Even experienced Pokémon players may have felt overwhelmed upon completing the intro to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and discovering the number of options in play style. Unlike the previous installments, the new games are far less linear, taking notes from the ever-popular modern open-world RPG games.

Many players may be wondering what the best place to start would be. Aside from tackling the eight gym leaders, it may be worth a time investment to make progress in the Path of Legends, take some classes in school, or complete progress on the Pokédex. Different aspects of the gameplay will offer meaningful rewards that will lend a hand in the path to becoming the Paldea Champion.

10 Stony Cliff Titan

An image of a trainer battling a giant Klawf in Pokémon Scarlet And Violet, with their starter Sprigatito.

An early tip for players of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is that the further out one travels, the harder the game will be in terms of wild Pokémon, trainers, and missions. By this logic, the Bug Gym and the Stony Cliff Titan are two reasonable first destinations.

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While the Bug Gym may seem like an expected option, both are around the same difficulty level, and the Stony Cliff Titan offers a significant mount upgrade for its completion. This speed boost will cut a significant amount of running time down for the player.

9 Open Sky Titan

Open Sky Titan in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

The Open Sky Titan can be battled around level 19, making it a good stop after battling the first two gyms. This challenge can be found in West Province (Area One) and is accompanied by a number of trainer battles that are useful for gaining XP.

Battling the Open Sky Titan offers the player a very useful reward, allowing them to equip their Koraidon or Miraidon with the ability to surf across water, allowing them to access certain Pokémon and map items. The Titans are very powerful, even more so than the strongest wild Pokémon in the game.

8 Quaking Earth Titan

Great Tusk standing in a desert in Pokémon Scarlet.

Flying isn't quite what Pokémon players may be used to. In this case, the Quaking Earth Titan will reward the player with a Koraidon or Miraidon upgrade that will allow it to glide, once again increasing travel speed. For the usual version of flying, players can fast-travel at any point by opening the mount.

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The Quaking Earth Titan can be battled around level 44, so this will occur fairly deep into one's progress with the gym battles. The Titan missions are pretty fun, offering an alternative style of battling for players who need a break from clearing gyms and Team Star bosses.

7 Making Sandwiches

A Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Picnic Sandwich With Lots Of Ingredients

Like the curry in Sword and Shield or Poffins in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's food item is the sandwiches. They're used as a key item to help befriend either Koraidon or Miraidon, and can also be crafted throughout the game.

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Players can obtain a ton of different ingredients that can be turned into various sandwich recipes. These sandwiches can give a number of different bonuses to a Pokémon squad, and allow for players to set up picnics that provide special "meal powers" that give bonuses like extra exp and increased chance of finding shiny Pokémon.

6 The Four Treasures Of Ruin

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Wo-Chien Legendary Pokemon Found After Breaking Eight Seals in Ominous Stakes Throughout South Province Area of Paldea

The new games have released six new legendary Pokémon, four of which are called the Treasures of Ruin. These four Pokémon are inspired by Chinese mythology, and offer a fun method of unlocking.

In order to unlock the encounters with these Pokémon, the player must collect eight color-corresponding stakes from around the map. To unlock all four, the player will need to find 32 in total. Go along for the adventure, and exit with some awesome legendary Pokémon. The Treasures are some of the hardest Pokémon to catch in the game.

5 Complete The Pokédex

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's Lechonk next to a Pokédex.

Like in most Pokémon games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet offer a significant reward for completing the Pokédex. In this installment, the player will earn a shiny charm, allowing them to increase the chance of discovering shiny Pokémon in the wild.

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But even for players not interested in catching all 400, catching wild Pokémon is worth the time, as completing milestones in capture amounts will offer significant and consistent item rewards that can be very helpful.

4 School Classes

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Biology Class Academy

The last thing most players want to do in a video game is go back to school, but Pokémon Scarlet and Violet offer some mighty rewards for doing so. The classes can be completed throughout the game, with lessons followed by "midterms" and "finals."

There are seven branches of classes, each with a midterm and final that will offer exp candies. These can also offer some helpful tips about the game and offer fun character interactions. Some of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's best Easter Eggs can be found in the school.

3 Teacher Rewards

A Galarian Meowth in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Possibly the best part about completing the school classes is the character interactions players can develop. There are a number of teachers with very different personalities, all of which the player will develop a friendly relationship.

By completing several classes and having extra conversations, the player can earn rewards from their teachers. The best example is the Galarian Meowth that the player will be gifted from Mr. Salvatore upon completing all language classes.

2 Trainer Battle Rewards

Nemona from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet holding a Poké Ball.

In every Province Area that has trainer battles, players can find a Pokémon League Representative by the Pokémon Center that will offer a reward for beating a certain amount of trainers in that area. There are seven total rewards.

These rewards are light compared to what the Pokédex has to offer but are still worthwhile for players who need particular held items. Making sure to defeat each trainer is also a reward in its own, providing significant XP and money. While searching around for trainers, players will also get a chance to catch some of the best Pokémon Paldea has to offer.

1 Raid Events

A Terastalized Charizard from a Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Tera Raid battle.

Like in Pokémon Sword and Shield, the new games have special raid crystals that can be found across the Paldea region. These crystals serve as a source of early-game and also end-game content, as players can unlock higher difficulty raid levels as they progress.

Of course, with higher difficulty raids comes better rewards. The Tera Raid star system will have multiple levels released with great challenges. These raids will require trainers to level their Pokémon to level 100, in order to earn the best rewards available.

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