Pokemon Sword and Shield's New Elephant Pokemon Tease a New Region

One of Pokemon Sword and Shield's new Pokemon could provide a clue about the future of the Pokemon franchise. The last few Pokemon games have provided little clues about the next set of games. For instance, players in Pokemon X and Y found a "Strange Souvenir" that came from the Alola region, while Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee had a map that looks suspiciously similar to the United Kingdom, the real world area that inspired Pokemon Sword and Shield's Galar region. Pokemon Sword and Shield also contains a more direct hint at a new region - thanks to a pair of new Pokemon.

Cufant and Copperajah are Steel-type Pokemon that can be found in the Wild Area, Pokemon Sword and Shield's large "open world" area. Both Pokemon are modeled after elephants, and apparently aren't native to the Galar region. Copperajah notes that it originally came from another region long ago to work with humans. This most likely is a reference to England's history with India, especially as "rajah" is the Sanskrit word for a monarch. Copperajah and Cufant are the only ties that Pokemon Sword and Shield has to India. The game also features an extensive mini-game centered around curry, an Indian dish popular in England.

It's likely that Copperajah's origins in another region is just a nod to England's long history, but it could also be a hint at what's coming up next in the games. The last four regions (Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar) were all based off of either the United States or a European country, so it would make sense to explore a region inspired by a different part of the world.

Would you want to see a Pokemon game based on Indian cultures? Let us know in the comment section or find me on Twitter at @CHofferCBus to talk all things Pokemon!