Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releases on Nov. 18 on the Nintendo Switch. It is the ninth and next generation of the Pokémon franchise. This game is an open world game which is a game that isn’t linear so a player can go anywhere on the map. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet takes place in the Paldea region which is based off of Spain. 

In this game the character is enrolled in an academy where the character is in a independent study program called the treasure hunt. While that is going on there are three stories you can experience. Victory Road is the traditional gym challenge where the players challenges the gyms and then take on the elite four to become the champion of the Paldea region. Path of Legends is where the characters team up with a researcher named Arven to find the Herb Mystica which are guarded by titan Pokémon that are larger and more dangerous Pokemon. There is also Starfall Street where the players go up against Team Star, a group of rebellious students.

“I like that Game Freak after Legends Arceus is expanding on more of the open world genre,” junior Demi Johnson said.

In this region, you will find many new Pokémon like Sprigatito, the grass type starter. There is Fuecoco, the fire type starter. Finally there is Quaxly, the water starter, as well as many more new Pokémon to catch and discover in the Paldea region.

“[I like] Quaxly because I always use the water starters and so I’m just keeping up the pattern of always using water starters, and also he looks like a really cool duck,” junior Sophia McClure said.

Terastallization (tera-stall-ize) is a new phenomena in the Paldea region. When a Pokémon Terastalizes, it causes the Pokemon to shine and glimmer using the Terastal energy that is sleeping in the ground of the Paldea region. Each Pokémon has a Tera-type which can change the Pokemon’s original type and it gives them a Tera-jewel which signifies its type after Terastallizing. Terastallizing enhances a Pokémon’s moves and players can get these Pokémon in Tera-raid battles in which a player teams up with others to take down Tera-Pokémon or in the wild you can find sparkling Pokémon which will Terastallize during the battle.

“I think it’s pretty cool, but I think I need to see more of it. I don’t know if it’s like going to be better than Dynamaxing in the last game or like Z-moves but it seems pretty cool it makes the Pokémon look cool too,” McClure said.