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

Gen IX 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 IX including what the starters look like, where the game is located, and more.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet trailer

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

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet starters

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

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 Is this an Open World game?

Yes! The official Pokémon website even states that this adventure takes place in a “richly expressed open world.” It looks like players will visit several large open spaces with plenty of Pokémon from different Gens to catch.

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 in Spain. Case in point, the large building shown in the trailer that looks similar to Sagrada Familia. The names for the three starters seem to have Spanish roots as well, further lending to this theory.

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 no 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 slightly different depending on if you choose a boy or girl avatar. We’ll add more difference as we learn of them.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet release date

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will release sometime in 2022, but no exact release date has been given yet. It’s likely to release in November considering that has historically been when core Pokémon RPGs release.

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.

Your next favorite game awaits

Nintendo Switch eShop Gift Card

$20 at Amazon

Thousands of games to choose from

With a Nintendo Switch eShop gift card, you can purchase from a huge library of games, including several Pokémon adventures.