Even though Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's third trailer didn't showcase many new critters, it did provide players with lots of details concerning the Terastallization mechanic and how it looks in the game. Not all Tera symbols in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were showcased, but the trailer did confirm that all critters in the Paldea region do have access to all 18 Tera types. Another interesting thing to note is that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will put a new spin on Gen 8's Raid battles, this time featuring powerful pocket monsters with rare Tera types.
However, it's critical that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Raids are not plagued by a major issue from Gen 8, which came from the AI of most NPCs. Pokemon Sword and Shield characters, be they named NPCs or random characters, didn't have the best AI when it came to battles, and it showed especially in Max Raids due to how powerful some Gigantamax Pokemon were and how many phases they needed to go through before being defeated. As such, the AI of the various trainers in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should be improved way beyond the levels of Gen 8 NPCs.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Need Better AI Than Gen 8
A great example of Pokemon AI comes from Gen 4 games and particularly Pokemon Platinum, as they had a better AI overall compared to that of any Gen 8 trainer. Gym Leaders and especially Elite Four members, including the Champion, tried to go for supereffective attacks, ramp-up moves like Swords Dance or Nasty Plot, and even switched out their Pokemon if they were too weak against a specific opponent or if their main stats were lowered too much. This ported over to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl as well, with Cynthia being arguably one of the most difficult fights in the core series as a whole, thanks to her fully trained team and her AI.
Sadly, similar experiences are rare in Pokemon Sword and Shield, where enemy trainers often use seemingly random moves with no clear rationale about the battle and the opponent they are facing. Instead, the AI is often not going for supereffective attacks when it gets a chance to, maybe even favoring the use of ramp-up moves when the team is clearly at a disadvantage from the get-go. The Gen 8 AI is particularly bad in Max Raid battles, to the point that not having a Nintendo Switch Online subscription and friends to play with can be quite punishing for endgame activities and farming powerful monsters because one has to rely on a squad of useless NPCs.
The random AI-controlled trainers that join Max Raids are embarrassingly bad in battles, only choosing supereffective attack moves every once in a while and not taking out the shields of Dynamaxed or Gigantamaxed Pokemon when they protect themselves. Another example comes from the fact that, during Max Raid battles, the opposing Pokemon will always reset stat changes and statuses inflicted upon it every three turns, and AI-controlled NPCs often end up using those moves right before the change occurs.
In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Tera Raids battles and the various story and exploration-related battles in the game should be governed by better AI than Gen 8, possibly reverting to a more "competitive" ruleset for enemy trainers and allied ones alike. This would allow for a more stimulating battle environment, which would also lead to the Terastal phenomenon shining more as a result, as it is a very strategic gimmick. Overall, AI in Pokemon games has a long and complicated history, but even an approach similar to the increased difficulty from Gen 4 could work well for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.