Fully open world, Terastallization and 120 brand-new Pokémon.
Scarlet, Violet · Released 2022
Paldea is the Gen 9 region, and the first fully open-world mainline Pokémon game — no loading zones between areas, no fixed storyline order, and three parallel questlines you can tackle in any sequence. Scarlet & Violet also introduced Terastallization (temporarily changing a Pokémon's type mid-battle, opening new competitive archetypes) and the Paradox Pokémon (ancestral and futuristic alternate forms tied to the Scarlet / Violet version legendaries).
Paldea is based on the Iberian Peninsula — specifically Spain and Portugal. Mesagoza is a fusion of Madrid and Barcelona, the Great Crater at the map's centre is the geologically real Sierra de Cazorla region, and the titular 'Area Zero' is inspired by subterranean Spanish caves. Koraidon and Miraidon reference past and future versions of the same creature, a motif tied to the game's time-travel theme.
Scarlet & Violet launched with severe framerate and visual-glitch issues that became a meme in its own right, but the games still sold 10 million copies in their first three days — the fastest-selling Nintendo software of all time, outselling even Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.