The release ofPokemon ScarletandVioletare just around the corner, and many of these games’ elements can be found in past titles. The gradual ramp up fromPokemon SwordandShield’s Wild Areas toPokemon Legends: Arceus’ larger regions culminates inPokemon ScarletandViolet’s true open world. The upgrade ofPokemon, Let’s Go!multiplayer intoScarletandViolet’s four-player online adventuring is also present. Even the new Auto Battle option was named afterLet’s Go!to reference the games’ unusual system of confronting wild Pokemon.
The list of stepping stones leading up toPokemon ScarletandVioletonly grows. Tera Raid Battles are an experimental step up fromSwordandShield’s Max Raid Battles. Follower Pokemon have evolved to the point where anything can essentiallyserve asPokemon Yellow’s Pikachu. The new Gym challenge and Titan Pokemon draw fromSunandMoon’s takes on Gyms and Totem Pokemon.Pokemon ScarletandVioletowe their promising status to decades ofPokemoniteration, and even their new battle gimmick may have roots inPokemon BlackandWhite.
RELATED:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Terastallization is a Double-Edged Sword for Team Composition
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Terastallization Seems Generations in the Making
For the past few generations ofPokemon, every set of games has introduced a new combat mechanic.XandY’s Mega Evolutiongave way to Z-Moves inSunandMoon, and Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing took center stage inSwordandShield.Pokemon ScarletandViolet’s equivalent is Terastallization, a process by which a Pokemon assumes a crystaline form along with a new type. Every Pokemon in Paldea has a Tera type in addition to its regular typing, and this is more than just a way to change their appearance.
Terastallization already has the competitive community talking about its many applications in battle. Only one Pokemon can Terastallize per fight, and players out in the wild will need to find special locations to recharge the Tera effect. Even with these restrictions, proper application can still swing a battle in the user’s favor, even if it’s just to capitalize ona surprise Tera Blastbenefiting from the same-type attack bonus. By changing to an advantageous type resistance or by stacking a base type, Tera type, and move type together to deal massive damage, the mechanic has a huge amount of range.
Black and White’s Gems Are Surprisingly Similar to Terastallizing
Pokemon BlackandWhitecame beforePokemonbegan heavily advertising one-off battle mechanics, although it did introduce a couple that wouldn’t last long. One wasTriple Battles and Rotation Battles, a new spin on Gen 3’s Double Battles. Another pertinent example was elemental gems. All 18 elemental types (including Fairy if one looks intoPokemon XandY’s code) have a corresponding gem that can be used as a held item. Finding these are the most likely result of investigating a dust cloud phenomenon in a cave.
Players had good reason to grind for gems, as they can only be used once before being consumed entirely. When a Pokemon uses a move with the same type as a held gem, it boosts the power of that move. It’s not hard todraw parallels to Terastallization, right down to the association with crystals. Both of them can only be used once, even if Terastallization lasts for multiple turns, and both need to be manually restocked outside of battle. They benefit players attempting to use STAB moves, but can also functionally change a Pokemon’s bonus attacking type. Terastallization may be better overall as a lasting change to a Pokemon, but the seeds of its power seem to have been planted inBlackandWhite.
