Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk Breaks a Long Fossil Pokemon Streak

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been sparking multiple conversations online about what the Pokemon formula could truly look like in the future when each modern game changes it and breaks multiple rules regarding what the series can do. Each new release for the past few years has come with incredibly ground-breaking new features, or at least has dramatically changed how some key elements of the franchise operate, such as Pokemon Legends: Arceus making the player character take damage or Pokemon Scarlet and Violet eliminating tall grass encounters in mainline titles. Gen 9’s The Indigo Disk is no different, and it keeps experimenting with the Pokemon formula in various ways, but in doing so it broke a big tradition for Fossil Pokemon.

Fossil Pokemon as a concept has been around ever since the very first generation of games, introducing a choice-only item that players could bring back to a laboratory or museum in order for scientists to revive it as new pocket monsters. Not all Fossil Pokemon in the games have been treated equally, and the gimmick as a whole has seen some odd changes in behavior throughout the series. For example, while Gen 1 added two Fossil Pokemon (each with its own evolution), Gen 2 completely scrapped the mechanic and not only it didn’t add new Fossils, but it also didn’t allow players to get the old ones.

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Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Approach to Fossil Pokemon Makes No Sense

Ever since Gen 2, however, the representation of Fossil Pokemon in the series has been better. Every set of games up to Pokemon Sword and Shield, excluding Gen 7, has added new Fossil pocket monsters for players to catch and collect. Even in the case of Gen 7, although no new Fossil Pokemon were available, players could at least get their hands on most of the previous Fossils in various ways.

Fossil Pokemon in Gen 3 Through 9

However, Gen 9 shook things up once more, and this time in a strange way that makes one wonder where the series is going with Fossil Pokemon as a mechanic. Not only did Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduce no new Fossils, but none of the previous ones were available – much like Gen 2. However, with the release of The Indigo Disk DLC, players are now able to catch overworld forms of two Fossil Pokemon species, namely Cranidos and Shieldon.

On top of that, Fossils as items are nowhere to be found in the game, and Cranidos and Shieldon are Pokemon Scarlet and Violet version exclusives. This approach is wildly inconsistent when compared to past titles, where players could either find Fossils of new Pokemon or at least returning ones, and this has been the case since Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire.

Some Fossils were version exclusives, some were given as Pokemon and not found as actual fossils (such as Aerodactyl in Gen 7), but it has never been the case that a game has scrapped Fossil Pokemon completely only to make them overworld spawns and also version-exclusive content while at it. With The Indigo Disk’s version-exclusive Pokemon being very few, Cranidos’ and Shieldon’s status is even more apparent.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are the upcoming main series Pokemon games. These two versions will be the arrival of Generation IX.

Released

November 18, 2022

ESRB

E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence

How Long To Beat

31½ Hours

Metascore

72