The Pokemon Company International has officially revealed a brand new Pokemon for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that is strangely similar to the Ground Diglett, known as Wiglett. This Pokémon is confirmed to not be either a Paldean form or new evolution of Diglett, and is instead its species that simply share common features with Diglett, similar to the concept of convergent evolution in species. which has just been announced for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
What is a Wiglett?
Wiglett was revealed as a new Pokemon during a scripted live conference call with Pokémon professors from around the world called the World Pokémon Ecological Society, which functioned as an interactive webinar that surveyed information on wild Pokemon interactions in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet akin to a real-world ecological survey. Viewers could also record themselves as part f the conference to witness the footage “live.”
The webinar captures various wild Pokemon interactions across Paldea to provide viewers with detailed information on some of the new ways Pokemon will be behaving in the upcoming games. There is new footage and screenshots featuring such Pokemon as Paldean Wooper, Abomasnow, Zangoose and Seviper (who battle in the wild), and even regular Diglett, to further cement the idea that Wiglett is a different species entirely.
The researchers then visit the beach biome to witness Wiglett itself, which has a completely different color scheme to regular Diglett and features a more elongated body. While specific details on this Pokemon, such as its type and potential evolutions, have not yet been shared on the official Pokemon Scarlet and Violet website, it is possible that Wiglett is at least a Water-type since it is found a beach.
It is also being speculated that it is based on a Garden Eel, a species of underwater eel that live together in groups and pop in and out of the ground from sandy burrows to avoid predators, much like what Wiglett appears to be doing in the footage.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will be released on November 18, 2022, exclusively 18 for Nintendo Switch, and pre-orders are available now. Some of the other new Pokemon revealed recently for the game include Armarouge, Ceruledge, Klawf, and Grafaiai.