Even if you’re a longtime Pokémon fan, the new open-world design of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet brings a fresh feel to the classic series. With so much to do, you might feel like a Magikarp out of water at first, but this guide will help start you off on the right foot.
Your Paldean adventure begins when you enroll at a school in the city of Mesagoza. There, you’ll be tasked with completing an independent study project called the Treasure Hunt, during which students are encouraged to travel the world in search of a treasure to call their own.
Soon after enrolling, you’ll be presented with three different storylines, each of which branches off into its own series of adventures throughout the game. Completing major tasks in a given storyline opens up new paths, skills, and items that can help you progress through the others. You’re free to tackle these tasks in any order, but keep in mind that you might need to finish certain elements of one storyline before advancing further into another.
Which storyline will you pursue first: Victory Road, Path of Legends, or Starfall Street?
Challenge Gym Leaders and Become a Pokémon Champion!
The story of Victory Road will be very familiar to Trainers who’ve played previous games in the Pokémon series. You’ll travel from town to town, battling Gym Leaders and earning Gym Badges with the goal of becoming Paldea’s newest Champion-ranked Trainer. Aside from the prestige of being counted among the region’s top Trainers, collecting these badges allows you to catch and command Pokémon of higher levels. So, if you want a powerful team—and trust us, you do—you’ll need to prove yourself in battle against Paldea’s best and brightest.
The path between Pokémon Gyms in the Paldea region is not as clearly defined as in previous games—that’s because the open world of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet allows you to complete each challenge in (nearly) any order you choose.
The eight Gym Leaders’ Pokémon all have set levels that don’t change relative to those of your team’s, which means you might find yourself outmatched the first time you challenge a Gym. Don’t be afraid to avoid a battle for which you aren’t prepared. You can always gather more Exp. Points, complete other tasks, and try again later. After all, training up your Pokémon to take on more advanced Trainers is a hallmark of the Pokémon series.
Battle Titan Pokémon and Search for the Herba Mystica!
In the Path of Legends storyline, your classmate Arven will ask you to help him hunt down rare plants called Herba Mystica. Together, you’ll search high and low for these legendary herbs scattered throughout the region. But beware—they’re guarded by Pokémon of unusual size and strength known as Titans. And as you’ve probably already guessed, you’ll have to defeat the Titan Pokémon in battle to claim their condiments for yourself.
The Legendary Pokémon Koraidon (in Pokémon Scarlet) or Miraidon (in Pokémon Violet) will accompany you on your journey, acting as your primary mode of transportation. Defeating Titan Pokémon won’t just put you in Arven’s good graces—it’ll also provide Koraidon or Miraidon with valuable new skills. Once you drive a Titan away from its lair, you’ll enjoy a celebratory sandwich made from your hard-earned Herba Mystica. Share it with Koraidon or Miraidon to grant your Legendary Pokémon friend a new power such as dashing across fields, moving over water, or gliding through the sky.
With these new ways to get around, you’ll be able to move around the region more quickly and reach locations that were previously inaccessible. If you hit a roadblock on your travels, taking the time to track down a Titan Pokémon can make exploration that much easier!
Face Off against the Troublemakers in Team Star!
Whether you love to hate ’em or hate to love ’em, the Pokémon series is full of villainous teams that delight in making your life difficult. Some of these baddies have world domination on the brain, while others are simply overenthusiastic fans of Pokémon battles. In the Paldea region, you’ll be opposed by Team Star, a group of rebellious students who have committed that most dreadful of offenses: cutting class! During the Starfall Street storyline, your mission—should you choose to accept it—is to teach these truants the downfalls of delinquency.
Unfortunately for you, Team Star’s various crews are surprisingly organized, and they’ve established well-fortified bases throughout the region. Even less fortunately, some of the crews have set up barricades that block off crucial paths, preventing you from proceeding to new areas until the troublemakers have learned their lesson.
To get past one of Team Star’s barriers—or simply to continue the storyline—you’ll have to raid their base and defeat a horde of opposing Pokémon within a set time limit. But instead of taking on grunts in traditional turn-based battles, you’ll select a trio of Pokémon to send out in Auto Battles against Team Star’s Pokémon, which are roaming freely inside the base. During Auto Battles, your Pokémon will attack without requiring your direct input, but you’ll still need to keep a close eye on your team and make sure no one gets too worn out to keep battling.
If you defeat enough of the grunts’ Pokémon before time runs out, their boss will confront you in a souped-up vehicle called a Starmobile. Defeat the boss in a turn-based Pokémon battle and the base will fall, opening up any barricades and netting you some useful items to boot.
Even when you think you’ve completed Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, that hardly means your adventure is over. There’s always more to do in Paldea, such as completing the region’s Pokédex, searching for elusive Shiny Pokémon, and continuing to catch, hatch, and train Pokémon to form your ideal team. You might even be able to find new ways to enjoy Pokémon battles!