Learn all about Pokémon Gen 9 and its cat, crocodile, and duck starters

Gen 9 is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2022.

Pokémon fans don’t have to wait very long before playing the next entry in the core Pokémon RPG series. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have been announced for Nintendo Switch and will be releasing later in 2022. We’ve already gotten to see some really cool parts of Gen 9 including what the starters and main Legendaries look like, where the game is located, and more.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Trailers
Starters
Confirmed Pokémon
Legendary Pokémon
Open World
Multiplayer
Battle system
Location
Rival
Version differences
Release Date

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet trailers

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were first announced during the February 2022 Pokémon Presents. This is the reveal trailer that The Pokémon Company released.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Second Trailer

The second trailer gave us our first look at the starters in 3D, who the professors were, and what the Legendaries look like.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet starters

As is typical, players can choose between a Grass, Fire, or Water Pokémon at the start of their adventure.

Starter
Type & Description

Sprigatito
Grass Type. The capricious, attention-seeking Grass Cat Pokémon

Fuecoco
Fire Type. The laid-back Fire Croc Pokémon that does things at its own pace.

Quaxly
Water Type. The earnest and tidy Duckling Pokémon.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Which Pokémon are in it?

As was started with Pokémon Sword and Shield, not all Pokémon from previous games will be in this entry. We’ve made a list of all Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet based on what we’ve already seen in trailers and promo images and will continue to add to it as we learn more. As of yet, we do not know any version exclusives, but we’ll keep an eye out for that information.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Legendaries

Those who play Scarlet will have the opportunity to catch Koraidon while those who play Violet will be able to catch Miraidon. It’s rumored that Koraidon is a Dragon/Fighting Legendary while Miraidon is rumored to be a Dragon/Electric Legendary.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Is this an Open World game?

Yes, this will be the first-ever open-world Pokémon game! It looks like players will visit several large open spaces with plenty of Pokémon from different Gens to catch. What’s more, players can explore the world at their own pace and go wherever they’d like instead of being stuck with a linear story.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Multiplayer

As is usually the case with Pokémon games, players will be able to trade Pokémon and battle eachother. However, Scarlet and Violet will also allow up to four players to explore the world together. From images shown, it looks like at least one Pokémon from your party will follow you around as you play with friends.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Battle system

We haven’t seen exactly what Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s battle system is like, but we really hope it takes after Pokémon Legends: Arceus where players can capture and battle Pokémon directly in the overworld without entering a separate battle menu. It’s possible this is the case based on official images, but we’ll have to wait for confirmation before we know for sure.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet location

The last several Pokémon games have been inspired by different real-life locations around the world. For instance, Pokémon Sword and Shield were inspired by the UK while X and Y were inspired by France.

While we don’t have any official announcement on where Scarlet and Violet take place yet, there are some strong hints that the game takes place somewhere around the Iberian Peninsula like Spain or Portugal. Case in point, the large building shown in the trailer that looks similar to Sagrada Familia located in Spain. The names for the three starters seem to have Spanish roots as well, further lending to this theory.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Rival

Nemona is your friend and rival who is described on the Pokémon website as having a “sunny and energetic disposition”. She will likely play the role of the tutorial since she’s a “reliable guide,” but unlike Hop from Sword and Shield, she’s also described as being an “experienced Pokémon trainer” so maybe she will hold our hands a lot less.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Differences between versions

There are bound to be several notable differences including version exclusive Pokemon between Scarlet and Violet. So far, we know that players will start off with different colored clothes based on what version they get. As you can imagine, those who play Scarlet will have a red tie and red shorts while those who play Violet will have a purple tie and purple shorts. The look and design of the clothes themselves is relatively similar otherwise, but it is slightly different depending on if you choose a boy or girl avatar.

Different professors

As a first in the main Pokémon series, the professor you get will depend on the version you are playing. Professor Sada is there to help you in Scarlet and sports a primal aesthetic while Professor Turo will assist those in Violet and sports a more futurisitic look.

We’ll add more differences as we learn of them.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet release date

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will release on November 18, 2022 and are currently available for preorder.

The next big Pokémon adventure

This looks like it’s going to be an amazing game and we at iMore cannot wait to play it. All three starters look amazing, so it’s definitely going to be a hard decision to make.

We’ll continue to keep our eyes out and will update this page as we learn more about Scarlet and Violet.

Gen 9 is coming!

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

$60 for Scarlet at Amazon
$60 for Scarlet at Walmart
$60 for Scarlet at Best Buy
$60 for Violet at Amazon
$60 for Violet at Walmart
$60 for Violet at Best Buy

The first open-world Pokémon RPG

Capture new Pokémon and explore new locations when Gen 9 releases on Nintendo Switch.