The Pokémon Presents from August 3 gave fans a new look at the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games, including changes in how Gym Badges are earned. In previous Pokémon games, players would visit eight gyms in a set order to compete in challenges and earn their badges. These gyms and badges typically are themed around a certain type of Pokémon.
Gyms in previous Pokémon games tended to get more difficult as players progressed through each one. The gym types varied based on the games (and the game versions) and most had some sort of challenge that players had to complete before battling the gym leader. Pokémon Sun and Moon and Pokémon Legends: Arceus do not have gyms; however, they do have similar challenges that must be tackled in a specific order.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are changing up the classic Pokémon gameplay when it comes to gym challenges. In all previous games that had gyms, players were forced to visit the gyms in a specific order, usually following a fairly set path to get to each one. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are giving players more freedom than ever before by allowing them to take on the gym leaders in any order they want.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Is Giving Players More Freedom When Tackling Gyms
Like previous Pokémon games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will have eight gyms for players to travel to and earn badges in. However, players can travel to any gym in any order they want - rather than having to progress through a linear path. Players also don't have to follow a set path in order to get to each gym because of Scarlet and Violet's open-world concept. It was also revealed during Pokémon Direct that once players have collected all eight gym badges, they can attempt the Champion Assessment to achieve Champion Rank.
So far, only one gym leader and type has been announced for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Grusha is the leader of the Glaseado Gym and is an Ice-type specialist. His partner Pokémon is the newly added Cetitan, who has the abilities of Thick Fat and Slush Rush. Earning gym badges is not the only main story included in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, either. The Tera Stones are another story that Pokémon players will take part in as well as a third, and currently mostly unknown, story.
Giving players more freedom on which gyms they conquer first is a big step forward for Pokémon games. Trainers will now have an opportunity to shape their Pokémon stories the way they want to more than ever before. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is keeping the popular classic aspects of older Pokémon games while still revolutionizing the series. With only a few months left to wait, players will soon see if all of these changes truly make a better Pokémon game.