Pokémon Fan Makes Pirate Regional Variants For Lucario, Yamask & More

A Pokémon fan and artist has created their own pirate-themed region and regional variants for popular Pokémon like Lucario and Yamask. Pokémon has remained just as popular as it was when Pokémon Red and Blue were first released in the 1990s, and the media franchise has endured in part due to its ability to produce new content that builds upon its own lore. Both children and adults young at heart keep coming back to the series because of new regions introduced, new Pokémon to catch, and regional Pokémon variants to find.

Regional variants were first introduced in Generation VII and appeared in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Regional variants spawn when a Pokémon species is faced with different weather conditions or dietary changes, and therefore needs to develop differently to survive. Though regional variants keep the names of their counterparts, they differ in their features including appearance, stats, and ability. Variants can even be of another type than their normal version, meaning they’re able to use different moves, and can have different strengths and weaknesses in battle. Furthermore, some variants have different evolutions, and some cannot evolve at all. Popular Pokémon variants include Alolan Ninetales and Galarian Ponyta.

Reddit user grumpytogepi shared their regional Pokémon variants to Reddit, showcasing their artwork and explaining some of the reasoning behind their theme. According to the user, their creations are based on a new area they created called Seveas, which has a pirate theme. Among the Pokémon chosen for new variants are the aura-wielding Lucario, as well as Yamask, and Toucannon. The post features a new evolution for Dhelmise called Dhelmatic, and one for Yamask called Treasureus. grumpytogepi also includes their Shiny Pokémon versions. Users in the comments praised grumpytogepi specifically for their original character evolution Dhelmatic, which seems to be a hit with fans.

See the full collection on Reddit here.

Regional variants can be some of the most popular Pokémon among fans, as their evolutionary changes create new lore which keeps the franchise fresh, opening the door to more Pokémon worlds and storylines, which in turn entices a newer fanbase. They can even bring back older fans that have an affinity for older pocket monsters, who might want to see them reimagined with a new yet canon look. Yamask is the perfect example of this. Though Yamask was introduced in 2010 as a Generation V Pokémon, it was reintroduced in 2019’s Pokémon Swordand Shield as a regional variant of Galar.

Fans of the franchise can expect more regional variants in the future, as Nintendo’s upcoming Pokémon Legends: Arceus will have variants. The new game will take place in the distant past, when Sinnoh was called Hisui, with Hisuian variants having long since disappeared from the current timeline. While users may not ever get to see pirate-themed Pokémon similar to the designs of grumpytogepi, the original fanart can at least give a taste of what such a variant species might look like.

Source: grumpytogepi/Reddit

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