A recent Pokemon Presents broadcast finally revealed the battle gimmick for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Known as the Terastal phenomenon, this effect is unique to Paldea. As students of the Uva or Naranja Academy, players will investigate the secrets behind Tera Pokemon and learn how to use them in battle. When comparing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Terastal Pokemon to the gameplay gimmicks of previous generations, players noticed similarities with Dynamaxing, which was introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
The Terastal phenomenon allows each Pokemon to take on a sparkling, glittering form in battle with a glitzy headdress related to one of the 18 Pokemon types. Players will learn more about the Terastal phenomenon and why it occurs when they embark on a Treasure Hunt-themed special project at their academy. Different Pokemon within a particular species may have different Tera Types, encouraging players to journey through the Paldea region's open world and collect different variants.
All Pokemon in Paldea Have Tera Forms
When Mega Evolution was first introduced in Pokemon X and Y, the gameplay gimmick did not apply to every Pokemon in the Pokedex. Potentially in response to fan disappointment, Nintendo made future gimmicks more widely applicable. Every Pokemon in Sword and Shield could Dynamax in battle, although unique Gigantamax forms were limited to a few monsters. This allowed players to use their favorite Pokemon in battle without having to wonder whether they were able to Dynamax.
Similarly, a trailer for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet recently confirmed that all Pokemon in the Paldea region will be able to Terastallize after exploring the game's open world and seeking out natural resources that sparkle similarly to Tera Pokemon themselves. With Tera forms available to all monsters like Dynamax, players will have more opportunities to be flexible and use their favorite Pokemon in battle. However, Terastal Pokemon do differ from Dynamax Pokemon in that they change type.
Terastal Pokemon Appear Different in Battle
The Dynamax phenomenon appearing in Galar caused Pokemon to grow to enormous size, towering over trainers and other Pokemon in battle. Most Dynamaxed Pokemon simply appeared as a larger version of themselves, surrounded by glowing light and clouds. Some Pokemon, including Pikachu, Lapras, Gengar, and the three Galar region starters, could also access a special Gigantamax form. Gigantamax Pokemon did not simply grow larger, but instead gained a distinct, altered appearance in battle. For example, Gigantamax Pikachu riffs on its chubby look from earlier games, while Gigantamax Alcremie appears as a multi-tiered cake.
A Terastallized Pokemon glitters and appears to be made from faceted crystal, wearing a headdress that represents its Tera Type. So far, only a few Tera Type headdresses have been shown off, including Grass-type resembling flowers, Normal-type featuring enormous diamonds, and Fire-type taking the shape of a chandelier. Fans assume every type will have a unique Terastal headdress.
Players Can Battle Terastal Pokemon With Friends
In the Wild Area of Pokemon Sword and Shield's Galar region, players could team up with up to three friends in Max Raids, wherein Dynamax Pokemon could be battled and potentially caught within their lairs. Later, the Crown Tundra DLC Expansion for Pokemon Sword and Shield added Dynamax Adventures, co-operative activities involving up to four players traveling through multi-path dungeons, encountering several Dynamax Pokemon along the way. At the end, the players team up to battle a Legendary Pokemon such as Mewtwo, Giratina, Zygarde, the Ultra Beasts of Pokemon Sun and Moon, and more.
Revealed during the recent Pokemon Presents broadcast, Scarlet and Violet's new Tera Raid feature brings to mind Max Raids against Dynamax opponents. Although only a brief glimpse of Tera Raids was shown, it features up to four players battling against a Terastallized Pokemon. It was confirmed that Tera Raids can be used to acquire Pokemon with rare Tera Types, such as a Fire-type Dragonite. It has not yet been confirmed whether Tera Raids will feature Legendary Pokemon, but given the popularity of Legendary Raids in Sword and Shield's DLC, this is definitely a possibility.
Tera Pokemon May Have New Moves
Pokemon Sword and Shield's Dynamax gimmick did not simply increase the health and stats of Pokemon when they grew to enormous sizes during battle, as every one of their attacks became Max Moves corresponding with the type. Gigantamax forms were able to use more unique G-Max Moves, generally based on the primary type of the Pokemon itself. For example, Gigantamax Pikachu can paralyze opponents with G-Max Volt Crash, Gigantamax Copperajah can scatter spikes around the field using G-Max Steelsurge, and all three Galar starters use a different G-Max attack that ignores the effects of their opponent's abilities.
According to a known leaker who has previously revealed accurate information regarding Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Terastallized Pokemon will learn a new move similar to the existing Hidden Power that allows them to change the type of damage dealt matching their Tera Type. This will be especially useful in battle, as it has been confirmed that Tera Pokemon receive bonuses when they do damage matching their Tera Type. It has not yet been confirmed if Terastallizing will allow Pokemon to learn other completely new moves similar to G-Max moves.
With the Terastal phenomenon available to every monster in Paldea, changing the Pokemon's appearance, and appearing in multiplayer raids, it will likely be more similar to Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing than battle gimmicks from previous generations such as Mega Evolution from X and Y or Z-Moves from Sun and Moon. However, as more information regarding Tera Pokemon and Terastallizing is revealed, additional similarities may be discovered.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release on November 18, 2022, for the Nintendo Switch.