Pokemon Scarlet And Violet Tips & Tricks

Learn early-game tips and tricks that will help you progress through Pokemon Scarlet and Violet with ease!

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been catching the eye of long-time Pokemon players as well as newer players wanting to hop in for the first time and experience what it is like to be a part of the group! For a new beginner, however, it can be truly daunting to explore a new game.

Key Takeaways
  • Early-game tips simply help new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players get to know the game better!
  • The best way to progress in the game is by knowing how the general mechanics work, how breeding, evolution, etc work!
  • The main benefit of having early-game tips on your fingertips is that progression will be a breeze!

Best Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tips

Here’s a brief overview of some of the best tips and tricks for beginners!

Tips and TricksDescription
SettingsConfigure your game settings to enhance the gameplay experience, including text speed, and move learning.
TradingLink Trade (for trading with known players) and Surprise Trade (for random trades with PSAV players).
Pokè PortalUse the Pokè Portal for various in-game activities like link trading, surprise trading, and link battles
Mystery GiftExplore in the Pokè Portal to receive mystery gifts via the internet or by using codes.
Fast TravelingUtilize fast travel options available from any Pokémon Center to easily navigate the game world.
Area One RouteExploring various areas like creeks, fields, ponds, rivers, oceans, and near-ponds.
Early PokémonsIdentify and capture early Pokémon, such as Tarountula, Hoppip, Habitat, and Yungoos.
Pokémon Surround YouDiscover an Easter egg where Pokémon may gather around you after opening and closing the Pokédex.
BadgesLearn how the badge system determines which level of Pokémon will obey you.
Trainer BattlesEngage in trainer battles and complete a certain number of battles to receive rewards.
ZL TargetingUse ZL to target Pokémon and see their details, levels, and capture status.
TowersClimb towers when encountered to unlock fast travel points for easy navigation in the game world.
PokedexUse the Pokedex to get hints about unknown Pokémon by observing the shadows and map locations.
Tera ShardsCollect Tera Shards to change the Tera-type of your Pokémon in mid-game or late-game.
ShopsExplore various shops in Mesagoza, where similar items and services are available across different shops.
Uva AcademyAttend Uva Academy to learn about game mechanics, including crits, resistances, and tera-types.

Best Settings 

Best Settings
Best Settings (Image Credits Exputer)

Kicking things off, let’s discuss a few important settings that players should not miss out on since it might make their overall gameplay experience smooth. So, when you first head into the settings, you will see a few of those: 

  • Text speed
  • Skip move learning
  • Send to boxes
  • Give nicknames
  • Vertical camera controls
  • Horizontal camera controls
  • Autosave 
  • Show nicknames
  • Skip cutscenes
  • Background music 

Text Speed 

Starting things off with text speed, players want to instantly set their text speed to fast, and the main reason for that will simply be since it makes the text appear a bit faster, as well as the dialogues with the trainer and professor for example will appear faster on your screen. This can save unnecessary time wasted. 

Skip Moving Learning 

As for the next setting, skip-moving learning should be turned off. If you end up switching this on, it will prompt the game to just let the player skip having their Pokemon learn skills on their own. 

Usually, whenever you play, you will be prompted to learn moves, and it allows players’ Pokemon to naturally progress and get new moves without you needing to physically figure it out yourself. This can be especially helpful for a complete beginner who has zero idea about how skills operate, and therefore the feature should be turned off for safety. 

The only time that you should keep it on is if you’re maybe focusing more on the Pokedex entries and are only catching them without wanting to level each and every one of them for the sake of the collection. 

Skip Cutscenes 

Another setting that you can choose will be to either skip or not skip cutscenes. Players that are playing the game as a few ones should most definitely not skip cutscenes, since it breaks the immersion of the game itself. 

However, if you are specifically playing the game over and over for example to collect all three starters, then you can do so to faster progress and then get your Pokemon out of the way. 

Trading 

Trading is a crucial aspect of the game, offering an easy way to catch them all. There are two types of trades: link trades and surprise trades.

  • Link trades allow players to set up trades locally or online, facilitating the acquisition of starter Pokémon.
  • Surprise trades connect players with random PSAV counterparts.
  • While you can choose the Pokémon you trade, the one you receive is a surprise.
  • Trading becomes accessible about 30 minutes into the game when the system is introduced.

Pokè Portal

Poke-Portal
Poke-Portal (Image Credits Exputer)

Moving on, combined with trading, you also have the Pokè Portal, you can access it by pressing X, and it will lead you directly to the Poke Portal. From there, you can go for the Union circle, and you can also head over into Tera raid battles. 

But below that, there will also be the option to link trade as you could with players, while you can also access the surprise trade from here. After that, you will also be able to access the link battle, while also getting access to the battle stadium. 

Mystery Gift 

Mystery Gift
Mystery Gift (Image Credits Exputer)

In the pokeportal, the final option will be the mystery gift, which is basically just a mystery gift that you can get your hands on either by being gifted it by someone, through a code, or anything else. 

You can either choose to get it via the internet, or you can also choose the second option which is to get it via a code or password. You can also check your mystery gifts, and you can also check out the Poke portal news to know further info about mystery gifts. 

Fast Traveling 

Fast Travel
Fast Travel (Image Credits Exputer)

Moving on, let’s discuss fast traveling. When you first start off in the game, you will be instantly given access to fast travel. 

Essentially, the fast travel can account for any Pokemon centers that you have already been to once, for example, the one in Los Platos, and you can hover over the area that you want to go to, and there will be three options, “fly here,” “set destination” and “nevermind.” 

You can click on the fly here option which will just allow you to directly fast travel over there. You can also head over to landmarks such as the Poco Path Lighthouse, and of course, you will also be allowed to travel over to your own home. 

Area One Route 

Area One
Area One (Image Credits Exputer)

In the starting area (Area One), there’s a wealth of Pokémon diversity waiting to be discovered even before attending your first school day.

Prior to heading to school, explore a single route to capture numerous Pokémon. By opening the map and heading down the creek, you’ll encounter Pokémon near the ocean. Additionally, exploring the field adjacent to the creek with two ponds reveals more Pokémon opportunities.

The area features fields and various biomes like near-ponds, in-ponds, near-rivers, in-rivers, and near-ocean. Each of these sub-areas offers unique Pokémon encounters.

Early Pokemons 

Early Pokemons
Early Pokemons (Image Credits Exputer)

Now, there will be a few early Pokemons that you will be able to encounter, such as Tarountula which will be a bug and will live in the southern Paldea area, and will be able to dangle off of tree branches.

Hoppip will be a grass-type Pokemon that will get blown around during strong wind currents that take place. Another Pokemon that you might encounter early on will be Habitat, which will be a fire-type and will become significantly more active during nighttime. 

Yungoos can be seen in the cave area, which, by the way, there is also a vast cave system that is fully explorable as well. 

Pokemon Surround You 

Pokemon Surround You
Pokemon Surround You (Image Credits Exputer)

One interesting easter egg that players might have missed out on will be that when they open their Pokedex, and then close out of it after a certain amount of time, there is a chance that certain Pokemon will gather around them. 

They will, more often than not, simply wait around you and observe you from a distance, and might even have a small question mark on their head. 

Badges

Badges
Badges (Image Credits Exputer)

Moving on, the next thing that I would like to discuss will be the badge system. The badges are basically what determines whether or not wild Pokemon will obey and listen to you or if they will continue to stay wild and not obey you. 

If you head over to your profile and change the view from there, at the bottom of the screen, you will be able to take a look at what Pokemon and at what level will be able to obey you. If the text says that Pokemon at level 20 or below will listen to you, then it basically means that if the Pokemon you caught ends up being level 21, then it will not obey you for the time being. 

Trainer Battles 

Trainer Battles
Trainer Battles (Image Credits Exputer)

Another thing is that you will be able to encounter trainers on every route that you go on. You can simply go up to them, interact with the trainer, and then instantly take part in a trainer battle. There are quite a few trainer battles in each route, too. 

If you go towards the Pokemon centers and interact with the people who have yellow markers on their heads, they will tell you that if you complete a certain number of trainer battles, then you end up getting a prize. 

ZL Targeting 

ZL Targetting
ZL Targetting (Image Credits Exputer)

Next up, if you manage to encounter a Pokemon, one interesting thing that you can do is to hold down on ZL, which is used to aim around. If the Pokemon is in range of the aiming, then you will be able to see the name of the Pokemon, as well as the level and whether you have caught it or not. 

With that, you can initiate a battle, and it will instantly bring you over to the Pokemon. 

Towers 

In your journey, if you end up encountering any kind of towers, make sure to always climb up them. One of the main reasons that you want to do that is simply because once you do, it becomes a fast-travel point. 

Pokedex 

Pokedex
Pokedex (Image Credits Exputer)

One cool feature about the Pokedex that players might not have noticed is that typically if there were Pokemon that players did not know the spot for, they would have to figure it out for themselves before. 

Other Tips 

Next up, let’s discuss a few shorter tips that players might want to keep at their fingertips as they are exploring around. 

Tera Shards 

Tera Shards will typically come in handy to change the tera-type of your Pokemons, and they will typically come in handy for either mid-game or late-game. 

Shops 

In the area of Mesagoza, there are going to be tons of shops, but a lot of the shops will be similar, so with the number of shops that there are, first-time players, don’t need to get overwhelmed. 

Stores like Sure Cans on one end will also be located on the other end. Shops like the Rough and Tough will also carry items from fashion street, as well as from Bagin’s. 

Uva Academy 

Now, while the school system in the game might sound bad in the mouth, the academy itself teaches players certain mechanics and has certain side stories that are crucial and need to be learned at all times. 

Things like crits, resistances, and tera-types can all be learned and can be gone further in-depth at the UVA Academy if you want to master PSAV. 

Summary 

And there you have it! Here are a few tips and tricks that players can keep in mind when they are playing the game for the first time or for returning players who simply want to get to know about a few things that they might have skipped over! And with that, I will wrap up my Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Tips and Tricks guide! 

Next: Pokemon Scarlet And Violet: BEST Gym Order

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Mina is a Senior Guides Writer and a fanatic who’s obsessed with playing games and writing about them. She’s invested more than 2,500 hours in games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, she loves to write detailed guides for beginners and pros in the Gacha Games world. You can follow Mina's gaming activity on her Steam and PSN Profiles.

Experience: 3+ Years

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