What a Pokemon Gen 10 Game Based on Australia Could Look…

Summary

Fans speculate on the future of the Pokemon series, with some theorizing that Gen 10's region will be based on Australia, based on evidence found in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet paintings.
An Australia-based region in Gen 10 could offer diverse geography, including desert, rainforest, and coastal areas.
An Australia-inspired region could introduce new Pokemon based on iconic Australian species, as well as potential regional variants or fakes, and may include Fossil Pokemon and Poison types. The story and lore could draw upon Aboriginal Australian mythology such as the Rainbow Serpent and Dirawong.

With the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet approaching its one-year anniversary, some fans are already beginning to speculate on the future of the series. Although recent leaks and rumors point towards a game set in the Unova Region after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, there are some fans looking ahead to Gen 10 and what players might be able to expect from those games. Some theorize that Gen 10's region will be based on Australia, which could open the door for a variety of new critters and environments for players to discover.

While it's only fan speculation at this point, some players have found evidence in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that could suggest a Gen 10 Pokemon region based on Australia or Italy is planned. This evidence comes in the form of paintings found in the Gen 9 games, with one seeming to depict Uluru, a sandstone monolith found in the Australian Outback and another titled "Street, Midday" depicting what looks to be an Italian-inspired city street. The Pokemon series has a history of hiding hints at future generations in its games, so it's possible that players could be in for a region based on Australia in Gen 10.

An Australia-Based Region Holds a Lot of Potential for Pokemon Gen 10

A major part of the design for a Pokemon region based on Australia would be its geography, as the real-world continent has a surprisingly diverse geographic structure. Major cities based on places like Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth would likely be located along the coast of this region, with smaller towns littered throughout the inland. Australia is famous for its desert climate in the Outback, which features formations like Uluru that could serve as important regional landmarks, but it also includes a monsoon climate in the north, temperate oceanic climate in the southeast, and semi-arid climate in the southwest that could diversify the region's locales.

As is the case with most new generations of Pokemon, fans will likely be most interested to see what kinds of new critters based on iconic Australian species would be part of this region. Mons like Psyduck, Kangaskhan, and Komala who are loosely based on a platypus, kangaroo, and koala respectively would be great candidates for regional variants or regional fakes with new designs that lean into these animal inspirations. It's also very likely that players could expect to see an early-game Normal type based on Australia's adorable quokka and a Flying type based on a kookaburra.

Australia is home to a very diverse set of fauna, many of which can't be found anywhere else in the world or have gone extinct. This means there are a few great candidates for Fossil Pokemon, if that mechanic returns after skipping Gen 9, which include the Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger, as well as the giant emu-like bird known as the Moa who are both believed to be extinct. Since Australia is also infamous for being home to many venomous species, it's likely players can expect some new Poison types from an Australia-based region in Gen 10.

The story and lore of this region could heavily draw upon concepts from the mythology of the Aboriginal Australian peoples, including The Dreaming or Dreamtime, which tells how the past, present, and future connect with the natural world. Two creatures from Aboriginal mythology that could make great Legendaries in the Pokemon series are the Dirawong and Rainbow Serpent, two rivals said to have molded the land as part of the Dreamtime. The complexity of Aboriginal mythology, along with the diverse geography and fauna of the continent, make Australia an ideal contender for Pokemon Gen 10's region inspiration.