In the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it's possible that there will be a new battle system related to the region's wild Pokémon. New battle features such as Terastallizing have already been revealed, but this appears to be a separate mechanic. Hopefully, more details will be released before the games come out, but since Pokémon SV's release date is only a few short months away on November 18, it still shouldn't be long before players see if this is true if not.Ever since Scarlet and Violet's announcement, information on them - both official and unofficial - has been highly sought-after, with several online sources providing leaks that, while questionable, have sometimes been proven true. One of the biggest rumors is Pokémon SV's Regional Fakes, also called Paradox Pokémon and Convergent Species, and while it hasn't been confirmed yet, it sounds very exciting. Other rumors include the 105 new monsters that are supposed to come to the game, along with small details about them such as their typing and design inspirations. Officially revealed information has also been coming in, albeit at a slower pace, including Scarlet and Violet's multiplayer aspects and ranked competitive battles.Prominent Pokémon leaker Centro LEAKS tweeted that another source had told them that "there's 'a new way to battle' related to wild Pokémon," but they declined to elaborate. This was on August 11, and has not been mentioned since. It may be a small hint, but it has very interesting implications, not the least of which is that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's shiny hunting will change. If it holds true, wild Pokémon battles may finally make sense after two decades of the series featuring unrealistic combat with untamed monsters.
Could Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's New Battle System Be A Returning Feature?
If there are new battle mechanics in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, there are a few past features it could copy or take inspiration from. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, for example, battles - both against wild monsters and trained ones - sometimes involved multiple opponents ganging up on players' partners. Players were still restricted to using one at a time, however, a good alteration to make it unique could be to allow them to throw out multiple monsters if Pokémon SV were to bring back this feature. Linking how many players are able to use to how many gym badges they own could also be a great way to make the mechanic balanced and give additional importance to the badges.
There's also a mechanic that's already been revealed, Tera Raid Battles. These involve multiple Trainers attacking one Pokémon like the Max Raid Battles of Sword and Shield, but are different because each Trainer can attack at their own pace without waiting for the others to take their turns. It might seem like this is an obvious candidate for the new mechanic, but it's not a likely one since the Tera Raid Battles were revealed on August 3 alongside Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's Terastallizing gimmick, while Centro LEAKS hinted at the new mechanic on August 11. Being able to attack freely in a similar manner outside of Tera Raid Battles is still a possibility, however, and could make for a fine improvement on the old system.
Could Pokémon Finally Be Moving Away From Turn-Based Battles?
Perhaps the most exciting possibility for Scarlet and Violet's new wild Pokémon battle mechanic, however, is being able to control players' Pokémon directly and move around while using moves in real time like in Pokkén Tournament or the PokéPark spin-off games for the Nintendo Wii. Battling may have been a minor aspect of PokéPark, but it and Pokkén Tournament's battles are still fun and a welcome change from the turn-based battle system, which has grown stale over the course of the mainline series' lifetime. Players are able to move their Trainer in Legends: Arceus while battling against Alpha Pokémon and other wild monsters, which isn't quite the same thing, but it does prove that the series is willing to allow some freedom of movement during battle.
It may seem like real-time battles like the ones PokéPark or Pokken Tournament boast are unlikely given the fact that past trailers, such as the August 3 Pokémon Presents on the official Pokémon YouTube channel, have shown traditional battles, but they're not completely eliminated. These trailers do say that they don't reflect the actual gameplay, and it's possible that there will be traditional battles in addition to a new format. The new system may be an optional choice or a situational mechanic that players won't always be able to utilize, which could make Pokémon SV the best of both worlds when it comes to battling.
How Likely Is A New Battle System In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet?
Like with any other rumor, Pokémon SV breaking the series' tiring trend of turn-based battles should be taken with a grain of salt. Whatever form a new mechanic ends up taking, however, it does seem fairly likely. The games' open world means that there's plenty of room for real-time battle formats, and the mainline series' recent innovations in almost every other aspect are a good indication that new elements will also come to battles. Pokémon has been going in a new direction with its last few games, and it seems odd that battles would be the one area that isn't affected by it.
Regardless of what the new wild Pokémon battles are like, they can also fix one of the biggest plot holes in the Pokémon series; wild monsters subscribing to a turn-based battle system where they stay still and use one move at a time never quite made sense in the mainline games, especially in the case of scary Pokémon like Ghost-types or fearsome pseudo-Legendaries. Pokémon battling differently when they're wild versus trained makes a lot more sense, so if Pokémon Scarlet and Violet does have this feature, it could make battles a lot more realistic. How much may depend on the form they take. Real-time battles along the lines of Pokkén Tournament or PokéPark may be a tall order with Scarlet and Violet's open world and all of its other exciting new features. Being able to use more than one Pokémon at once or using moves without having to wait like in Tera Raid Battles sounds somewhat more reasonable. Both combined could be very fun, but either have the potential to be a welcome change to a battling system that helps Pokémon Scarlet and Violet further set itself apart from the rest of the mainline series.
Source: Centro LEAKS/Twitter, Pokémon/YouTube