Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Details Revealed During Pokémon Presents

During today’s Pokémon Presents livestream, The Pokémon Company disclosed a wealth of fresh information about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the first completely open-world RPGs in the Pokémon series. The extended trailer and follow-up presentation detailed the games’ setting, multiplayer features, several Pokémon players will meet on their travels, and the new Terastal phenomenon that enables Pokémon to transform.

Exploring the Paldea region in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet sends players on an adventure through the Paldea region, a vast land of lakes, mountains, wastelands and other environments. Alongside these natural areas, Paldea contains agricultural villages and harbour towns. Mesagoza, the region’s biggest city, sits at its centre. Depending on which version you choose, you will attend either Naranja Academy or Uva Academy, each with its own uniforms, emblems and other distinctive details. Players are given a Rotom Phone with both a Pokédex app and a map covering the whole Paldea region.

While travelling across Paldea, players can follow three grand storylines. One of these follows the familiar Pokémon format of defeating eight gyms. This time, however, trainers are free to tackle the gyms in any order rather than following a predetermined route.

Pokémon can be found throughout the wilds, including in treetops, rivers and other locations, so players will need to stay alert. The trailer showed several returning Pokémon, such as Growlithe, Haunter, Pineco and many others, while also introducing more of the new Pokémon awaiting trainers. Among them is a Paldean regional form of the Gen II favourite Wooper. Rather than its usual blue colouring, this version is brown and has abandoned the water in favour of land. Its gills have toughened after living on land, making it somewhat slower, but it can fire poisonous fluid from those gills.

New Pokémon and Legendary partners

Along with Paldean Wooper, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet introduces two entirely new Pokémon. Fidough is a dog-like Pokémon with elastic properties. When the Fairy-type Fidough gets excited, it inflates its body to make itself look larger. The yeast in Fidough’s breath also ferments nearby objects, which can be useful when cooking. Cetitan, meanwhile, is a new Ice-type Pokémon with formidable attack power derived from its enormous body, as well as strong defences provided by a thick layer of fat.

More was also revealed about the two Legendary Pokémon featured on the box art. Koraidon and Miraidon seem set to play far larger roles in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet than the usual Legendaries in a typical Pokémon game. One of these Legendary Pokémon accompanies the player as a partner throughout the adventure. It can alter its form for different ways of travelling, letting players race across open ground, swim through rivers and lakes, or leap from mountains and buildings before gliding towards their destination. Koraidon’s forms use the "Build" naming style - Sprinting Build, Swimming Build and Gliding Build - while Miraidon’s forms follow "Mode" conventions: Drive Mode, Aquatic Mode and Glide Mode. This may suggest that one is more organic and the other more mechanical.

Terastallization, Tera Raid Battles and multiplayer

The Legendary Pokémon are not the only creatures in Paldea capable of changing form. Like every recent generation, Gen IX brings in a new battle mechanic that changes how Pokémon access additional power. In a similar vein to past generations’ Dynamax and Mega Evolutions, Pokémon in the Paldea region can Terastallize, making them gleam like gems and increasing their power. Certain Pokémon even change type when they Terastallize, and this can differ between members of the same species. For instance, one Eevee may stay Normal-type after Terastallizing, whereas another could have a different Tera type.

As Gen VIII had Max Raid Battles, Gen IX includes Tera Raid Battles: four-player co-operative encounters against powerful Terastallized Pokémon. In contrast with the Max Raid Battles in Sword and Shield, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Tera Raid Battles are not turn-based. Players can therefore attack and heal without waiting for the other trainers to act. These battles are available through matchmaking or Link Codes shared between friends. Should the group defeat the Terastallized Pokémon, the trainers can attempt to catch it.

There are further ways for players to co-operate. Through the Union Circle in Scarlet and Violet, players can call in up to three friends to explore Paldea in four-player co-op. As well as travelling around the map to catch new Pokémon and uncover fresh discoveries, players can trade with and battle the people they meet.

For trainers who prefer playing alone, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet also offers plenty of NPCs to meet. Beyond the previously revealed Professor Sada and Professor Turo, the presentation introduced several more characters from Paldea. Clavell is the director of the academy the player attends, teaching them various things about their school. Mr. Jacq, the player’s form teacher, teaches Pokémon biology and created the Pokédex app for the Rotom Phone. Arven is an older student at the academy with a talent for cooking, and he researches nutritious recipes to help Pokémon feel better. Penny is a shy character who rarely attends the academy.

The last character shown in the new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet trailer was Grusha. He is both a professional snowboarder and the leader of Glaseado Gym. Fittingly for his career, Grusha is an Ice-type gym leader, with the newly revealed Cetitan as his partner Pokémon. This first glimpse of a gym leader makes the prospect of seeing the remaining seven gym leaders in the near future particularly exciting.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launches for Nintendo Switch on 18 November. Players who pre-order will receive a special Pikachu that knows Fly and has Flying as its Tera type. More screenshots from this information-packed Pokémon Presents livestream are available in the full gallery here.