If you're North American, then you may or not may be unaware that the South African restaurant chain Nando's has become a beloved institution in the UK. In fact, going to Nando's, for some of its signature spicy peri-peri chicken, has even spawned its own British slang, with the phrase going for a "cheeky Nandos" thrown around to mean one is about to enjoy an opportune visit to the restaurant. So what does Nando's and Britain have to do with Pokemon?
Well, according to a fan theory, as reported by VGC, it may have something to do with the genesis for the upcoming gen 9 of mainline Pokemon games. First popularised on Twitter, the theory suggests that series producer Junichi Masuda's visit to a Nando's in London may have inspired the setting for the recently revealed Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
The forthcoming titles, which are scheduled to release later this year, is known to be set in an Iberian-like world. While Nando's might be a South African chain, the cuisine it serves is Portuguese inspired. In 2019, Matsuda tweeted that he'd paid a visit to a Nando's in Richmond, London, which is the probable time that Scarlet and Violet were being planned.
How this all connects comes down to recent comments from Masuda and designer Shigero Ogmori which revealed that during a trip to the Barcelos region of Portugal they had the idea that a rooster Pokemon might be a good addition to the series. The Barcelos rooster is in fact the Nando's mascot and logo.
To further the credence of this claim, it appears that Masuda recently liked a Tweet that mentioned this visit to Barcelos. The theory says that Fuecoco – one of the new starters for gen 9 – is inspired by the colours of the African Bird's Eye Chili, which appears on Nando's menus and in its branding. The new starter is a fire-type Pokemon with colours that resemble a chili pepper, but exactly what kind of chili is yet to be revealed.
The theory is entirely speculative and while Nando's could be an inspiration, it's important to note that the restaurant chain is inspired by Portuguese cuisine, so it could just as well be that the country more generally provided the cultural source for Violet and Scarlet. But it's known that the new Pokemon games take inspiration from Spain, which is another country altogether, although Portugal looks to be a major influence as well. But who knows, maybe a trip to a South African restaurant chain, that sells Portuguese-inspired food, in London, England, by Japanese game designers could've been the spark that led to the latest Pokemon games, which are a cultural product beloved by many people across the globe.
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