Every Pokémon generation has a combat gimmick that makes that series of games unique. X and Y introduced Mega Evolutions, and Sun and Moon brought in Z-moves, while Sword and Shield introduced Dynamaxing and Gigantimaxing, a mixture of the previous two generations’ mechanics rolled into one. We didn’t even get a glimmer of what Gen 9 Pokémon will be capable of in the first trailer for Scarlet and Violet. Whether Game Freak introduces a radical change like type-swapping, triple-type monsters, or brings back Mega Evolutions in a big way, tomorrow’s trailer would be a great place to set the foundation for what strategies trainers can expect to employ in battle.

The region of any Pokémon game is the backbone of the entire experience. It sets the table for the culture of the people you’ll meet through the adventure and even the types of new monsters you’ll be aiming to catch along the way. We know that Scarlet and Violet take place in a region that takes inspiration from Spain and Portugal, so expect to see an Iberian Peninsula flair in the locals and creatures. We’re looking forward to learning the name of this new place and finding out more about its inhabitants and how it differs from the other regions we’ve visited over the last few generations.

It would be an absolute travesty not to have any new Pokémon sightings with this new trailer, so we’re confident we’ll see some in tomorrow’s footage. In recent years, entirely new monsters have shared the spotlight with regional forms of existing Pokémon with evolutionary adaptations that suit the environment they live in. Not only do I think we’ll see a few fresh faces to the Pokédex, like the Rattata and Pidgey equivalents that come with each iteration, but also regional Spain and Portugal-inspired variants. The low-hanging fruit here is a new look and typing for Tauros or Bouffalant to lean into the traditions of the running of the bulls or something related to matadors and bullfighting. I’m also taking bets on seeing yet another Meowth form showing up in Scarlet and Violet.

Scarlet and Violet are still months away, but the second showing of a Pokémon game is the best time to make a big impression by introducing the monsters that will grace the box art for each installment. There’s an excellent chance we’ll get to see the Legendary Pokémon that are tied to the story of this new region and, with them, a look at the packaging for the games. Given the logo treatments for Scarlet and Violet, I’m hoping for a duo of Legends that differ stylistically more so than the last few generations of Pokémon games, hinting at more significant differences between the two versions of the games themselves than ever before.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus was massive upheaval and rebuilding for how Pokémon games are played. Not only was it primarily open world, but your interactions with the Pokémon on your team and those in the wild are much more personal than ever before. As the trainer, you could catch Pokémon in the wild without entering a battle with them, and every fight you partake in starts with choosing a Pokémon and throwing the Poké Ball to initiate to match where you’re standing seamlessly. With early screenshots of Scarlet and Violet showing similar kinds of battles set in the world, there’s a very good chance Generation 9 takes what was rebuilt in Arceus and evolves it even further. The Pokémon Company and Game Freak are even going as far as calling these games “open world,” which wasn’t the case even for Arceus, but I’d love to see this new brand of Pokémon gameplay continued and even doubled down on for these entries.