Judge a Pokémon Express: Biker Gang
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heritage
Welcome to generation nine, the generation where...Pokémon become vehicles. A concept that takes the "Poké Ride" to the extreme! Today we meet up with some of our panelist guests to see what they have to say about these nifty new box legendaries and their little green friend.
| Koraidon | Cyclizar | Miraidon |
Band
Well, this one just brought a whole new meaning to Uber Pokémon. Can I order Koraidon Eats too?
Anyways, I can appreciate the color scheme for Koraidon here, but not for thematic purposes though, since I think if Game Freak were going for a prehistoric vibe, Koraidon probably should've been more of an earth tone like terracotta or even a deep orange. But here, it's red. Like, funnily enough, motorcycle vibrant red. The only reason it doesn't look as artificial as Miraidon is because its counterpart has literal screens for eyes and motors as legs, but vibrant red with touches of blue, purple, and pink isn't the first color scheme I think of when I picture an ancient prehistoric being.
I like the webbed hands and feet here, as they are very good adaptations for animals that have aquatic habits, which shows great attention to detail on the designer's part, and also the way its hair... thingies...—whatever those are—the way they unfold to give it a way to glide is also quite clever design that doesn't make it look too silly when on land, since it can just roll up its... antennae? Seriously, what are those things? Also, as a huge biology nerd, I couldn't help but point out the nod to certain lizard species that have big flaps of colorful skin on their throats, known as fan-throated lizards. Despite the extravagant color choice, I really like little details on this one!
Pikachu315111
When the Rolycoly family was revealed, some thought Game Freak had Bounced the Sharpedo by making a Pokémon with biological wheel(s). BOY, they had NO idea what Game Freak had in store next generation!
Though they don’t spin, the black pouches under Koraidon’s neck and legs are still unmistakably tires with how they’re positioned when moving and that they can inflate. Is it odd that they don’t spin? Yes, or at the very least they aren’t used at all for its land mode (only having a superficial function when swimming); I’d be okay if the sections moved it forward like a snake or were coated with a frictionless grease that let it slide at high speeds. But no, instead they look like they’ll more get in the way of traverse (thank Arceus for clipping). Not that I don’t completely get why; Koraidon is likely going to represent the past, and before motor vehicles people got around riding on horses, camels, and elephants (thinking about it, odd Koraidon isn’t more mammal-like, unless they really wanted to push a dinosaur angle on it).
I’m picking Violet because Miraidon is more my jam, but I don’t fault people picking Scarlet because they like Koraidon’s prehistoric and tribal warrior aesthetics. We still don’t know much about the mascot legendaries, notably their typing. They probably want to keep it a surprise for when you’re finally able to battle with them (and then wonder why they weren’t helping before, except only as an Uber).
Lumii
Koraidon is definitely my favorite out of the three bike-styled Pokémon. Judging by its design, I'm expecting it to possibly be a Dragon- and Fighting-type. I find myself quite drawn to its design apart from the parts of it that look like a tire, which I will touch on later. I absolutely love the color scheme, especially the hot pink they added next to all the deep blues!
The part that I absolutely hate about its design is the tire. Okay, come on Pokémon, I see that you were probably going for a motorcycle that you could ride in the overworld, but in all the indications that I've seen so far, you can just let it be like Tauros from the Alola games. There was no reason for there to be an actual motorcycle.
Looks like someone who designed this Pokémon got carried away after looking at Breath of the Wild's Master Cycle Zero...
Kaiju Bunny
I'm not gonna lie: I think Koraidon is the perfect legendary for Gen 9 as a whole right now. Its pose alone screams power and regality. Add that with the striking colors, and you've got one memorable legendary! I mean... You've also got the fact that it can turn into a bike. For some reason. Regardless, I'd be terrified to be face to face with this thing and would love to have it on my team! As an aside, something I also thoroughly enjoy is that to a lot of people, Koraidon is just seen as a harmless and derpy lizard boi, which is always a fun thing I can appreciate when it comes to originally badass and intimidating Pokémon, to be honest. Overall, Koraidon is definitely the favorite box legend for me c:
zee
If the big menacing lizard bikes aren't your thing I'd like to present you with Little Man as an alternative. My assumption for Cyclizar is that it's going to be a Cosmog-type deal where it eventually turns into your game's respective legendary, and it's essentially like training wheels for the beginning of your adventure. However, we've seen that other trainers in Paldea can use a Cyclizar as well, so surely we're in for some big plot line if my hunch is correct. Designwise, I'm quite a fan, I really like the shade of green (perhaps to blend in with grassy environments?) and the friendly aesthetic. It looks like a perfect Pokémon to receive as a gift and explore the region with.
As for the VGC lens, I think there's a lot more questions than answers. Dragon/Normal isn't too excellent of a typing, and if my guess is correct about it being a pre-evolution for Miraidon/Koraidon, then it wouldn't be legal until a Restricted Legendary format where it likely wouldn't see much use. However, if I'm wrong and we can use it at events in the upcoming 2023 season, I'm pretty excited to see some Shed Tail + setup strategies pop off.
Pikachu315111
With the player riding around on the mascot legendaries and the Paldea map having what looked to be racing flags scattered around (what we now know are Team Star bases), I was curious if other NPCs would also have Pokémon to ride (and why the player riding the mascot legendaries wouldn’t grab everyone’s attention). And, during this year’s Pokémon World Championships, this was all answered in one fell swoop with the reveal of Cyclizar. Every other rider in Paldea rides one and, in-world, most NPCs would think the player is just riding a fancier Cyclizar.
Relation-To-Mascots-Theory-Go-Time(!): Cyclizar is the modern day “forme” of the species. In ancient times, before being tamed (which led to breeding a lot more of them and losing their extra adornments to be more streamline), it was Koraidon. In the future they’re extinct, but by combining preserved DNA with biorobotics, they created Miraidon. Why are both of them in the present? Work in progress; but I wouldn’t be surprised if Professors Wilma Flintstone and GigaChad were somehow involved (we’ve yet to have an evil Professor; no, Imposter Oak doesn’t count).
Dragon / Normal is one of those types that are intriguing on paper, but it hurts more than it helps had Cyclizar just been pure Dragon (though does suggest the mascots are part Dragon type, which is fine, but I would like something more interesting; and Arceus please don’t make Cyclizar another Dragon pseudo-legendary).
Lumii
If my hunch that Cyclizar is going to be to Koraidon and Miraidon what Cosmog was to Solgaleo and Lunala is correct, I am quite underwhelmed by Cyclizar's design. Other than the tire on its body and tail, I don't really see a sufficient connection between even Cyclizar and Koraidon, let alone Cyclizar and Miraidon. I am also not a fan of Cyclizar's color scheme, as it just feels like any classic green lizard. I wish they had been a bit more creative, as the Iberian peninsula is home to quite a few interesting lizard species.
I think Cyclizar being a Dragon / Normal type is supposed to be a clue that it probably will evolve into Koraidon or Miraidon, but this, for now, is just speculation.
Shadowshocker
Cyclizar brings interesting implications between this generation's legendary Pokémon, being a cross between Kyurem as a point of origin and Cosmog as likely something that evolves into either box legend, but one that actually fights back and might very well have competitive usage if seconds of footage is anything to go by. Like Armarouge and Ceruledge, Cyclizar could probably be a mascot both Scarlet and Violet schools fight over before becoming the school quarterback's vehicle of choice. Taking care of your very own Cyclizar could very well be your first major homework assignment for the year. But this does raise a few other questions, considering that Bikes in Pokémon appear relatively early on in gameplay, and this is likely to be the case again with Kuraidon/Miraidon's all-terrain vehicular powers being hyped. Cyclizar doesn't feel likely to stay that way for a lot of the game, suggesting that you won't get to know it the way we all fell in love with Nebby. Will this be for the better? Will Cyclizar have its own time to shine? It remains to be seen.
Zephyri
The first thing I think of when I look at Cyclizar is the Geico mascot. Or Rango. Or [insert other basic green anthro lizard design from popular media].
Nah, but for real; Cyclizar's design is so white bread and basic to the point that it's painfully apparent that it was made entirely as an afterthought. I don't even hate the idea of a bicycle lizard, like, in concept. It's incredibly "I made this fakemon when I was 12"-y, but there's probably something interesting you could do with it. But Cyclizar isn't that either! Nothing about the design is in any way indicative of bicycles or motorcycles, apart from the massive wheel that's randomly been lodged in its neck.
It's very clear that Cyclizar serves the sole purpose of evolving into the cover legendaries, with no other redeeming design qualities whatsoever. Like, at least Cosmog was cute; Cyclizar looks like an overgrown, sick Charmeleon with an enlarged Adam's apple in biker cosplay. Cyclizar's even Dragon/NORMAL; even its typing is the more basic version of the cover legendaries'. I dont know, maybe I'll feel differently after the games come out, but for now, Cyclizar is nothing more than disappointing.
zee
Straight out of Black City Technologies Incorporated, the Unovan automarket has shipped out the Miraidon model to the region of Paldea. I really like Miraidon, its design is reminiscent of a Tron bike or some other sci-fi icon (I'll save you the Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds reference), so I hope there's a cutscene where we get to witness an Akira slide. It has a nice space-themed texture all over its body, which does make me wonder about whether its lore is something alien-related in addition to the obvious future motif we have going on. Please, Game Freak, no more dimension hopping or Hoopa holes though.
It's likely that at some point we'll see Miraidon feature in a VGC format, but, as we presently have no info on its typing, moves, and stats, its projected viability is going to remain a huge question mark. However, going off of recent formats featuring Restricted Pokémon, you'd have to assume this lizard is going to get at least a little time in the sun.
Band
I find it interesting how Miraidon somehow kept its S-shaped neck, given it doesn't have tires like Koraidon and instead just floats using the motors which once could have been its hind legs. Maybe the neck is where Miraidon's motor is stored? I'm going to go with a safer bet here and assume Game Freak had to keep the "S-shaped neck" or rather, in Miraidon's case, the "escoliosis" motif for all members of this group—Cyclizar and Koraidon's whole gimmick is their tire necks, so Miraidon was stuck with a huge glass blob that looks like one of those Mario Kart boosters you go for even though you're already very ahead of everyone else just because it feels really satisfying, rather than an actual normal neck.
Koraidon at least looks like it has a really big chest that can expand even more. Miraidon just makes me feel uncomfortable, like when you know your posture is terrible but you just can't find a comfortable position to sit. Cool digital screen eyes tho.
Shadowshocker
"I tune my Performapaldean Ducktale with Performapaldean Axololcopter and Performapaldean Thoroughbread! I Synchro Summon - VIOLET VERSION STARDUST DRAGON!" Inevitable Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds references aside, I have to admit that the initial showcase for both SV's box legends wasn't all that impressive. Maybe I'm getting on in years, but their debut didn't feel as impactful as others did. Dialga and Palkia stood atop an ancient monument, Reshiram and Zekrom opposed you in an ideological fight to the finish, while Koraidon and Miraidon... are literal motorcycles. It's not exactly the most inspiring premise, and it's not helped by the fact that multiplayer gameplay for SV is heavily dependent on every player having access to the same biker dragon unique to their version. But taken holistically with the rest of SV's aesthetic, giving everyone their personal living legend bike to explore the land, possibly outracing students from the rival version, does make sense overall. It's the hints of ideological debates sprinkled throughout the series, paired with the theme of rivalry across several classmates with different goals, in a way that feels better justified than XY's random assortment of friends.
Relevant to Miraidon, though, I've always been a fan of rocket propulsion legs ever since Golurk, so Violet was a shoo-in for me. I see what they're trying to do with Kuraidon and the throat sac wheel thing, and maybe I'm in a minority, but that feels so much more unnatural to me than Miraidon's digital display eyes.
Kaiju Bunny
I... have very mixed feelings about Miraidon. It's likely personal bias, but I can't say I was ever a fan of cyborg Pokémon, which appears to be what Miraidon's design is going for, unless it's a completely artificial Pokémon? Unsure, but I will say I absolutely adore about it is its color palette! One thing I'll give Game Freak is that they really nailed "futuristic cyber dragon" with this design, and luckily with Miraidon's case, it still manages to come across as regal and majestic, which pairs well with its counterpart and I'm glad it managed to work out so well! May I mention that another thing I'll give Miraidon is that I'll be far happier riding my electronic motorbike than uh... poor Koraidon here, lol.
heritage
We hope you enjoyed today's Judge a Pokémon Express! It's time to catch a ride to the next generation of Pokémon. Hopefully future designs can be as complex as these!
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