The next Tera Raid event has been announced for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but it invokes some questions about future additions too. The newest raid boss, Decidueye, is a great Pokemon to bring into the game thanks to its unique concept and typing. Decidueye would make for a good addition to many teams, especially with its unique Spirit Shackle move, but its addition starts a larger discussion regarding what other Pokemon could be expected not only as raid bosses, but in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's upcoming DLC.
Tera Raid events have become an exciting tradition, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Decidueye raid continues the idea of difficult limited-time raids that give players a chance to catch a particularly powerful Pokemon. The Decidueye raid won't be the first time that one of these events has given players the chance to catch a Pokemon not native to Paldea either, as prior starter-led events have included Charizard and Greninja. Since it introduces a new evolutionary line to the game, the Decidueye Raid is valuable, but one has to wonder what will happen with the Hisuian variant introduced in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Decidueye Tera Raid Event May Set Patterns Going Forward
The first notable thing about Decidueye's Tera Raid is that it is in its original form, rather than the Hisuian form from Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Since there's no way for a Dartrix to evolve into Hisuian Decidueye in Paldea, that makes this form unattainable in Scarlet and Violet outside of transfers from Pokemon HOME. That storage/transfer app is the only way to access any Hisuian forms in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, even for those Pokemon whose regular forms are freely available in the game.
Hisuian-themed DLC would fit Scarlet and Violet perfectly after The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero expansion, and Pokemon such as Kleavor, Ursaluna, and Sneasler have potential to be excellent raid bosses - as could the Hisuian forms of Pokemon Legends: Arceus' starters. With Scarlet and Violet's time travel gimmick, Hisuian Pokemon have plenty of reason to make a comeback through DLC.
Even beyond Hisuian Pokemon, Decidueye's event continues a pattern from other events. Decidueye is just the latest starter to receive a Tera Raid event following Charizard, Cinderace, and Greninja, and it is the first Grass-type starter Pokemon to be a raid boss. Starting with the precedent set by Charizard's Tera Raid in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, it seems likely all the starter Pokemon not included in the base game will appear this way. At this point no generation has seen more than one starter appear as a raid boss, so Decidueye's fellow Legends: Arceus starters Typhlosion and Samurott (from Gen 2 and 5, respectively) could follow in its footsteps soon.
Decidueye's Tera Raid is worth getting excited over, but it could be symbolic of more than just the arrival of a strong new Pokemon to shake up Paldea's competitive meta. It continues the trend of past starters getting time to shine, but its inclusion over its Hisuian counterpart suggests Hisuian Pokemon will continue to be HOME-exclusive transfers (or part of special giveaways like the DLC's Hisuian Zoroark). Although Hisuian Pokemon would be strong in Paldea, the questions raised by Decidueye's event cannot be answered until further news regarding Scarlet and Violet's Tera Raids, and its DLC are revealed.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
