Though not much has changed in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, the games do bring with them a few notable changes to the series' tried and tested formula. One of the games' biggest additions involves something called the Terastal phenomenon, which has the potential to make a Pokemon's STAB moves considerably more powerful than they would otherwise be.
All of the Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are capable of Terastallizing, though players will need to recharge the ability by visiting a Pokemon Center after each use. Tapping into a Pokemon's Tera Type isn't something that players will be able to do right away either, although they won't have to wait too long before unlocking the ability to do so.
How to Terastallize in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
In order to be able to Terastallize, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet players will first need to make their way to the Naranja Academy. Upon their arrival at the gates, they'll get their first glimpse of Terastallizing during a battle with Nemona and she'll promise to teach them how to do it for themselves once the battle is over.
After passing through the gates, players should take a look around and then make their way up the stairs toward the school, where they'll run into a couple of Team Star grunts. Once they've beaten the first, Nemona will show up and hand them a Tera Orb, which is a special item that's needed to make a Pokemon Terastallize.
Players will then be thrown into battle with the other Team Star grunt and will be shown how to Terastallize using the Tera Orb. To do so, players simply need to press the R button or place the cursor over the TERASTALLIZE! option to the left of the Pokemon's moves and then press the A button to toggle Terastallization on or off.
The icon above the writing will inform players of their active Pokemon's Tera Type if they don't know it already, allowing them to pick a move that will make the most of Terastallization. After selecting a move of the correct type, players will be treated to a slick animation and the attack's power will be buffed.
Sadly, the Tera Orb will need to be recharged between uses, so players will need to think carefully about when they use it and on which Pokemon. To recharge the Tera Orb, players simply need to visit a Pokemon Center and heal up or sleep in a bed, so they should be sure to do so whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now for the Nintendo Switch.