Grafaiai Paints the Forests of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

The Pokémon Company teased information on the newest Pokemon that will appear in Scarlet and Violet, Grafaiai. It will be a Normal/Poison type and draws inspiration from the real-life aye-aye animal. The video has a documentary style, with a Paldea photographer explaining how he found and observed Grafaiai. The clip follows on from earlier teases showing off the mysterious “painted forest” location.

We have something truly amazing to share with you, Trainers!

We’ve been lucky enough to obtain a video from the Paldea photographer, documenting his unique experience observing #Grafaiai. 📹#PokemonScarletViolet pic.twitter.com/v8qEIZyKtS

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) September 1, 2022

In the video, the photographer has set up multiple cameras in the forest after he finds markings on the trees. These markings are how Grafaiai mark their territories. The photographer catches a Grafaiai marking another Grafaiai’s territory, and he explains that its diet changes what color the paint is. The paint is actually saliva, which contains poison.

The name ‘Grafaiai’ is likely a portmanteau of the words ‘graffiti’ and ‘aye-aye.’ Aye-ayes are nocturnal primates that live in Madagascar. They eat grubs and fill a similar ecological niche as woodpeckers due to the way they forage for grubs in trees. Aye-ayes are endangered, not only because of habit destruction, but also because some people believe they are harbingers of evil. Thus, many people kill aye-ayes on sight.

The Paldea region of Pokemon is based on Spain, and there is a real forest in Spain with painted trees. It is the Oma forest, and Agustin Ibarrola painted several of the trees in it throughout the 1980s. He did so as part of the Land Art movement, which hoped to showcase the relationship between nature and human presence.

Grafaiai is the latest Pokemon that Nintendo has released prior to the debut of Scarlet and Violet. It will join the three starter Pokemon Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. In late August 2022, during the 2022 Pokemon World Championships, The Pokemon Company teased Cyclizar, which is a Normal/Dragon type.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will come out on the Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022.