A new video for Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet shows off the game’s competitive play mode and introduces an all-new Pokémon.
Cyclizar is a Dragon/Normal type Pokémon that is new to Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. It brings a new move, Shed Tail, that creatures a substitute before swapping places with a Pokémon in your party.
The official Pokémon website also details the Battle Stadium feature for Scarlet and Violet. There are two different forms of battling: casual and ranked. Casual battles are what they sound like: low-stakes Pokémon battles where you can use any Pokémon of your choosing.
Ranked battles are more high-stakes affairs, complete with an ELO-style rating. Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet will feature support for online competitions in both an official and friendly manner. The ability to rent a Battle Team will be available as well. As a disclaimer, you’ll need to be a paid Nintendo Switch Online member to participate in online play. Nintendo also notes that Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield players cannot battle against Scarlet and Violet players.
Details on Scarlet and Violet were released earlier this year. The game will feature an open world, much like Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Another new detail for the game is Terastallizing. Per the game’s official website, “the primary feature of Terastallizing in battle is that it changes your Pokémon’s type to its Tera Type. Pokémon don’t outwardly show what their Tera Type is until they Terastallize—a fact that you can use to take opponents by surprise in battle. Combining Tera Types with different moves and Abilities can open up near-infinite strategic possibilities.”
The example given is Tyranitar, normally a Rock/Dark type Pokémon, which becomes a Ghost type after Terastallizing. This new feature adds another wrinkle into the franchise’s battle system that players are excited about.
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet will release on Nintendo Switch on November 18th.
