With the newest Pokemon Scarlet and Violet coming to Nintendo Switch on November 18, Pokemon fans across the world cannot contain their excitement.
The upcoming role-playing game (RPG) is such a big deal because it will feature a new Pokemon region in the first fully open-world gaming experience – more so than Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
The most important part is that the games will include exclusive new features, power-ups, and adventures in honor of an entirely new generation of Pokemon.
In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Scarlet and Violet region, the country it’s based upon, and the generation that it’s going to bring in.
What gen is Scarlet and Violet?
The paired games Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet will mark the advent of Gen 9, or the ninth generation of the Pokemon franchise. They will be the first look into Generation IX of Pokemon canon.
With every new pair of Pokemon games that introduces a new Pokemon generation, we get unique Pokemon, regional variants of older ones, a never-seen-before region, and all-new features.
The Pokemon RPGs began with Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue, which presented us with the first generation of Pokemon.
Gen 6’s Pokemon X and Y gave us Mega Evolutions and tanks like Goudon and Kyogre with their Primal Reversions. Gen 7’s Pokemon Sun and Moon gave us the concept of Legendary and Mythical Pokemon and Z-crystals.
Gen 8’s Pokemon Sword and Shield introduced the in-game mechanics of Dynamax, Gigantamax, and Eternamax, which took the Pokemon anime, manga, and gaming communities by storm.
1. Gen 9 Pokemon and Features:
I. Terastallizing
Gen 9 Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will bring in the concept of Terastallizing, a battle feature like Dynamaxing, that will allow Pokemon to temporarily transform into a crystalline or bejewled version of themselves. This can be done by using a Tera Orb.
Remember how in Generation II Gold and Silver, we first saw Shiny Pokemon? I got the same feeling as that when I saw the Terastal in the trailer. But unlike the Shiny Pokemon, the Tera Pokemon do have stat differences.
The Terastal phenomenon will enhance a Gen 9 Pokemon’s natural type attribute or alter it according to their Tera Type. A Tera type is a new Generation IX type that each Pokemon can take on when it Terastallizes.
II. Gen 9 Pokemon
2. Starters
We already know that the 3 Starter Pokemon of Scarlet and Violet Gen 9 are the Grass-type Sprigatito, the Fire-type Fuecoco, and the Water-type Quaxly.
Sprigatito is a feline grass cat who is unpredictable and impulsive, and has the tendency to sulk if it doesn’t receive any attention. According to the trailer, a Sprigatito can rub its paws together to produce a calming aroma. It’s special ability includes Overgrow.
Fuecoco seems to be a fan-favorite already considering it’s a fire crocodile Pokemon that looks like it’s going to be a tank. It is supposedly chill and loves eating, doing things at its own pace.
Its natural ability includes producing flame energy through its square shaped scales. Fuecoco’s special ability – no surprise – is Blaze.
The water duckling Quaxly looks like a quintessential good boy, and is clean, tidy, eager, and sincere. Quaxly can swim even in the strongest currents at a breakneck speed. Its special ability is Torrent.
There is also an unofficial fourth Starter, a special Generation IX Paldean Pikachu called Pawmi. This is available for 4-player co-operational option in Scarlet and Violet, that allows 4 players to play, explore, and battle.
3. Legendary Pokemon
The Legendary Pokemon of the ninth generation are Koraidon, the mascot for Pokemon Scarlet, and Miraidon, the mascot for Pokemon Violet.
Both their types are unknown. Both of them also double as “vehicles” for the players, that will help them navigate the region by transforming into forms that can fly, swim, and climb. This means that Koraidon and Miraidon might have multiple affinities.
Koraidon looks like a mix between a dragon, reptile, dinosaur, and – well – a motorcycle. It can inflate its chest and curl up into a wheel so it can be ridden. It also has a swimming build and can paddle in the lake or sea, and is also able to expand its antenna into wings.
Miraidon is also dragon/reptilic, but has a certain robotic, futuristic quality to it. It too can be ridden much like its Scarlet twin, but Miraidon has a more hover bike feel to it. It has a Drive, Aquatic, and Glide mode, which lets the rider traverse land, water, and sky easily.
4. New Pokemon
There have been 10 new Pokemon introduced, plus several returning Pokemon confirmed. There is also a new regional form known as the Paldean form – similar to the Galarian and Alolan forms.
What region is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?
Generation 9’s Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will explore the sprawling region of Paldea, a location featuring huge open spaces, lakes and mountains, plains and wastelands.
1. Mesagoza
In the center of Paldea is the region’s largest city, Mesagoza, which features the oldest academy with the best professors and trainers.
According to the version you play, you can enroll either in Naranja Academy (Scarlet) or Uva Academy (Violet), where you, as the player, can meet new people and Pokemon, and hone your skills to win battles.
The region will also have version exclusive professors: Professor Sada for Scarlet and Professor Turo for Violet.
2. Treasure Hunt
The academy’s president, Director Clavell, will give the Player and their friends an independent assignment, the Treasure Hunt, where you can gain experience and find unique treasure.
This Treasure Hunt can be completed via 3 alternative paths:
The first is the Victory Road, where you can go to different Gyms and win battles to achieve the Champion Rank.
This is similar to other gym-based Pokemon games we’ve played earlier. There are the usual 8 gyms in different Paldean locations, managed by Ms. Geeta, the chairwoman of the Pokemon League.
The second is the Path of Legends, where you can join Arven, an upperclassman at your academy, to look for Herba Mystica which is a rare ingredient that can be added to Pokemon recipes.
Herba Mystica is said to restore the health of Pokemon once it is consumed. These herbs are guarded by new Paldean Pokemon called Titan Pokemon.
The third path is Starfall Street, where you’ll meet and counter Team Star (similar to Team Rocket), the antagonists of the region.
They are a group of troublemakers and rebels from the player’s academy led by numerous squad bosses across Paldea.
3. Auto Battles & Open World
You can activate the new Let’s Go feature to engage in Auto Battles that allow players to command their Pokemon to automatically battle rivals and even wild Pokemon without having to give them orders.
Since Gen 9’s Paldea is meant to be an open world without borders between urban areas and wilderness, the Auto Battle feature is very useful since you can send your Pokemon for a battle and at the same time, go about exploring and gaining exp.
Scarlet and Violet will not have any specific routes or route orders in their maps since players have the freedom to visit gyms in any order unrelated to the level of the player.
The Paldean Pokemon Centers will also, for the first time, be outdoors, resembling kiosk stands, which you can visit any time.
So, as you can see, the new generational and regional exclusives are thrilling enough to be already causing waves in the fandom. But this isn’t where it ends because like Kalos and Galar, Paldea too is based on a real-world area, making Scarlet and Violet even more immersive and believable.
Which country is Scarlet and Violet based on? Is Gen 9 Italy or Spain?
The Generation 9 region, Paldea, is primarily based on Spain. It also seems to borrow from Portugal and Andorra, which are situated on the Iberian Peninsula along with Spain.
This news is as good as confirmed since the trailers released by the Pokemon Company, Nintendo, and Game Freak, revealed a map of the Iberian Peninsula, a church that resembles Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, and architecture that is strikingly similar to that of Seville in southern Spain.
Spanish fans have also pointed out that Mesagoza looks like the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon, and that the lake is similar to Sanabria Lake, in Zamora, Spain.
If you’ve seen the trailers, you can’t deny the distinct Mediterranean coastline and the South American vibe that permeates Paldea.
Additionally, many fans are of the opinion that the Starter Pokemon Sprigatito will evolve into a Pokemon resembling the Iberian Lynx and that Quaxly will evolve into a Peregrine Falcon, widespread in Spain.
The name of the Starter Fuecoco is also the combination of the Spanish words “fuego” which means fire, and “cocodrilo” which means crocodile.
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet will be available to play on Nintendo Switch as well as on a special edition OLED model called Nintendo Switch OLED Model: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Edition, which will release 2 weeks prior to the game.
About Pokémon
Pokémon was first released in 1996 and is set up in a world where humans catch monsters and store them in pocket-sized poke-balls.
They are creatures with an affinity to certain elements and some superhuman abilities related to that element.
Revolving around a teenage boy Ash Ketchum, Pokémon takes us through his journey to becoming the most accomplished Pokémon trainer the world has ever seen.
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