Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Long-necked Paradox Raikou sparks wild theories on appearance of Paradox Entei
On August 8, The Pokémon Company announced that the first expansion of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet’s The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, titled Part 1: The Teal Mask, will be released on September 13. Furthermore, they also revealed new information about Part 2: The Indigo Disk. Fans have taken a keen interest in the design of Raging Bolt, a new Paradox Pokémon based on Raikou, and many have let their imaginations run wild in wondering what a Paradox Pokémon based on Entei could potentially look like.
The first major DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero and is split into two expansions: Part 1: The Teal Mask and Part 2: The Indigo Disk. The DLC takes you outside the confines of the Paldea region, where the main game takes place, with players taking a school trip to the land of Kitakami in The Teal Mask and visiting the underwater Blueberry Academy in The Indigo Disk.
Several brand-new Pokémon that are set to make their debut in the DLC were also revealed. The Teal Mask brings Dipplin, a new evolution of Applin, in addition to the previously announced trio of Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti. The Indigo Disk will feature an evolution of Duraladon called Archaludon as well as two Paradox Pokémon that were newly discovered in the Paldea region: Iron Crown, based on Cobalion, and Raging Bolt, based on Raikou.
While Raging Bolt appears to be an ancient relative of the Pokémon Raikou, its appearance is a radical change from Raikou’s tiger-like physique. Raging Bolt has an elongated neck that makes it somewhat reminiscent of a giraffe.
Raikou first debuted in Pokémon Gold and Silver. It forms part of the trio of Legendary Beasts, along with Suicune and Entei. A Paradox Pokémon based on Suicune called Walking Wake was previously added to Scarlet and Violet and could be obtained through a limited-time Tera Raid Battle Event. Just like how Raging Bolt differs greatly from Raikou, Walking Wake’s appearance is very different to that of Suicune. This has led to an increasing number of fans speculating on how the appearance of Entei will change when it gets its own Paradox form, and many have shared their own Paradox Entei designs on social media.
Since the Paradox forms of Suicune and Raikou are very similar to dinosaurs—a theropod and sauropod, respectively—a good number of fans have theorized that Entei’s Paradox form will also be dinosaur-like. For example, the Twitter user above had a bit of fun with the idea of combining Entei with an ankylosaurus. Although Entei’s face has just crudely been slapped onto an image of the dinosaur, it somehow fits surprisingly well. Two other users seen below went with different dinosaurs, one believing that Paradox Entei will be a triceratops and the other going with an azhdarchidae, a family of pterosaurs. The image of azhdarchidae Entei borders on the surreal while still maintaining Entei’s dignified expression.
Users in Japan have also shared a variety of predictions on social media. Some have wondered if the Paradox forms of the three Legendary Beasts are modeled on the Four Holy Beasts mentioned in the Chinese classic Book of Rites. Assuming Walking Wake was based on the Dragon and Raging Bolt on the Qilin, Paradox Entei may be based on the Turtle. On the other hand, you have those who think Paradox Entei may follow the precedent set by Raging Bolt’s super long neck and have created bizarre designs with some part of Entei being elongated.
After witnessing the marked transformation from Raikou to Raging Bolt, fans from all over the world have really let their imaginations run wild when coming up with a Paradox Entei. However, we should also keep in mind that a Paradox Pokémon based on Entei has yet to be announced, even if it seems likely. If such a Pokémon does get added to the game in the future, it will be interesting to see if any of these fan renditions were on the right track.
Speaking of which, there was a Reddit user who, based on the design of Walking Wake, came up with a Paradox Raikou design that featured a long neck. The thread seen below was posted on March 1 and shows a dinosaur-like Raikou with a long neck and a Paradox Entei that is based on a triceratops. We’ll have to wait and see if this user can make it two for two with their predictions.
Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2023-08-09 12:57 JST)
Hideaki Fujiwara
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