Last year, hackers found mythical Pokémon hidden inside X & Y–-Diancie, Hoopa and Volcanion. Since then, one of these Pokémon has been released: Diancie. Two of them, however, haven’t. Here’s what we know about the most mysterious of the three.
Earlier this week I wrote Hoopa, a Pokémon that has ties to the lore of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Thanks to hackers, we know that Game Freak developed an event that lets you transform Hoopa into something menacing. Out of the three Pokémon leaked by hackers, Hoopa is the one that’s gotten the most attention, thanks in large part to how striking its “Hoopa Unbound” form looks. You can read all about that here, if you’d like. But we do know some things about Volcanion, too.
What it looks like, for example — that’s Volcanion right there, in the first image of this post. Seems cool, right? The colours aren’t there just for show, either. The Pokemon is both water type, as well as fire type.
Just like Hoopa, Volcanion hasn’t been officially released by Game Freak — not that this stopped hackers from adding the Pokémon to their collection anyway. This is why Pokémon fans already know the sorts of moves that Volcanion can learn, as well as what its Pokedex entry says: it’s all been leaked.
Back when Volcanion first surfaced, hackers found some unreleased event scenes in X & Y which had characters explaining some of Volcanion’s myths and biology. Apparently, Volcanion is rather powerful — it can blow up mountains. Volcanion is also said to have helped build an entire nation:
Months passed after the initial Volcanion/Diancie/Hoopa leak. Then, the demo for Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire was released this year. A hacking team called “Project Pokemon” discovered that the code once again contained information about things that Game Freak hadn’t officially released yet, including some interesting dialogue about Volcanion. Apparently, Volcanion had unaired television specials dedicated to it.
Here is the text in full, if you’d like to read it:
Volcanion Event Text:
Hot diggidy! That’s a Volcanion you have there, isn’t it?
As far as I know, the people in that group are the only ones in history to have seen this Pokémon. To think that I’d meet a Trainer who not only found Volcanion, but actually caught it!
What a day! I like you, kid! I’m the head of this TV studio. How about I show you some top-secret specials we made about Volcanion?
They’re a little something I made for a TV show once back in the day, but… Well, things didn’t work out, and they ended up getting shelved.
OK! Sit back and enjoy! My top-secret Volcanion specials!
All right! Which clip would you like to watch?
This is a special edition of MVTV: Explorations of the Ancient World! Join us deep in the swamplands of the Kalos region where we found a mythical Volcanion! … Explorer: “B-boss! There it is! It’s Volcanion!” Brandon: “Oh! Get back! If it blows, it could send even huge mountains flying! It can change moisture into super-heated steam in an instant with its internal organs causing a massive explosion!” Explorer: “That was a close one! Thanks for saving me, boss!” Brandon: “Stay alert at all times! Don’t forget your courage sensor!”
This is a special edition of MVTV: Explorations of the Ancient World! Join us in the untouched woodlands of the Sinnoh region where we found a mythical Volcanion! … Explorer: “B-boss! There it is! It’s Volcanion!” Brandon: “Oh! Get back! Look at those arm-like things growing out of its back! It uses those to suck in moisture to turn into a thick fog! If we stay here, we’ll be trapped in the fog!” Explorer: “That was a close one! Thanks for saving me, boss!” Brandon: “Stay alert at all times! Don’t forget your courage sensor!”
This is a special edition of MVTV: Explorations of the Ancient World! Join us on a desert island in the Johto region where we found a mythical Volcanion! … Explorer: “B-boss! There it is! It’s Volcanion!” Brandon: “Oh! Get back! An explosion from Volcanion can even change mountain ranges into plains! It’s thought that ancient land masses were formed in that way.” Explorer: “That was a close one! Thanks for saving me, boss!” Brandon: “Stay alert at all times! Don’t forget your courage sensor!”
How about that?! Quite the spectacle, wasn’t it? That’s our fantastic TV series from the famous explorer Brandon!
All right, that was quite the spectacle! That’s our fantastic TV series from the famous explorer Brandon!
Players who have gone through Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire know that the game contains a TV station in a city called Mauville. Right now, there’s not much that actually happens in that location. When I first found it, I thought it was weird that it was so big and detailed despite being kind of useless. If the leaked text proves to be true, then the TV station’s purpose might end up having to do with Volcanion somehow — the person talking to the player says they’re the head of a TV studio, after all.
The other detail that’s worth pointing out here is the character that the dialogue repeatedly mentions. Brandon. Who is Brandon? Could be anyone. But players that finished Pokémon Emerald know of a character named “Pyramid King Brandon.” Where does Brandon appear? Why, in the Battle Frontier — an island featuring many arenas where players that have beaten the game can test their mettle. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire don’t include the Battle Frontier. Instead, they contain the Battle Resort. But if you visit the Battle Resort, you’ll find this:
It could be that the Brandon featured in the dialogue isn’t the same Brandon from the Battle Frontier. But the context of the dialogue is adventure, and how explorations led to dangerous encounters with the fearsome Volcanion. And here’s what Bulbapedia has to say about Battle Frontier Brendan:
Brandon appreciates the grand life of the explorer. He recalls the passion, danger, and desperation of his death-defying and life-affirming adventures. When defeated in battle, he’ll praise the grandeur of the match and hand over the Brave Symbol.
Lots of similarities, no? So not only does Game Freak tease the Battle Frontier in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, they have also written a bunch of text about a character that resides in the Battle Frontier, too. Hopeful players are assuming this means that Game Freak will release the Battle Frontier, as well as unreleased Pokémon such as Hoopa and Volcanion in future DLC, or perhaps in a follow-up to X & Y. This expectation is compounded by the existence of something called the “Delta Episode,” a section of the game that is available once you beat the main storyline. The fact that it’s called an episode has led some people to wonder whether or not there will be follow-ups.
Whatever Game Freak ends up doing, what’s clear right now is that people are excited about these unreleased legendaries. And it makes sense. People will always want what they can’t have.
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