Over the years Game Freak has introduced and then quickly forgotten gameplay gimmicks to desperately try and differentiate Pokémon games instead of actually improving them in substantial ways.
With Sun and Moon we had Mega Evolution which was basically just Evolution that lasted for a limited time. Sword and Shield was Dynamaxing which is just Pokémon but big. Don’t forget Z-Moves, triple battles, Apricorn Balls and countless other ones we don’t have time to list.
Now for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet we have the Terastal phenomenon which basically turns your Pokémon into living Swarovski glass.
The option to “Terastallizes” is available in combat and is positioned right next to the four attacks, much like the other aforementioned gimmicks.
“When a Pokémon Terastallizes, a Tera Jewel appears above the Pokémon’s head like a crown, and the Pokémon’s body glistens like a cut gemstone. It’s said that the Terastal energy that seeps from the ground of the Paldea region is involved in the phenomenon. Many details remain unclear, but Professor Sada and Professor Turo are researching this mystery,” reads the description of this process.
This process also comes with a change in typing with Normal Type Eevee, for example, becoming Flying Type when it Terastallizes.
Back to the Swarovski comparison and, interestingly, the company already makes several expensive glass versions of fictional characters through licences with companies like Disney and Warner Bros., as you may have guessed by the Yoda in the header image above. If Swarovski doesn’t partner with Game Freak to make official Pokémon in connection with the new Terastal gimmick, it would be a huge missed opportunity.
This has been revealed in the latest edition of the Pokémon Presents stream which you can watch in full below.
The section on Scarlet and Violet starts at around the nine minute mark with the content before then focused on the upcoming World Championship and the various Pokémon mobile games.
More information on everything shown for Scarlet and Violet, including the Terastal phenomenon, is also expanded upon on the official website here.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are set to launch on 18th November 2022. A special Pikachu with a Flying Tera Type and the ability to learn the move Fly is being offered as a pre-order bonus.
