Status conditions have been present in the Pokemon series since the beginning, with few changes to the formula. However, the newest Pokemon game drastically altered age-old series mechanics, and the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will serve as the first fully open-world games. Seemingly many features are changed in Scarlet and Violet, and status conditions should get the same treatment.
Pokemon's big shift started with Legends: Arceus, in which gameplay became more action-oriented, and open-world areas were teased. To fit this gameplay style, two existing status conditions were changed. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should build on Legends: Arceus' status condition changes, or even throw some other new ones into the mix.
Pokemon's Existing Status Conditions
Up until Legends: Arceus, Pokemon has had six status conditions: Burn, Paralysis, Sleep, Freeze, Poison, and Badly Poisoned (colloquially known as Toxic). Burn does steady damage every turn and lowers its target's attack stat. Paralysis lowers its target's speed and gives a chance of canceling its move every turn. Sleep and Freeze each immobilize the target fully for a few turns. Lastly, Poison and Toxic are similar, but while Poison does steady damage at the end of every turn, Toxic's damage starts out lower and continuously ramps up.
Aside from these main status conditions, which manifest as an icon on the target Pokemon's HP bar, there are other minor conditions. These include Leech Seed, which drain the opponent's HP every turn; as well as moves like Fire Spin and Whirlpool, which trap opponents in battle and do gradual damage. Unlike the main six conditions that can only be applied one at a time, these all stack. Combining many status effects can lead to some interesting strategies.
While this all may be a lot for newcomers to take in, it is generally unchanged from the earliest iterations of Pokemon. This means that veteran players know exactly what to expect when starting any new generation. Players can easily prepare counters to each status, like bringing a Poison or Steel-type for Poison/Toxic immunity, which takes away some challenge overall. Then Legends: Arceus changed how status conditions work.
Legends: Arceus' Changes to Status Conditions
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is the most action-oriented Pokemon game yet. Battles are usually being decided in one or two turns, and as a result, the two slowest status conditions had to go: Sleep and Freeze. Instead of removing the conditions altogether, they were transformed into something new.
Freeze is now Frostbite. This condition is essentially a counterpart to Burn - it does slight damage every turn, as well as lowering its target's special attack stat. On top of this, Sleep turned into Drowsy. Drowsy has a chance to immobilize its target every turn, as well as increasing the damage a Pokemon takes from incoming attacks. These changes stick with the themes that the original status conditions presented, but keeps battles faster-paced.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus even added some minor status conditions into the game. The biggest changes come to moves like Stealth Rock, which are no longer entry hazards. Stealth Rock, as well as other Rock and Ground-type moves, now inflict "splinters" that steadily deal damage at the end of every turn. These changes may seem minor, but they add a whole level of complexity for Pokemon veterans who are used to dealing with the same type of battles in each game.
Hopes for Scarlet and Violet's Status Conditions
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet look like they will be running with some of the changes Legends: Arceus made to become the biggest generational leap in Pokemon's history. Even if the games return to Pokemon's Gym challenge formula, it is clear that gameplay will still be overhauled with battles taking place seamlessly in the field. Legends: Arceus' other changes, like these new status conditions, should also be kept.
Frostbite and Drowsy can coexist with Freeze and Sleep, potentially as weaker versions akin to the divide between Poison and Toxic. In addition, while there is an argument for entry hazards to return, the damage-over-time effect should be taken from Legends: Arceus' Stealth Rocks and placed onto more moves. This will add layers of complexity to Pokemon's already deep metagame.
Lastly, Scarlet and Violet could benefit from some new status conditions. Most of the existing conditions are based around certain types of moves: Burns primarily come from Fire-type moves, and Paralysis comes from Electric, for example. Non-represented types should gain their own conditions. For instance, Water-type moves can gain a status like Soaked (not to be confused with the attack Soak) or Drowning, which could slow the target Pokemon down and do minor damage every turn; basically a mix of Burn and Paralysis. Potential status conditions are endless, especially when going beyond mixing and matching the effects from pre-existing examples.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet look to innovate and signify the start of a brand-new chapter for Pokemon. A goal this lofty requires taking risks, including changing the foundations that players know and love. Status conditions are among the longest-running staples of the Pokemon franchise, so a unique twist could really change the way that Scarlet and Violet are played.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are scheduled to release in late 2022 for Switch.
