Ya notice how starter Pokémon secondary types aren’t really elemental anymore?
Like, Torterra and Swampert are ground type. Because of the environment they live in and unique quirks of their bodies, they’re imbued with the power of earth. Empoleon has metal bits on its body. Charizard can literally fly.
But these days the secondary typings are more related to the Pokémon’s personality, or are generally mystical in nature.
Incineroar has a rough disposition, Meowscarada is sneaky and starved for attention, so because of their personality traits they’re dark type. Primarina has magical singing mermaid powers. Skeledirge is possessed by a ghost bird. Decidueye is a ghost bird.
Even two starters who didn’t have secondary typings before, Typhlosion and Samurott, were given the ghost and dark types.
Maybe it has something to do with starters recently being designed more as individual characters instead of a more broad species.
There isn’t really a thesis to this or anything, just something I realized.
This has been 2 am (EST) ramblings with Noipoi