Yes, since they have a unique name and Dex number. But at the same time, I think they are a bit weird. I wonder why they decided to make them new evolutions instead of just Galarian forms of Persian and Cofagrigus. I guess there's a reason for it, but through the years, Game Freak have done many things that doesn't always make sense from the perspective of an observer, and this is one of them.
This does make me curious what game first, the Regional Evolution idea or Galarian Meowth & Yamask.
- If Regional Evolution, then they could have picked the two knowing they could give them different evolutions.
- If G-Meowth & G-Yamask, they may very well be a scrapped Galarian Persian & Galarian Cofagrigus (or trying to make one but were having problems) and when they thought up the Regional Evolution idea decided it was the best course for these two.
I don't think its coincidental both G-Meowth and G-Yamask have Viking basis to their design. Both of them were clearly picked and designed at the same time, a viking berserker Pokemon (that also referenced viking cats) and a viking runestone Pokemon. However the normal evolutions for the families just wouldn't work or have the intended effect they want, they picked them fully knowing they could give them alternate evolutions.
I wonder of they made Alolan forms with Let's Go in mind? Introducing Dark, Steel, and Fairy types, having a few more Ghost and Dragon types, and having more Rock types that aren't Ground in the Gen 1 pool makes much more sense if they were planning to return to Gen 1.
Maybe not Let's Go specifically but wouldn't be surprised if they thought "with how much we go back to Gen I for any side project we do we're going to need a semi-natural Dark-type and more of certain other Types".
Like how do you make Alolan Meowth obtainable in other regions without making it akward?
In Sword & Shield they introduced two NPCs: The A-Diglett Hiker and Regina. A-Diglett Hiker is part of a now infamous side quest where you're tasked to find 151 Alolan Diglett all over the Isle of Armor, your reward at several amounts found being certain Alolan variant Pokemon (and at one point one of the Alolan Starters). Regina can be found in several locations (changes after each trade) and she'll ask you for either a normal Pokemon native in the Galar Dex or Galarian Pokemon and will trade you the Alolan or normal version of that Pokemon. I have a feeling these methods will likely be their go-to methods for giving out Regional Variants in future games.
Specifically Regina, I can see her making future appearances. The A-Diglett Hiker unlikely but rather he's just a representation of a side quest of some kind that'll give you the Regional Variants from a certain region. There's also other opportunities they could use, like if they do the Sinnoh Remakes then Mr. Backlot's garden is a prime opportunity to include all the regional variants not introduced in that generation. Unova has the Hidden Grottos. Kalos has the Friend Safari. There's also LGPE's method of having a specific trainer that would trade you a Regional Variant for the normal version of a Pokemon as many times as you want but feel that was just for those games due to the mechanics focused on catching lots and lots of the same Pokemon.
And finally, just as how we have the normal Pokemon version of those Pokemon in multiple regions despite it not being their debut region, if the context is justifiable they could just have the Regional Variant be available as a normal encounter. The Regional Variant was just first discovered in the region its named after, doesn't mean it can't happen anywhere else. Heck, a Regional Variant doesn't even have a different name from its normal counterpart on the stat screen, it's only the Dex entry and other outside mechanics which labels it as such while in-battle it might as well just be another Pokemon.
The "problem" is that buffing old mons is a placebo.
Buffing a old mon just makes a more recent one take his place in the trash tier.
It's something most people don't realize, that you cannot have a game with 900 viable pokemon. There will always be pokemon better than other.
Buffing old pokemon is a waste of time, you just change which Pokemon is going to be worse. It solves nothing.
You know, buffing a Pokemon isn't just to make it competitive viable. Sometimes buffing a Pokemon is just to make it a bit more enjoyable to play in-game for those who like the Pokemon or decide to try it out.
You're right, not every Pokemon can be balanced, infact some Pokemon are made purposeful to be early game "fodder" until you get the "better" Pokemon later on. However that doesn't mean they have to make the experience using that Pokemon feel just as unappealing.
I've never heard the ones about Grass and Water starters (not to mention they are blatantly false: see the Chespin and Sobble lines respectively)
Proposed Grass-Starter's Prehistoric Inspirations
Bulbasaur: It's a pretty ambiguous Thyreophora/Eurypoda, armored dinsoaurs like stegosaurus and ankylosaurus but instead of armor plating they have plants on their back.
Chikorita: Sauropod.
Treecko: Theropod.
Turtwig: Turtles/Tortoises are a prehistoric Order, including the Chelydridae Family (snapping turtles).
Snivy: Snakes are also an old Suborder. Infact, fossil evidence suggest snakes evolves from legged, burrowing lizards: just like how the limbed Snivy evolves into the (mostly) limbless Serperior.
Chespin: Dinos weren't the only animals that early ancestor had armor plating. Most famous prehisotric armored mammal would be the Glyptodon (they're related to the armadillo).
Rowlet: And this is where things become a bit wobbly. While there are prehistoric owls, Rowlet is based on a more modern day extinct animal: the Stilt-Owl which were native to Hawaii (hence Decidueye being a Ghost-type and having long legs).
Grookey: There's a batch of prehistoric ape species. It using a stick as a tool could also be a reference to early man separating itself from the other primates by using intelligence and tool use to thrive and create entertainment for themselves.
As for Water Starters, that's honestly a pretty weak "pattern" to put them in. Gee, you're telling me a WATER-type is based on a AQUATIC animal, next you'll be telling me other fun water facts like it's wet! As for Sobble's relation to water, the exact species of chameleon its based on, the Veiled chameleon, has a unique behavior where the species would eat plant matter if there's not enough water. So you can argue the veiled chameleon going out of its way to get water (which is important as it lives in the Arabian Peninsula which is kind of dry).
But, yeah, I agree most of these, including the Fire Starters Zodiac, is a fan theory. And even if there's some truth to it, GF also aren't restricted to keep on following the patterns and can break them any generation, some argued that have already plenty of times.
As for people making Fakemons, well it's up to the creator if they want to "stick" to the rumor or not. Then again, if I was making Fakemons, wouldn't I want to step away from a possible pattern? Like why would I make a Fakemon Fire Starter that's a snake if I think that any generation now I'm expecting GF to make a Fire Starter snake (unless I'm trying to trick people)? Instead I'd probably make a Fakemon Fire Starter that's an animal outside the expected or, heck, just not have my Fakemon Starters not even be the Grass-Fire-Water triangle (though admittedly the Fighting-Psychic-Dark triangle has become a tad bit overdone).
