Pokemon: Scarlet and Violet shook up a core feature of its exploration through its descent into Area Zero. Allowing its supporting cast to tag along with the player during its endgame, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's foray into party members could prove an interesting feature for future titles to come.
Area Zero marked a startling contrast to the rest of the games' makeup. Its sunny skies and overflowing waterfalls painted an almost mystical picture, far less grounded than the rest of Paldea's vast and comforting landscapes. After all, Area Zero was much more than it seemed; stirred on by its eerie ambient music, the Great Crater of Paldea descended into something far more sinister and uncanny than its surface level. Luckily, the player wasn't forced to travel it alone.
The Case For Pokemon Companions
Scarlet and Violet emphasized three important non-playable characters through its central routes. From scouring the region to find hidden Herba Mystica with Arven, to raiding Team Star bases under the illusive Penny's guidance, to becoming a Pokemon champion on par with Nemona, these NPCs played pivotal roles along the player's Paldean adventures. Though their routes felt fairly segregated at first, SV's decision to have them trek alongside the player's endgame adventure allowed for a convergence in their personalities and points of view. As a result, it gave their characters a chance to shine outside of their respective storylines.
Exploring the Great Crater felt far less unsettling with the banter between these three in the background. SV used this as the perfect opportunity to provide an added layer of depth to the NPCs; getting to hear Penny sympathize with Arven's situation, or the gang joking about Nemona's rich family felt like the type of dialogue that Pokemon titles have sorely missed throughout the years. Having these characters speak to each other as party members allowed for dealing this exposition in a way that didn't feel unnatural or forced, and that's a tool that could prove useful for expressing character backstories in future Pokemon titles.
The notion of Pokemon party members also shakes up how a future game's campaign might be experienced. This could range from the more mundane, like seeing a party member build up their team, to the more significant, like a quadruple battle against a ferocious Legendary. The framework of SV's Raid Battles could be worked upon as a powerful narrative tool to demonstrate the bonding between the player and their travelling companions. There could even be a few scripted encounters that add depth in the game's overworld, like a fixed spawn point where a giant, frenzied Pokemon, similar to Legends' Noble Pokemon, blocks the party's path, forcing the player and their companions to come up with an innovative way to defeat it together.
Lastly, the inclusion of party members could bear smaller significances throughout the game's exposition. Players might travel with companion with a similar affliction to the anime's insect-fearing Misty, who overcomes their anxiety by cheering the player on during an arduous Bug-type Gym Battle. Beyond capitalizing on the more obvious features, like hosting picnics or double battling, having NPC party members would allow for a wide range of utility in both story and design.
With the opportunity to mix supporting casts like SV did, including more out-going, steadfast characters among shyer, soft-spoken ones, future Pokemon parties could provide necessary contrast and depth to upcoming regions and how they are perceived. The party-based system has worked quite well for other popular RPGs. A future Pokemon title might just add to that list.