Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced a variety of new mechanics to the franchise while simultaneously expanding on previous ones. Of these changes, the biggest was the shift to a fully-open world and the ability to tackle any of the three main storylines in any order. However, there is one mechanic introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that some may have overlooked due to its optional nature—the ability to participate in classes and unlock special side stories with the academy's teachers. This mechanic mirrors the Social Link system of the Persona series, suggesting future Pokemon games could include a more robust version of this feature.
Pokemon has a history of testing new mechanics on a small scale before fully realizing them in future entries. Pokemon Sword and Shield, for example, played with the idea of an open world but introduced it on a smaller scale with the Wild Area—a portion of the map that was free from camera constraints and offered a semi-open world for players to explore. This idea would then lead to the open-zone design of Pokemon Legends: Arceus and eventually the completely open-world design of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. With that in mind, it's natural to assume that the Social Link-lite mechanics of this entry could be expanded upon in the future.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Offer Players a Taste of a Social Link Mechanic
With school being a major theme of the games, it's no surprise that attending classes is a part of their experience. Although not explicitly introduced, attending classes is an optional activity that can be accessed after the academy's Treasure Hunt officially begins by talking to the receptionist on the first floor of the academy. Players can choose from a variety of subjects, including biology, math, history, art, languages, home economics, and battle studies, with more classes in these subjects unlocking as they defeat more Gyms.
Each of the teachers associated with these classes—as well as the school nurse—will have additional conversations available after class, should the player find them around the academy. While there is no specific indication of how far along a player is in each teacher's individual story lines, completing all classes of their subject and passing the final exam will unlock the final conversations for most. There are a few who require a bit more work to see the end of their story, such as Nurse Miriam, who requires player to complete Victory Road, and Director Clavell who requires player to complete Starfall Street.
Players who see these story lines through to the end will receive a reward, with some being much better than others. The history teacher, Ms. Raifort, gives the player Scarlet and Violet's shrine locations for each of the four Treasures of Ruin legendary Pokemon and will then give players TM140 after they've captured and shown them to her. The language teacher, Mr. Salvatore, gives players a Galarian Meowth, which is currently not obtainable by other means.
How Social Links Work in the Persona Series
As a series with a well-established Social Link system, the Persona games could serve as inspiration for future Pokemon games to iterate on the mechanic established in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. First introduced in Persona 3, the Social Link system has allowed players to manage the life of their character as both a Persona user and a typical high school student. With Persona games being split between a traditional JRPG and a social life simulator, the Social Link mechanic connects the two by affecting combat through Persona fusion bonuses that increase as players work on their relationships.
Each Social Link is represented by one of a tarot deck's Major Arcana, which often suggests the role that character plays in the life of the protagonist. During periods of the protagonist's daily life, they can spend time with one of these characters to raise their Social Link level and progress through their story line. Most Social Links won't progress if the player doesn't have enough link points, which can be gained by answering questions favorably when spending time with a character, having a Persona of the matching Arcana, or by giving them gifts.
Persona 5 introduced the Confidant mechanic which functions very similarly to the social links of previous entries with one key difference. Rather than only providing benefits to Persona fusion, raising a Confidant's rank can provide other benefits, such as adding additional weapons and recovery items for purchase, or providing buffs during battle. However, some ranks are locked behind the protagonist's social stats, which govern how they are viewed in their daily life. Raising stats like Charm, Guts, or Kindness may open up further ranks in a Confidant's story.
How Future Pokemon Games Could Build a More Robust Social Link System
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet laid the foundation for future games to build a full Social Link system like that of Persona. A natural progression for the franchise would be to include a whole roster of characters the player can visit, battle, and even trade with to increase their relationship. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's writing and characters have been highly praised, and a more robust Social Link mechanic could allow for even more developed characters and story lines to unfold. There could also be greater benefits to interacting with characters in a Social Link system beyond just obtaining items or special quests.
The picnic mechanic of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet could be rolled into this new Social Link system, which could grant players the buffs of making a sandwich through spending time with a particular character. A more defined progress meter or rank system for keeping track of how far along a player is with each character's story would be a huge improvement from the vague way Pokemon Scarlet and Violet informs players. With all the potential a system like this holds, it seems more than likely that Game Freak will place a greater emphasis on social interactions in the next generation of games.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
