During the most recent Pokémon Presents, The Pokémon Company revealed new information regarding Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, including not only the new region’s name (Paldea) but also new characters, new Pokémon, and more.
The Paldea Region
With this being the first open-world Pokémon game, a lot is riding on how fleshed out the Paldea region feels, and from what this welcome trailer showcases, it looks like we won’t be disappointed:
Players will start their adventure in the Paldea region, a land of vast open spaces dotted with lakes, towering peaks, wastelands, and mountain ranges. Players will find lots of people and Pokémon living together in a variety of locations, ranging from a farming village with bountiful harvests to a port town with a bustling marketplace. There are also Pokémon living in treetops, rivers, and other locations in the wilderness.
In the center of Paldea sits the largest city in the region: Mesagoza. It’s here that players will find either Naranja Academy or Uva Academy. In Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, the name of the school, its emblem, and its uniforms and other details will differ depending on which version of the game is played.
The Terastal Phenomenon
Game Freak is no stranger to switching up Pokémon‘s turn-based combat with some sort of twist to keep battles exciting. X & Y have Mega Evolution, Sun & Moon have Z-Moves, Sword & Shield have Gigantamaxing, and Pokémon Scarlet & Violet will have Terastallizing.
This phenomenon is found only in the Paldea region and makes Pokémon shine and glimmer like gems. When a Pokémon Terastallizes, a Tera Jewel appears above the Pokémon’s head like a crown, and the Pokémon’s body glistens like a cut gemstone.
All Pokémon in Paldea can Terastallize to gain special powers, and Terastallization allows players to enhance their battle strategies by increasing the power of any moves that have the same type as their Pokémon’s Tera Type. There are 18 types, meaning there are countless combinations of Pokémon and Tera Types.
New Pokémon Revealed
Perhaps one of the most exciting things about a new generation is the reveal of new Pokémon, especially when they’re as cute as Lechonk. Pokémon Scarlet & Violet‘s latest showcase gave us our first peek at three brand-new Pokémon and also revealed new forms for box art legendaries Koraidon and Miraidon.
Fidough
Fidough’s skin has elastic qualities and is both firm and soft at the same time. When these Pokémon become excited, they intimidate their opponents by puffing up their bodies to appear bigger. Fidough ferments things in its vicinity using the yeast in its breath. The yeast is useful for cooking, so this Pokémon has been protected by people since long ago.
Category: Puppy Pokémon
Type: Fairy
Height: 1′
Weight: 24 lbs.
Ability: Own Tempo
Paldean Wooper
In ancient times, Wooper lived underwater in the Paldea region. After losing in a struggle for territory, it seems they began living in bogs on land. To keep from drying out while living on land, they began to cover their bodies with a poisonous film. Their gills have hardened thanks to living on land for so long. Their bodies are heavy and they move slowly, but they can protect themselves by shooting powerful poisonous liquid from their gills.
Category: Poison Fish Pokémon
Type: Poison/Ground
Height: 1’4″
Weight: 24.3 lbs.
Ability: Poison Point / Water Absorb
Cetitan
Cetitan need to have tough muscles to be able to support their immense bodies, and physical attacks using their bodies have incredible power. They also migrate around the snowy regions, protected by a thick layer of fat.
Category: Tera Whale Pokémon
Type: Ice
Height: 14’9″
Weight: 1,543.2 lbs.
Ability: Thick Fat / Slush Rush
New Forms for Koraidon or Miraidon
Unlike previous games, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s legendary ‘mons will join the player near the beginning of their journey and aid them in traversing Paldea’s open world. Both Koraidon and Miraidon will have three different forms for exploring different environments.
Sprinting Build / Drive Mode: Players can ride Sprinting Build Koraidon or Drive Mode Miraidon, making it easier to traverse the expansive Paldea region more freely.
Swimming Build / Aquatic Mode: Players will be able to jump into rivers, lakes and vibrant oceans to approach the Pokémon that live there or cross perilous waters in a snap by riding Swimming Build Koraidon or Aquatic Mode Miraidon.
Gliding Build / Glide Mode: Players can jump from mountains, towering cliffs or tall buildings and glide toward their destination.
The Residents of Paldea
Another real highlight of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet‘s latest trailer was getting to see all the designs for the characters we’ll meet along our journey. I personally think Grusha’s design is the best of the bunch so far! In total, we were introduced to five new characters, including:
Clavell -He acts as the director of the academy and will teach the player many things about their school.
Jacq -Mr. Jacq is very knowledgeable about Pokémon biology and is the developer of the Pokédex app for the Rotom Phone. He’ll also be the player’s homeroom teacher.
Arven – Arven is an upperclassman at the academy. He’s good at cooking and is researching healthy recipes that can help Pokémon feel better.
Penny – Penny has a bit of a shy personality, and for some reason, she doesn’t seem to come to the academy very often.
Gym Leader of the Glaseado Gym, Grusha – Grusha used to be a professional snowboarder, but he is now the Gym Leader of the Glaseado Gym full time. He is an Ice-type specialist who has Cetitan as his partner.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Pre-Order Bonuses
Those pre-ordering Pokémon Scarlet & Violet can expect a variety of in-game items on launch, including:
- Special Pikachu – Players will receive a special version of Pikachu that knows the move Fly. It’ll also become Flying-type when it Terastallizes.
- Adventure Set (digital only) – The game will gift players with an array of items to help them on heir journey, including Potions, Full Heals, Revives, Ethers, Rare Candy, and Nuggets.
- Double Pack Bonus – Those who purchase the Pokémon Scarlet & Violet double pack will receive 100 Poké Balls.
It’s hard to believe we’re only just over three months away from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet‘s release on November 18th! I’ll admit—I’m a complete Pokémon fanatic and it takes very little to please me when it comes to the series. That being said, my expectations have been completely subverted, and this is the most excited I’ve been about the franchise in some time.
Check out our game hub for more screenshots! (We have a ton.) For future Pokémon Scarlet & Violet updates, make sure to keep an eye out on RPGFan’s news feed.
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