As the headlining games for Generation 9, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are still going strong with plenty of online activities for players to take part in. The Grand Challenge 2 2026’s sign-ups are about to start, and fans can claim all four shiny Treasures of Ruin Pokemon until September 30. These shiny Legendaries were a reward for beating each one in the Tera Raids a million times over. It’s an impressive feat that’ll be remembered after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet step aside as Gen 10 begins.
Getting these shiny Legendaries is a great prize for any Pokemon fan, but it brings out an elephant in the room that remains unanswered. The Treasures of Ruin came from a land to the east of Paldea, and that land seems to be the Pokemon equivalent of China, since the Treasures of Ruin are very clearly based on Chinese mythology. Nothing else about this land is shared in Scarlet and Violet, and it might be because China is the inspiration behind Generation 10’s region.
It’s worth noting that this is purely speculation, as recent leaks and rumors point to Gen 10 taking place in a Greece-inspired region, instead.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Treasures of Ruin are Setting Up the Best Time to Adapt China into a Region
What China Can Give to Pokemon as Gen 10's Setting
Every Pokemon game makes it a point to highlight a fraction of a country’s culture when it’s adapted into a Pokemon region. Places like traditional Canal Towns, the Great Wall of China, or Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden would make great set pieces for a China-inspired location, and plenty more could diversify the region. Sharing food is very important to Chinese culture, which would lend itself well to Pokemon‘s food-based mechanics that have been in every mainline game since Gen 8.
China also has a very rich, deep, and preserved ancient history that could serve as a great basis for the region’s story and Pokemon. With everything China’s ancient past and traditions have to offer, it could lead to a great narrative about the past meeting the not-so-distant urban future. Considering Pokemon stories arguably improved with Pokemon Legends: Arceus, it could be a great time and opportunity for the mainline games to defy players’ expectations.
The well-established public transport in China is one of the things that helps set the country apart, which could potentially help the next mainline Pokemon game have accessible transportation without having to rely on a Ride Pokemon system.
China and Pokemon Have Been Like Two Peas in a Pod Lately
In reality, there might not be a better time to make a Pokemon region based on China. Since 2022, Pokemon has been making itself more accessible in China by releasing the Pokemon TCG in officially translated Simplified Chinese. Last year, China even got its own unique version of Pokemon Unite with its own modes and features. This was because the global version of Pokemon Unite doesn’t comply with Chinese law, but it highlights just how important China is to Pokemon, and gaming itself, right now.
If Generation 10 really does take inspiration from China, then the Treasures of Ruin would serve as great foreshadowing for what was to come next. The Pokemon series is no stranger to having details in one game lead up to the next one in the production pipeline, and fans may have figured out the next Legends game by looking at Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Z-A close enough. There’s a high chance that if Game Freak decided Generation 10 would be based in China, it was decided so far in advance that it would go hand-in-hand with The Pokemon Company’s operations in the country. For now, though, this is still within the realm of speculation. Fans who are eager to see which region Gen 10 will take place in, as well as when they can expect to play it, will have to wait until Pokemon is ready to reveal it officially.