It's been a while, but Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are finally getting new details. These come courtesy of the second half of the August 2022 Pokemon Presents, which was entirely devoted to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It feels like a lot of information has been held back from players, and the number of new Pokemon confirmed for the games is still fairly low. There will likely be a major uptick in news across the next three months, but at least fans now have a better grasp of what's going to be in Scarlet and Violet.
The new trailer and accompanying explanation video revealed an enormous number of details. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet feature the Paldea region, and players control a student enrolled at the Naranja Academy or the Uva Academy. There is an assortment of staff and students to meet, as well as some sort of special “Treasure Hunt” assignment to undertake. Along the way, players will meet the legendary Pokemon Koraidon and Miraidon, and use them as all-purpose vehicles to traverse Paldea. Trainers will be able to take advantage of the Terastal phenomenon to temporarily power their Pokemon up, and will be able to experience the narrative in a non-linear fashion like never before. Indeed, this alluded-to feature may be the greatest addition to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
What Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Have Changed In Their Story
Although the story appears to have a rigid framing device like most Pokemon games, Scarlet and Violet seem to open up far more than any iteration that has come before them. After enrolling at their respective academy, players will be let loose into the world with the option to pursue three major story paths. The first of these is the usual gym challenge, but with a couple twists. Scarlet and Violet's gyms will be accessible in any order, although they will not scale to the player's level. Becoming a Champion also doesn't seem to be the same process as normal, as a trainer with eight gym badges can take a special test called the Champion Assessment. Succeeding at this test will grant players the Champion Rank, which implies that there can be multiple Champions at once.
While that opens the door to various endgame-level challenges, trainers have no need to rush. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet allow for exploring the Paldea region at the player's leisure. The three main story quests, the first involving the gym challenge and the battle-focused rival Nemona, can be progressed at any time. The player can juggle all three, or focus on completing one. It's not clear when the credits play or how enemy Pokemon levels will be balanced amidst all of this, but chances are good that the two unrevealed storylines may have more climactic tones than the standard gym and champion narrative.
One Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Quest Will Involve the Academy
The question then becomes what these two other storylines are. Neither have been revealed yet, and The Pokemon Company is currently being coy about their contents. However, some rudimentary clues point towards the identity of one. The Pokemon gym challenge appears to be separate from the independent study project given to the academy's students. Thus, it can be surmised that these two tasks have nothing to do with each other, and the study project is solely focused on the advertised Treasure Hunt. There's a good chance the Terastal phenomenon, which turns Pokemon to crystal, is a core part of this particular story.
A storyline focused around Tera Orbs and Terastallized Pokemon probably won't mandate that the player participates in Tera Raid Battles, but it may ask them to find Tera-related objects in the field to progress. The root words of the new mechanic, “terra” and “crystal,” also support the statement that the phenomenon radiates from Paldea’s ground, meaning this storyline could take players deep underground.
Otherwise, this particular plot line will likely revolve around the affairs of the school, and will necessitate frequent returns to the academies in Mesagoza City. In contrast, the gym challenge will guide players around the region and the third storyline might force out-of-the-way exploration. This second storyline may also feature the player's friend Arven, an upperclassman who prefers cooking and researching over Pokemon battling, as a source of side quests.
The Last Storyline Might Dominate Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
If the theory that every introduced rival or friend character corresponds to one story, that leaves the mysterious Penny. She is in the same grade as the player, and doesn't come to the academy very often. These are the only details released about her, and the lack of clarity could imply that she is connected to one of the unrevealed storylines. This one probably has to do with the history of the Paldea region, and, like in Pokemon Sword and Shield's Galar, will concern researching various ruins. It may also involve the rumored time travel elements that the box legendaries and Pokemon Professors have been teasing.
As for what else this third storyline will bring, it may progress similarly to finding Memories in Breath of the Wild. Using vague hints and the abilities of Koraidon and Miraidon, players may need to find specific locations where they can look into the past or future. There's a good chance that this will be the most cinematic of the three stories, and is the most likely to place focus on the Scarlet and Violet's new villain team. The end result of this will almost certainly be delving into the conspicuous vortex dominating the center of Paldea to find a powerful legendary Pokemon. Details are scarce right now, but the amount of story flexibility Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are showing is impressive. Hopefully players will be able to find a playstyle and plot thread that works for them once the games are in their hands.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be released on November 18, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
