Very little is known about the first installments in the Pokemon series' ninth generation, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. From its initial trailer, it's clear that this game marks a big departure from the formula of previous mainline Pokemon games. It appears that Scarlet & Violet will inherit a lot from Pokemon Legends Arceus.
Pokemon Legends Arceus, released in 2022, finds players focusing on exploration and Pokedex research rather than battling. Scarlet & Violet will likely combine this game's best aspects with the standard gameplay of a Pokemon game. These ten other mechanics in Legends Arceus hopefully return to the new generation.
10 A New Way To Catch Pokemon
In previous mainline Pokemon games, catching new creatures was as easy as pressing a button. Back then, the likelihood of catching a Pokemon was based on several factors, including probability and the target's HP. However, Legends Arceus took a completely new direction when it came to gathering new partners.
In Legends Arceus, players had to actually aim their Poke Balls at their desired Pokemon and hope it gets caught. Some Pokemon tend to be tame enough to catch without battling, while others won't go down without a fight. This certainly makes catching new Pokemon feel like embarking on a real wildlife adventure.
9 No Random Encounters
Legends Arceus is also the first Pokemon game to do away with random Pokemon encounters. Ever since the very first Pokemon games on GameBoy, players had to trek through tall grass to discover random Pokemon. Legends Arceus, however, has all the catchable Pokemon wandering in the overworld, visible to the player.
The lack of random encounters certainly streamlines the process of finding new Pokemon to catch. Additionally, it can also help players looking to grind quickly avoid Pokemon with type advantages. Tall grass can even keep its function from Legends Arceus as a way for players to hide while throwing Poke Balls at Pokemon.
8 Base Camps
Pokemon Legends Arceus takes a lot more inspiration from the Monster Hunter franchise than it does from previous Pokemon games. One thing it shares in common with Monster Hunter is the usage of Base Camps as hubs for players. When exploring a large, open world, it's nice to have areas to regroup.
Essentially, Base Camps could make a return in Scarlet & Violet as an alternate version of Pokemon Centers. There, players can access their PC, recover their Pokemon's health, and buy new items. The release trailer for Scarlet & Violet may even tease a version of this mechanic in a building that resembles a gas station.
7 Fast Travel
Of course, one of the benefits of keeping Base Camps in Scarlet & Violet would be for them to serve as fast-travel waypoints. When exploring the vast areas of Hisui in Legends Arceus, it's easy for players to get lost. Accessing fast-travel destinations can speed up the time it takes to get from point A to point B.
Scarlet & Violet is already confirmed to be a completely open world title. Furthermore, previous Pokemon games have already included fast travel via Ride Pokemon or HM Fly. It makes sense that the games would feature some type of mechanic to expedite travel time, but perhaps it can be more than cities and towns.
6 Ride Pokemon
Previous mainline Pokemon games have dipped their toes in the inclusion of Ride Pokemon. Pokemon X & Y allowed players to ride Pokemon like Gogoat and Lapras under special conditions. Sun & Moon advanced this mechanic by including Pokemon who can help players navigate certain terrain or access secret areas.
However, no Pokemon title truly perfected Ride Pokemon until Legends Arceus. Given that this game features many open worlds, it makes sense that Ride Pokemon like Wyrdeer and Sneasler are intended to speed up the process of traversing terrain. In Scarlet & Violet, it makes sense for this trend to continue.
5 Optional Evolution
Oftentimes, evolution is not always preferable to players. Some like to build up strength in lower-stage evolutions that hold Everstones. Other times, a Pokemon with split evolution paths may meet the conditions for one of its evolved forms, costing a player the opportunity to add the other evolved form onto their team.
Legends Arceus included a fairly simple solution to this problem: optional evolution. When a Pokemon met certain conditions to evolve, players could trigger it themselves via the menu. This quality-of-life feature would definitely appeal to fans who want more influence over their Pokemon's ability to evolve or not.
4 Streamlined Evolution Conditions
Of course, the vast difference in the gameplay of Legends Arceus also affected certain Pokemon's ability to evolve the same way. Certain Pokemon need to be traded to fully evolve, while others depend on location or even how the system is held. Legends Arceus simplified some of the more complex evolve conditions.
With Scarlet & Violet on the way, it's difficult to believe that Game Freak will re-complicate some of these techniques. Some Pokemon may gain new conditions that don't involve specific items or trading. For instance, evolving Tangela in Legends Arceus only requires the Pokemon to level up while knowing Ancient Power.
3 Alpha Pokemon
The challenge of creating an open world Pokemon game is adding in replay value. During later parts of the game, it can be tiresome to explore early areas that don't have strong Pokemon to fight or catch. That is why there's a benefit to Alpha Pokemon, whose size and strength certainly scare off new players for a short time.
Being able to catch Alpha Pokemon in Legends Arceus is also a feat of its own. These extra-powerful Pokemon are even marked in menus to commemorate players' achievements. Having them return for Scarlet & Violet would add a whole new level of post-game accomplishments for players to aspire towards.
2 Mass Outbreaks
One of the best parts of Legends Arceus, especially for hardcore fans, is the addition of Mass Outbreaks. These special events will trigger a horde of one specific Pokemon species in a certain area. While this is a great place in Legends Arceus to farm battles and captures for the Pokedex, there's also an additional benefit.
When encountering Pokemon in a Mass Outbreak, their chances of being Shiny increase drastically. It's even higher if players have completed that Pokemon's Pokedex entry and equip an item called the Shiny Charm. Bringing this back in Scarlet & Violet would be a welcomed return for shiny hunters.
1 Pokedex Research
Part of what makes Pokemon Legends Arceus so effortlessly addictive is its main gameplay feature: the Pokedex. Prior Pokemon games simply used the Pokedex as an encyclopedia of Pokemon data. Legends Arceus makes it more active, encouraging players to re-encounter the same Pokemon and complete their entries.
Not only is this a worthwhile post-game activity, but it also forms a bond between players and Pokemon. Especially in newer games, it's easy to find a Pokemon, catch it, and forget about it in a Box. Hopefully, Scarlet & Violet will use Pokedex research as an opportunity to encourage players to keep picking the game back up.