Unsolved Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Mystery May Have Been A New Game Tease All Along

While Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have concluded with the release of The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk DLCs, there's still one big mystery in the base game that's been left unanswered so far. Since the game's release, fans have speculated about a large, geometric design that can be found in Area Zero towards the end of the game, with most thinking that the symbol would be explained in one of the DLCs. With both DLCs released and no certain answer, however, fans are turning to other theories about what the design could mean for the future of Pokémon.

In a thread discussing the symbol posted by Opusprime13 on the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Reddit, user poodleenthusiast28 has speculated that the symbol is intended as a reference to the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

Supporting the claim, the user points out that the cave where the symbol is found is also where players encounter Roaring Moons and Iron Valiant, both of which are based on Mega Evolutions for Salamence and Gallade, respectively. This creates a vague connection to Z-A, which will be reintroducing Mega Evolution to the series.

What A ZA Reference In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Could Mean

Scarlet & Violet's Last Mystery Could Be Hinting At Something In Z-A

With most other popular theories regarding the symbol having been disproved and the lack of any explanation in Scarlet and Violet's DLC, the theory that the Area Zero symbol is referencing Z-A or even another future game holds some weight — especially since it's not uncommon for Pokémon to vaguely hint at future games. Spin-off game Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, for example, teased the fourth generation games by featuring the first appearance of Bonsly in a game. More recently, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon teased Sword and Shield with a small poster of Gigantamax Toxtricity.

Related Pokémon Legends Z-A Trailer Might Be Revealed Before Pokémon Day According To Well-Known Leaker A new Pokémon Legends Z-A trailer could be released earlier than expected in January 2025, according to one notorious Pokémon-focused hacker.

Unfortunately, there's probably not much meaning that can actually be gleaned from the symbol. If it is a reference to Z-A, it will only make sense in hindsight, similar to the Toxtricity tease that fans only spotted after Sword and Shield's release. At best, the symbol's relation to Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant could indicate that Gallade, Gardevoir, Salamence, and each of their respective Mega Evolutions will be included in Z-A, but any actual meaning will probably only become clear after Z-A's release.

Our Take: The Area Zero Symbol Could Mean Anything Or Nothing

The Mysterious Symbol In Scarlet And Violet Is Too Vague To Draw Any Real Conclusions

While the symbol could be a hint towards Z-A or even the next generation of Pokémon games, it's a little too abstract to draw any concrete conclusions. As another Reddit commenter, Blarghnox, points out, the design could also just be the remnant of some cut content from Scarlet and Violet. If it is cut content, though, whatever was cut could still be implemented in a future game. This would follow a precedent set by Zygarde, which was presumably supposed to receive more of a focus in its introductory generation but ended up getting more attention in Sun and Moon instead.

Related First Three Pokémon: Z-A Possibly Revealed In Massive Nintendo Leak A leak has revealed the first Pokémon coming to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, two mega-evolutions, and one potential regional variant of a Gen 5 Pokémon.

The theory that the Area Zero mystery design is referencing Z-A is an interesting one, but it's also one that can't be confirmed until Z-A is officially released, and the symbol is abstract enough that it doesn't really provide any hints on its own. For now, there's not much additional info to draw from the mysterious symbol, but Z-A, or another future Pokémon release, might end up validating some of the theories around Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's biggest remaining mystery.

Sources: Opusprime13/Reddit, poodleenthusiast28/Reddit, Blarghnox/Reddit