Pokémon regional forms, from Alola to Paldea
A white Ice-type Vulpix, a Steel-type Meowth, a Rock-type Growlithe: these are regional forms, versions of familiar Pokémon adapted to another region. The name stays the same, but type and appearance change. In the crossword they can trip you up, so it pays to know where they hide.
What a regional form is
A regional form is the same Pokémon, with the same name and number, living in a different environment and adapted to it. The first ones arrived in the seventh generation, in Alola, and every new region since has brought more.
For the crossword one thing matters: the name does not change. In the grid an Alolan Vulpix is still written Vulpix. What changes is the information a clue can give you, such as the type.
Alola: the first regional forms
Alola gave a new form to eighteen Kanto Pokémon. Among the best known:
- Vulpix and Ninetales: from Fire to Ice (Ninetales also Fairy);
- Raichu: Electric and Psychic;
- Exeggutor: Grass and Dragon, with a very long neck;
- Marowak: Fire and Ghost;
- Sandshrew and Sandslash: Ice and Steel;
- Diglett and Dugtrio: Ground and Steel;
- Meowth and Persian: Dark type.
The list is completed by Rattata, Raticate, Geodude, Graveler, Golem, Grimer and Muk.
Galar: new forms and new evolutions
Galar, in the eighth generation, went a step further: some regional forms have an evolution the normal form lacks. These are new names, so they can appear in the grid as answers in their own right:
- Galarian Meowth (Steel) evolves into Perrserker;
- Galarian Linoone (Dark and Normal) evolves into Obstagoon;
- Galarian Farfetch’d (Fighting) evolves into Sirfetch’d;
- Galarian Corsola (Ghost) evolves into Cursola;
- Galarian Yamask (Ground and Ghost) evolves into Runerigus;
- Galarian Mr. Mime (Ice and Psychic) evolves into Mr. Rime.
Other Galarian forms worth knowing: Psychic-type Ponyta and Rapidash, Poison and Fairy Weezing, Ground and Steel Stunfisk, Ice-type Darmanitan.
Hisui and Paldea
Hisui, the Sinnoh of the past, gave new forms to several Pokémon, including three final starters: Typhlosion (Fire and Ghost), Samurott (Water and Dark) and Decidueye (Grass and Fighting). Among the others: Fire and Rock Growlithe and Arcanine, Electric and Grass Voltorb and Electrode, Normal and Ghost Zorua and Zoroark.
In Paldea, in the ninth generation, there is a Poison and Ground Wooper, which evolves into a new Pokémon: Clodsire. Tauros has a Paldean form too, of the Fighting type.
How to reason in the crossword
Regional forms set a small trap: a type clue can look wrong if you only think of the original form. A few tips:
- If the type does not fit, think of regional forms. An “Ice-type” Pokémon of six letters that looks like Vulpix might be Vulpix after all.
- The name is the base one. You never write “Alola” or “Galar” in the grid.
- Exclusive evolutions are names of their own. Perrserker, Obstagoon, Sirfetch’d, Cursola, Runerigus, Mr. Rime and Clodsire exist only thanks to a regional form.
To revise the regions there is the guide from Kanto to Paldea, and for the types the type chart. Then test yourself with today’s crossword.