Pokemon Scarlet and Violet datamine suggests Ultra Beasts are no longer Sub-Legendaries

The Ultra Beasts are an interesting collection of Pokemon originating from the Sun and Moon games for 3DS. However, their classification has been a point of dispute. They aren't exactly considered Mythic or Legendary species but are certainly more powerful than standard Pocket Monsters.

Due to their relatively nebulous classification, many players have classified the Ultra Beasts as "Sub-Legendaries," a middle ground between standard Pokemon and the fabled Legendaries/Mythics.

However, recent datamining efforts by Scarlet and Violet fans seem to lend credence to the possibility that Game Freak is abandoning the idea of "Sub-Legendaries." The Generation IX titles' code implies that the Ultra Beasts have lost this classification even among the developers.

According to dataminer @Kaphotics on Twitter, Game Freak appears to have taken a drastic step at removing the Ultra Beasts' Sub-Legendary status.

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What might the Ultra Beasts' change mean for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

It's hard not to consider a Pocket Monster like Buzzwole at least close to the status of a Legendary (Image via Game Freak)

The presence of the Ultra Beasts' code in Scarlet and Violet is noteworthy on its own, but even more so given this surprising under-the-radar change by Game Freak.

Considering that the Ultra Beasts now no longer have their Sub-Legendary status, it may be possible that trainers may see the creatures from Ultra Space emerge in the Paldea region. This would likely require a DLC expansion to facilitate, but given that the Ultra Beasts appeared in Pokemon Sword and Shield Crown Tundra DLC, the idea certainly can't be ruled out.

Another factor that further cements the eventual inclusion of the Ultra Beasts in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is the presence of the Beast Balls.

These specialty Pokeballs exist in previous games for the express purpose of capturing the Ultra Beasts. Players can currently obtain them in Scarlet and Violet by catching all 400 different species in the Paldea region and speaking to Professor Jacq at the Uva/Naranja Academy in Mesagoza City.

It stands to reason that since these Beast Balls are tough to obtain and don't work well against standard Pokemon, they must exist for the capture of Ultra Beasts when they're eventually implemented into Scarlet and Violet.

In what capacity these powerful Pocket Monsters may appear in Paldea is unclear at the moment. However, considering Paldea already has Paradox species and the Terastallization Phenomenon to contend with, their role may not be as large as those already seen in Scarlet and Violet's story.

Whatever the case, the only way to know the future of the Ultra Beasts in these Generation IX titles is to await official confirmation from Game Freak or The Pokemon Company.

Scarlet and Violet are still very early in their life cycles, having only been released in November, so there is plenty of time for the developers to create new content for fans to enjoy. There is also no doubt that the community will be datamining, leaking, and speculating to determine each content inclusion before it's introduced.