With the next generation of Pokémon games releasing very soon, a lot of news regarding regional variants, details about the new region, brand-new Pokémon, convergent species, and more have been dropping almost daily to get fans excited about the impending releases. Fans will have to choose between the two different versions of the game—Scarlet and Violet—before they can explore the Paldea region, which was inspired by Spain.
For the majority of Pokémon game enthusiasts, this is nothing new because there have been differences between versions of the games ever since Pokémon Red and Blue, which were part of the first game generation. The past generation of games was the first to feature version-specific gyms, although up until this point, the majority of version differences had mostly been around version-specific Pokémon and adversary teams. Pre-ordering doesn't provide many benefits this time around, but Pokémon Scarlet and Violet do add some new distinctions that may require some explanation.
Violet and Scarlet Each Has Pokémon Specific to Its Version.
Like in past games, there are still Pokémon that only appear in one version. While it's still unclear how many version-specific Pokémon there are in total, a few have been confirmed. Scarlet will allow players to encounter Larvitar's pseudo-legendary line in the game. as well as Great Tusk, Armarouge, the legendary Koraidon, and Galar's Stonejourner.
On the other hand, Violet players can encounter Bagon's pseudo-legendary line, Eiscue, Iron Treads, Ceruledge, and Miraidon. This isn't a massive deal if players are collectors looking to fill their Pokédex, as trading is a staple within the Pokémon community, but it's especially relevant for the legendary Pokémon who seem to be encountered earlier in the game than usual.
Scarlet and Violet's Pokémon schools and professors will differ.
In the game, the player takes on the role of a pupil at a prominent Pokémon school that accepts students of all ages. Players will attend Naranja Academy in Scarlet, which has an orange color scheme for its uniform and symbol. They will also run across a female teacher named Professor Sada. Players in Violet will join the purple-themed Uva Academy and get to know Professor Turo, a male professor, as well as the school's purple color scheme, insignia, and outfit. But if the protagonist's uniform color is a deal-breaker for you, you shouldn't worry too much because this game once again allows for clothing customization.
In both games, time is crucial, but it can also mean different things.
The biggest difference between the two versions of Pokémon this time around is the theme of the game. Pokémon Scarlet seems to be linked to the past, with Sada's caveman-inspired attire and Koraidon appearing to be a prehistoric dinosaur-like creature. Both Sada and Koraidon's names come from "pasada" and "korai" -- "past" and "ancient" in Spanish and Japanese, respectively. Contrastingly, Pokémon Violet clearly embodies the future with Turo's futuristic attire and Miraidon looking like a sleek, metallic lizard. Their names come from "futuro" and "mirai," the Spanish and Japanese words for "future."
As an extension of this, the various forms that Koraidon and Miraidon take as players use the Pokémon as bikes, modes of water transportation, and methods of flying will also appear to be inspired by these time-specific themes. While it's not entirely clear how the past and the future will be significant in the actual plot of the game, it's evident that this is something that players should keep in mind when selecting which version they want.
Overall, it's clear that the developers over at Game Freak have put a bit more effort than usual into distinguishing these two different versions of the next generation of Pokémon games. A lot of these differences are aesthetic or can be easily fixed by trading, as usual, but they're still important areas of consideration for players to think about when choosing which game to buy. Of course, die-hard fans can always solve any problems of indecision by buying both versions.
