Generation 9 Starter Lines Design and Theme Speculation

For many of the starter lines, there has been some kind of general thread that connects their designs together, which may or may not be slight speculation. Gen 4 followed the idea of mythological creatures. Gen 6 did the RPG/fantasy classes. Gen 8 went with something like British Pop Culture. These are the ones I can think of at the top of my head, but the point I am trying to reach is that perhaps Gen 9 will follow the same idea, connecting all starters with each other and to the Iberian history and culture, or at least each line will represent some thematic by themselves (like Gen 7 with the Primarina line having something to do with the Circus and performing arts). If Game Freak doesn't do this and decides to only make a grass lynx/prehistoric "feline," a fire reptilian creature, and a water duck, the design would still be something more important to many than any possible lore, but I do not think they would. That is why I believe that my speculation may hold some ground, but I admit it may be too heavyhanded.

So, I see that there could be three different thematics being represented in the starter line either separately, mixed, or all together: Spanish history and culture, medieval tales, and social castes. Starting from the beginning and the most far-fetched but arguably wacky idea, Sprigatito's line could represent the very famous artistic side of Spain (not much in here but it may connect with the other themes), Fuecoco's would represent the cuisine because of its vegetable/fruit inspirations [it probably is a Peri-Peri pepper if it is a pepper at all because of Nando's `and since Portuguese explorers used to cultivate in Mozambique, but the apple, coconut, and cocoa ideas feed into this theme], and Quaxly's may represent explorers that navigated in the name of the Spanish and Portuguese crowns like Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama, and Pedro Álvares de Cabral (research their hats and you may see some connections) and even Don Quixote (is the x in Quax important here? Quixote also has a stylized helmet, so perhaps the final evolution's hat/cap will combine aspects all around).

Going on to the medieval tales idea, which I believe is the most sound of all here, I do not remember where I saw it first (I think it was in this subreddit), but someone mentioned the importance of Saint George's Day in Spain and the story of how this saint slew a dragon to save a princess, whose blood became a rose (https://www.casabatllo.es/en/saint-georges-day/). I am directly in agreement with this theory even before I read it because of how well it already connects with Don Quixote, who himself wanted to perform chivalrous deeds, including killing a dragon/giant (windmill) in the name of Dulcinea, a peasant woman whom he sees as a princess. In here, we have Sprigatito as the princess [the dragon's blood becomes a rose (something that represents the Grass-type), which is given to the princess, its eyes are so soft and pink, it has a collar that could become a necklace or reticella, rebato, ruff collar, and the evolution could have some royalty inserted into it], Fuecoco as the giant/dragon/monster (look at this article: https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/shape-changes-fear-does-not-mythical-monster-coco-005566; it has so many possible inspirations for the final evolution and it mentions how in the Portuguese municipality of Monção, the dragon Saint George slays is called Coco, this folkloric shapeshifting, reptilian monster that has crossed its Spanish and Portuguese borders and is currently part of Brazillian and Mexican culture that even today is the subject of stories to scare children away from doing bad things, especially in Brazil) and Quaxly as Saint George/Don Quixote/Knight themselves. Connecting both themes together would provide the conclusion that Sprigatito's line will be of a Princess Feline who has something to do with arts, Fuecoco's will be of a boogeyman folkloric Monster who has something to do with cuisine and wants to eat the princess, and Quaxly's will be of a gallant hero like Saint George or Don Quixote (not so gallant, but he tried) who has something to do with exploration and wants to save the princess from the monsters.

Now, to properly connect all themes, the social caste idea may be too much for Pokémon, but let's see. Sprigatito would represent the monarchs, Fuecoco would represent the working class and maybe even those who were colonized, and Quaxly would represent the aristocracy. Starting with Sprigatito, the lion is in the Spanish flag and Coat of arms (like in many other countries, I know), so being a feline possible inspired by the Iberian Lynx would connect it with the royal feline of the country, and the speculation that its final evolution will resemble a saber-tooth adds to this perception that Sprigatito's line will have some regalness to it. There is really not much to go with since its design appears to be the most straightforward and simplistic of the three right now, but if we follow the thread I laid, the connection between the Spanish royal family of the Habsburgs (and later Bourbons) and the arts is considerable. Diego Velázquez was the leading artist of Phillip IV's court, and he painted Las Meninas, one of the most famous paintings in Spanish history, depicting the princess Infanta Margarita. Phillip IV was a huge fan of the arts, favoring theater and paintings, and he invested in the construction of the Buen Retiro palace to display his art collection. The Bourbons themselves restricted art for royal sponsorship only, so it is very difficult not to see that there is a definite connection between the monarchy and arts, specifically paintings. The question is if Game Freak is thinking about this connection. I would love to see the Sprigatito line go from Infanta to Teenage Princess to Queen or from Prince to King, but that is just me. Also, because Grass types normally include a symbol or specific plant motif, I see the Pomegranate Flower (a fruit flower, tying in with the blood orange and grapes) being a very good option since it is the Spanish nation flower, it is heavily featured in Spanish arts, it was in the first coat of arts of Spain since Granada was the last Muslim city to be conquered by Queen Isabela and King Ferdinand, and the name of the city of Granada is inspired by the fruit. Regarding Fuecoco, the working class fits him more because of the cuca/coca story, which has a folk feel and therefore is a tradition of the people that the royals and aristocrats do not partake in. Moreover, since the cuca/coco folklore spread to other regions of the world, it has also become a figure of popular knowledge. Also, cooks are generally of a lower class than monarchs and aristocrats since they are supposed to prepare and serve, so if the cuisine idea is really something Fuecoco's design will follow, the connection is here. The Peri-Peri pepper inspiration also works amazingly here since it was (and still is, I think) cultivated in a country that used to be a Portuguese colony and imported into Portugal and Spain to be integrated into the national cuisine, a cultural development that the people/working class has set (unlike arts and fashion, which the monarchy would many times inspire). And finally, the heavy subtext that Pokémon may not go with but still fits is the idea that the monarchy and aristocracy used to see and treat the common people they ruled over as commoners, simpletons, plebs, and when they revolted because of taxes, horrible living and working conditions, poor wages, exploitation by landowners, and monarchical decrees that disregarded their religious and cultural identities, the royals used to see them as the monsters and use the army to subjugate them, and at some points in time like in the French Revolution (the Bourbons, who were French, were the monarchs of Spain at that time), the people made them fear for their lives (as I said, too dark even in historical, but everything connects). Finally, regarding Quaxly, it would definitely represent the aristocracy. All the explorers I mentioned were noblemen working with and in the name of the monarchs, a knight is a title that is only given to those born of nobility, and Don Quixote was a Hidalgo, one of the lowest aristocrat titles, who wanted to be more.

Now, onto the typings. I see Sprigatito's final evolution being a Grass Fairy as almost everyone does. The princess/queen motif of gracefulness, kindness, and overall etiquette a monarch needs to have speaks to the Fairy-type, and as seen with Primarina, arts are represented by Fairy. Psychic could also be because of the intellectual side of those who lead and those who make and critique arts, but Calyrex already has it, and it is already a King, but it still works fine. I see Fuecoco's final evolution being a Fire Poison (I like Ghost and Dark too because Cuca/Coco is sometimes understood as a Ghost and is evil, but hear me out here) because first, if it really is a pepper, capsaicin is poisonous to bugs and potentially to humans (http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/capgen.html), so the next best type combo to depict a pepper outside Fire Grass is Fire Poison. Moreover, the Brazilian Cuca is almost like a witch as she is known to produce "magic potions," and in some versions of Saint George's Story, the dragon was able to poison the air and kill with its breath (a poisonous fire breath). Finally, I see Quaxly being Water Ground, but only due to type dynamics. I prefer Water Steel and Water Fighting, but the former would make Grass Fairy unable to fight any of the two, and the latter would murder Quaxly as Fairy is super effective against Fighting and Poison resists Fighting. Water Ground works since the whole point of Explorers was to navigate the seas to find Land (Ground), and Don Quixote wanted to become a renowned knight, riding his horse throughout all of Spain. Type match up would work somehow like Alola's starters, with Ground being super effective against Fire and Poison and resistant to Poison, Poison being super effective and Resistant to Grass and Fairy, and then Grass being super effective against both Water and Ground and resistant to both with Fairy being a super good typing that interacts with neither Water nor Ground much like Ghost interacted with neither Water nor Fairy. The monster tries to kill the princess, the princess sends the knight, and the knight slays the monsters.