Pokémon Scarlet and Violet keep Sword and Shield's best gym battle features

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet made the brilliant decision to keep Pokémon Sword and Shield's best improvements to the series' gym combat.

Pokémon Sword and Shield paved the way for Pokémon Crimson and Violet on the Nintendo Switch, and while Generation 8 brought the mainline Pokémon series to the next-gen console, it retained much of the gameplay and story structure. Game Freak has learned from Gen 9's mistakes. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet revolutionized the series with open world environments and a non-linear story structure that made better use of new hardware. But while Gen 9 may try to distance itself from the creative choices made in Gen 8, it retains the best change its predecessor brought to the series: the gym.

Gyms in the Pokémon franchise are positioned as places of sportsmanship and public value; they are usually the largest buildings in their town, and their leaders are usually community leaders. In Gen 1, Team Rocket captain Giovanni ran Viridian City's gym, while in Gen 4 Volkner has the power to control Sunnyshore City's power supply. Despite this, gyms often feel empty. The only ones among them are the leader himself and a few other trainers who offer an extra challenge. Before new games like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet appeared, As a result, gymnasiums failed to earn the reverence associated with them in the game.

Pokémon Sword & Shield's Gyms Brought Audiences to Gym Battles

However, Pokémon Sword and Shield makes the gym even better. Gen 8's gyms are located in huge arenas filled with avid Pokémon fans. The inclusion of an audience helps convey the importance of gyms and Pokémon battles in a way the series hasn't done before; it actually feels like the game's world-worthy Pokémon battles. Pokémon Crimson and Violet - while not having as big an audience as Pokémon Sword and Shield - made an excellent choice to retain this aspect of Gen 8.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's Gym Battles Learned From Gen 8's Spectacles

However, Pokémon Sword and Shield's gym offers more than just spectators. The size of the arena itself can turn a stadium match into a grand one; rather than showcasing battles in a small, calm room, the arena creates an electronic atmosphere reminiscent of the best battles in the Pokémon anime. Most importantly, the size of the gym provides space for Gen 8's most important mechanic: Gigantamaxing. The process by which a Pokémon reaches its Gigantamax form is impossible in smaller arenas; moreover, the grand space and Gigantamax Pokémon will only increase To the sense of wonder.

Gym leaders also add to the fun of Pokémon Sword and Shield's gym battles. Instead of being led by mysterious community leaders, Generation 8's gyms sometimes make them antagonists of characters like Marnie, whom players can take on in rematch after she replaces her brother Pierce. Fight her throughout the match only to end the rivalry in an epic gym fight that makes gym fights as exciting as it gets in YouTuber Mixeli's videos. ^Pack deals for spectators, arena settings, and story-related gym leaders all work towards making gym battles in Pokemon Sword and Shield more entertaining and engaging than ever before. While Pokémon Scarlet and Violet failed to bring them all back, the crowd continued to help make the gym fights more believable. Future games will wisely continue to integrate this small extra important fight.

More: How Pokémon's Gym Leader and Elite Four got easier over time

Source: Mixeli/YouTube