It’s been nearly 2 months since the last update on Pokémon Scarlet & Violet but it looks like things are set to ramp up soon as Japanese physical pre-orders have been announced to begin on the 4th August. Meanwhile, the Pokémon Sound Library – which until recently hosted the original Diamond and Pearl soundtrack – has relaunched with the first released track, the main theme, from the new upcoming games.

Typically, a new trailer accompanies the opening of Japanese pre-orders (while they have already been available in North America and Europe, direct from Nintendo, since the 1st June) and we then often see more or less monthly updates from then on. A pre-order bonus for Japanese fans has been confirmed, although it’s not yet clear whether it will be the same as the bonus backpack design that is currently announced – though as yet unseen – for Western pre-orders.

As well as releasing a video of an orchestral performance of the Pokémon Scarlet & Violet main theme, the full sheet music score has also been released on the Sound Library website. Prior to the 31st May, the Sound Library was used to distribute music from the original Diamond and Pearl games with the intention of allowing fans to download and remix them or to use the music in non-commercial settings such as school events or recitals. Although it seemed that the Sound Library experiment was over for good last month, it now looks like they were perhaps just transitioning to focusing on the new Scarlet & Violet music instead.

As of writing, the Scarlet & Violet part of the Sound Library website has been unavailable for a while, but when it returns, the sheet music and downloads can be found here: https://soundlibrary.pokemon.co.jp/sv-score.

Also featured in the music video are the first appearances of Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly plushies, which watch on throughout the performance. This may mean that the three starter Pokémon might be appearing on Pokémon Center shelves – both real and virtual – sooner rather than later too.

The musical performance in the video is by the Tokyo Wind Orchestra, conducted by Keita Matsui. It should be noted that although the final game may use recorded live music, this performance and recording do not represent the actual in-game soundtrack.