Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Learned The Best Lessons From Legends: Arceus

Official previews for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Preview event was held in October, where journalist got to play an hour-long demo of the Generation 9 RPGs. The early look at the games revealed that Scarlet and Violet has implemented a handful of Pokémon Legends: Arceus' best features that will have a major impact on the franchise.

During the October preview event, Nintendo showed off Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's Gym Leader battles, Titan Pokémon, the sandwich min-game, as well as the new Starfall Street story campaign which features the region's villains Team Star. However, a variety of new details were also confirmed by journalists, who discovered that the Gen 9 actually borrows heavily from the Hisui Region. Here is a list of the best Pokémon Legends: Arceus features that are making their return in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's Paldea Region.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Shiny Pokémon Feature

A split image showing a Pokémon trainer throwing a Poké Ball, and a Shiny Chimchar.

In 2022's Pokémon Legends: Arceus players were able to spot Shiny Pokémon at random while traversing the over world. The rare variants would even make an audible jingle if they were nearby. During the October Gen 9 previews, press were able to confirm that the feature will make its return in the Paldea Region. The helpful design choice will make Shiny hunting more accessible, as players won't need to engage in numerous battles just to figure out whether the Pokémon is rare or not. If a Scarlet and Violet leak posted by Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Let's Go auto battle mechanic will work if a Pokémon encounters a Shiny. So far, there have been mixed reports on whether the rare variant will get automatically knocked out or not.

Players Can Sneak Attack Pokémon In Scarlet and Violet

An image of a Pokemon and trainer and their Smoliv sneaking around in Scarlet and Violet.

Although Pokémon Scarlet and Violet doesn't fully have the Poké Ball catching system that was featured in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Gen 9 is bringing back the Hisui Region's sneak attack mechanic. In Paldea, Trainers will be able to slowly creep up behind a Pokémon in the wild and throw out their own Pokémon at its back to initiate a surprise battle. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus the move was called "back strikes", and would leave the opposing Pokémon "flinched" or stunned during the first move. Players will be able to use the move in Scarlet and Violet to get an advantage over strong Pokémon that they are trying to catch. Back striking was the main strategy that trainers used to capture Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Alpha Pokémon, and now it can be used to take down Paldea's toughest monsters.

Pokemon Scarlet Violet Pokedex Legends Arceus Move Menu

One of the best features that Pokémon Legends: Arceus introduced to the long-running series, was the ability for players to change their Pokémon's moves in the menu. Ever since the Nintendo franchise launched in 1996, every Generation has required trainers to go to a special NPC in order to learn moves. In Scarlet and Violet, trainers will now be able to change their Pokémon moves on the fly with a couple of clicks in the menu. The new mechanic also allows s to swap back and forth between new and old attacks any time they want, giving fans complete control over their Pokémon's move progression. With the recently revealed Scarlet and Violet TM machine feature, Gen 9 players will even be able to create obtain new moves for their Pokémon by collecting material in the over world and winning battles.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Day And Night Cycle Is Now Sped Up

Pokemon Scarlet Violet Night Time Screenshot

In the Pokémon Legends: Arceus Hisui region, the day and night cycle was not based on a twenty-four-hour clock. This was a big deal for many long-time fans, as they no longer had to wait until nighttime in real life in order to catch nocturnal Pokémon that only spawn under the moon. According to journalist that attended the Gen 9 preview event, Scarlet and Violet will also adopt the new sped up time cycle. As a result, players will be able to explore the Paldea region and catch both day and night spawned Pokémon without having to wait for hours. With the reveal that Scarlet and Violet will also feature quests, the game could potentially introduce quest lines that can only be completed during certain time's of the day.

While not confirmed, it's also been rumored that Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Pokémon size feature will make their return. In a July leak covered by Centro LEAKS, a Gen 9 leaker claimed that Scarlet and Violet will feature different sized Pokémon roaming the over world map. The size variant was actually first introduced in 2018's Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, before being improved upon in the Hisui Region RPGs. If the Scarlet and Violet rumor is true, this means players will be able to catch a small version of Pawmi, as well as a large version of the adorable Electric-type. Based on the October preview of the ninth generation, it appears that Game Freak has taken heavy inspiration from the development of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, as many of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's best quality of life features seem to be taken from the 2022 Sinnoh origin title.

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Source: Centro LEAKS/Gen 9 Mass Outbreaks Leak, Centro LEAKS/Pokémon size variations.