This article contains spoilers for the endgame ofPokemon ScarletandViolet.Much has been said aboutPokemon ScarletandViolet. Their launches were technically flawed, but they brought a lot of new life to the agingPokemonformula. Many parts ofPokemon ScarletandVioletresemble those found in past games, like wandering a region to challenge gyms while encountering different storylines that come together later on. However, it’s the way thatPokemon ScarletandVioletpresent all this in an open world that makes them feel truly special.
It helps that the story itself has more interesting developments and strongly written characters than some previous generations. Regardless of whether one isplayingPokemon ScarletorPokemon Violet, the end result is still a surprisingly climactic final area that feels ripped out of a different JRPG series. That alone is a selling point of the ninth generation games, but players with different versions will recount slightly different versions of the events. As is standard forPokemon, there are a number of differences betweenScarletandViolet, though some have considerably more impact on the story than others.
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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Change A Few Details Early On
The two Generation 9 games have a few expected differences. Obviously, some Pokemon are replaced between the versions, as well as a couple of evolutions for specific Pokemon. This becomes more relevant to the story later, but at the beginning, it just determineswhich legendary Pokemon players receiveas their mount.Pokemon Scarletplayers will get to ride atop the reptilian Pokemon Koraidon, whilePokemon Scarletowners will instead cross Paldea on the back of the cyborg Miraidon. They serve the same role in the story, but their presence is a constant reminder thatPokemon Scarletis themed after the past, whileVioletfocuses on the future.
Aside from that, players may notice that the names of their respective academies are different. The school inPokemon Scarletis known as Naranja, with a crest showing an orange, whileVioletuses Uva and a crest of grapes instead. It’s a strange little detail that might exist to justify having students wear different versions' colors.Scarletplayers will often find themselves with orange clothing, whileVioletones will, appropriately, have violet clothing. Director Clavell will also change the color of his suit. PreviousPokemongames have changed the player’s aesthetic to fit the version, but this is usually reserved for tertiary titles likePokemon EmeraldandPlatinum.
Later Story Revelations are Where Scarlet and Violet Diverge
However, the real meat of the story differences comes with the professors and the endgame.Pokemon Scarletfeatures Professor Sada, a woman dressed in stereotypical caveman attire. Meanwhile,Violet’s Professor Turo wears a sleek, futuristic bodysuit. This is the firstPokemongeneration to have different professors for each version, and they have a larger role in the universe than that; bothPokemon professors are Arven’s parent in their respective games. InScarlet, his father left Paldea in his youth before his mother Sada disappeared into her work.Pokemon Violetreverses these roles, and he instead has an absentee mother and Professor Turo as the disappeared father.
These revelations come to a head in Area Zero, featured in the Great Crater of Paldea. It’s filled with Paradox Pokemon, with ancientancestors dottingScarletwhile robotic descendants populateViolet. These are tied into the time periods that each version’s Professor was working with, as each has a functional time machine. However, the professor has actually perished in a lab accident, and it’s revealed that the person players have been talking to was actually an AI all along. This means the final boss is different in each version, with AI Sada usingScarlet’s Paradox Pokemon while AI Turo usesViolet’s. There’s a lot to read into regarding Arven and the professors, and it’s satisfying to have some real depth and variance in a newPokemongame’s story.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare available now on Nintendo Switch.
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