gold and Silveris 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 therecently-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 thePokemon Gold and Silverbeta, 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 games, and Bellibolt doesn’t look anything like thecanon Politoed that exists in thePokemonfranchise.
Regional fakes inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, for those who may be unfamiliar, are new Pokemon that look similar to existing creatures but are different enough to be considered their own species. Insiders leaked the existence ofPokemon Scarlet and Violetregional fakes months ago, but only one has been revealed in an official capacity:Diglett’s regional fake Wiglett.
Those same leakers have said thatthere will be over 100 new Pokemon inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, but many have yet to be revealed. It will be interesting to see if any of other new Pokemon bear any resemblance to some of the unused Pokemon designs that were originally meant to be featured inGold and Silver.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetlaunch on November 18, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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