Salamence is finally back on solid ground in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

The Pokémon Company released a new trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Pokémon SV) on September 7. While a lot of new information was revealed, one smaller detail fans didn’t fail to notice was that Salamence was standing on solid ground.

Salamence is a dragon Pokémon that first appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and is the final stage of the Bagon and Shelgon line. It boasts a base stat total of 600 with an especially high attack stat and has consistently been considered a powerhouse of a Pokémon. On the other hand, there’s been some debate around just how Salamence is depicted in the games. Namely, around how it floats in midair.

In the 2D Pokémon games, including when Salamence made its debut, it was shown standing on the ground. However, with Pokémon X and Y, the series moved to 3D. With that transition came a change that saw many flying-type Pokémon and Pokémon with the levitate ability depicted as “floating” in air. While this change made it easier to distinguish which Pokémon had flying or levitation elements to their design, many were of the opinion that it looked like they were simply hanging in midair.

From Pokémon X and Y onward, Salamence’s standby animation was suspended in air. While it did plant its feet on the ground in some instances, it’s mostly been hovering above it in recent years. When Salamence first appeared in 2D, it almost looked like it was sitting, and its recent look has been a similar pose but suspended in midair. Considering how popular the Pokémon is, this standby animation has sparked some debate among fans.

However, from the latest footage released of Pokémon SV, we can see Salamence surprisingly planted on solid ground. It even almost looks happy to be there. Jumpluff can also be seen hopping on the ground while Talonflame flaps its wings as it hovers, so maybe there’s been a shift to mostly having bird Pokémon shown flying. Users on social media in Japan seem to have taken notice as well. Given the popularity of Salamence and that it’s active in the competitive scene, there are probably also players simply happy to see that the Pokémon is in the game.

Salamence isn’t the only Pokémon fans are excited to see standing in Pokémon SV, though. Eelektross, another longtime floater that fans were mixed on, has also successfully made a return to land (related article). Eelektross has the levitate ability and has been floating above the ground since transitioning to 3D. The trajectory is similar to that of Salamence, but like the above mentioned Talonflame, it’s likely not all flying or levitating Pokémon are going to be standing on the ground.

The team behind Pokémon SV may be looking over a variety of Pokémon to rethink how they should be shown. If that’s the case, Pokémon SV looks like it will be an exciting title for longtime fans. Moreover, the ongoing debate around whether Sprigatito should stand on its hind legs or stay on all fours continues as the latest trailer doesn’t reveal which way the Pokémon will go as it evolves. With all the attention it’s getting, Sprigatito may not even want to make the move to bipedal.

It will be fun to examine the details of Pokémon new and old when Pokémon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18.

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-09-07 23:01 JST)