With just a few months to go beforePokemon ScarletandVioletofficially launch, Game Freak has been continuing to tease out new details about its upcoming ninth generation. From a trailer revealed at itsPokemonWorld Championship this year dedicated to the competitive improvementsPokemon ScarletandViolethave made, various new items and moves were showcased. In particular, a new move called “Tera Blast” was revealed and linked to the new games' Terastallization mechanic.
While Tera Blast was one of a few othernew moves revealed forScarletandVioletand it’s a fairly standard attacking move players can use to take advantage of their Pokemon’s Tera-type, it does indicate that Game Freak has given Terastallization more thought than it has let on. Since the trailer is officially titled its “Competitive Play” trailer, it seems Terastallization will be going beyond just changing Pokemon types. Tera Blast may hint at many other Terastallization-based moves.
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Why Tera Blast Is Significant
The way Tera Blast works is simple. Without Terastallization it’s a Normal-type move, but when a Pokemon has Terastallized, it changes to the new Tera-type. It’s a move that replicates the likes of Weather Ball, which changes with the weather and is reminiscent of other similarhigh-powered Pokemon moveslike Fire Blast or Focus Blast. So while not necessarily groundbreaking at face value, it does offer both an incentive and competitive edge for players to make use of Terastallization with a powerful attack that can change the course of a battle.
Tera Blast’s existence could imply that there will be other Tera-based moves, since if it were to be the only one, then fans would be left wondering why Game Freak bothered at all. However, no other moves linked to Terastallization have yet been confirmed, and players are still parsing out the full details about how Terastallization is going to work, especially as savvy fans have already pointed out thatPokemon with certain Tera-types could be problematicand potentially break the game. But in short, new moves seem likely, though fans are left speculating on how these might play out.
Possible New Tera-Based Moves
Currently, there are many moves that make use of certain conditions during battles, and not just for attacking. For instance, following the introduction of terrains in Gen 6, several movesthat make use of this mechanic have since been introduced, ranging from Expanding Force which has its attack doubled, Grassy Glide which can have a higher priority when moving, to Floral Healing which gets a boost to healing. It’s entirely possible then thatTera-based moves, possibly hinted at inScarletandVioletleaks,could have similar effects either on players' own Terastallized Pokemon or their opponents'.
One possible option could be an inverse of Tera Blast changing type, where instead a Tera-based move used against a Terastallized Pokemon will always be supereffective regardless of type, with possible disadvantages being low attack power. Alternatively, other Tera-basedPokemon moves could be used defensively, performing similar Spiky Shield or King’s Shield, but operating on the Terastallization gemstone aesthetic and lowering accuracy due to its “shine.” Other moves could provide stat boosts or healing benefits, akin to Floral Healing where a Terastallized Pokemon gets a boost to their HP.
Expanding Both Single-Player and Competitive Battles
The potential is clearly there for more Tera-based moves, and these could take on many different forms ranging from helping the player optimize their own Terastallized Pokemon to taking advantage of an opponent’s Terastallized Pokemon. Much like howDynamaxing and Gigantamaxingwere a core part of Gym battles inPokemon SwordandShield, it stands to reason thatScarletandViolet’sown trainers and gyms will make use of Terastallization, especially through unique Tera-type combos like a Tyranitar with the Ghost Tera-type, as seen in the Competitive Play trailer.
While this helps expand and diversify the single-player experience as they learn the ropes of Terastallization and figure out their preferred styles of play, Tera-based moves could help revolutionize the competitive scene through new depths of strategy. It might be a departure from Mega Evolutions that fans want to return,Terastallization could be a betterPokemongimmicksuited to enhanced competitive play.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare set to release on November 18, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
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