Bayonetta and Okami character designer Mari Shimazaki has revealed her contribution to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet as one of the multiple notable guest artists who have had a part in designing Pokemon over the years, sharing a photo in a post on X (formerly Twitter) showcasing the four characters she helped bring to the game, in this case a Pokemon and its evolution and two professors. Given that Beyonetta is consistently praised for its character designs it comes as no surprise that Shimazaki’s Pokemon designs have also been favorites since the release of Scarlet and Violet due to their adorable designs.
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Shimazaki’s post reveals that she worked on the designs for the two adorable Pokemon Fidough and its evolutionary form Dachsbun, as well as professors Raifort and Miriam, all four of these designs showcased in the sketch page accompanying the post. As you can see in the art, all of the designs Shimazaki is responsible are showcased, with the two professors surrounded by the Fairy-type confectionary canine inspired creatures.
The post also serves as a celebration that Shimazaki has finished the game herself, saying she took a lot of detours and expressing how much she loved filling in the maps completely, noting that this is relaxing for her. Shimazaki also acknowledges that she is “late” to revealing her involvement on the game’s Pokemon because she was waiting until she finished the game, which she has only just done as of yesterday. “I took a lot of detours with the game, but I finally finished it the other day,” the post on X reads. “I loved filling in the maps and it was so relaxing!! I hope you continue to enjoy it.” The replies to her post showcase a bit of how much people love her designs, with several people showcasing their excitement at the confirmation, as does the fact that these two Pokemon have been used in marketing materials for the game given how popular they are with the players.
As mentioned, Shimazaki is only one of the guest artists who have revealed their involvement in this generation of Pokemon. Since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet came out Yusuke Kozaki, known for work on Fire Emblem: Fates and No More Heroes, revealed his responsibility for the designs of Cetoddle and Varoom, while James Turner, a Game Freak artist, designed Dondozo and Tatsugiri. Over the years of recent generations many guest artists have contributed to the Pokedex including Hitoshi Ariga, Haruko Ichikawa, and Kozaki Yosuke.
