Pokémon Scarlet — Complete Campaign Walkthrough (Original Nintendo Switch edition)

1. Confirm that the installed game is Pokémon Scarlet

From the Nintendo Switch HOME Menu, highlight the game icon and check the title shown beneath it. It should read Pokémon Scarlet. Do not use a Pokémon Violet copy, a different user’s software, or a separate application as the basis for this run. The official product listing identifies Pokémon Scarlet as a Nintendo Switch role-playing game released on November 18, 2022, with the Paldea adventure and its three main story routes included in the base software.

For a physical copy, insert the Pokémon Scarlet game card and confirm that the Scarlet icon appears on the HOME Menu. For a digital copy, open Nintendo eShop with the Nintendo Account that purchased or redeemed the game and check the Pokémon Scarlet product page or redownload options. Physical and digital copies contain the same base campaign, although either version may require downloaded update data.

If you are playing on a Nintendo Switch 2, do not mistake the console’s optional enhancement update for a separate remake or replacement edition. The original Nintendo Switch software can receive a free update that improves visuals and frame rate on Nintendo Switch 2. The story and base-game completion target remain the Pokémon Scarlet campaign.

• The HOME Menu title reads Pokémon Scarlet.
• The copy is a physical Scarlet game card or a digital Scarlet license.
• You are not confusing Nintendo Switch 2 enhancements with a different story edition.

2. Separate the base game from paid expansion content

The base Paldea campaign includes Victory Road, Path of Legends, Starfall Street, Area Zero, and The Way Home. You do not need The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero to reach the base-game credits or unlock Koraidon for battle after the main story.

The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero is paid downloadable content made up of Part 1: The Teal Mask and Part 2: The Indigo Disk. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company list these as additional content associated with Pokémon Scarlet rather than as replacements for the original game. A bundle can contain both the base game and the expansion, but it still launches the regular Pokémon Scarlet application.

To check what you own, open Nintendo eShop and view the Pokémon Scarlet product page using the purchasing account. Look for the separate downloadable-content entries and bundle information. If the expansion is present on the system, simply ignore its story prompts and locations during this run. Expansion ownership does not prevent completion of the base game, but content from Kitakami or Blueberry Academy should not be used as a requirement for this guide.

• The base Pokémon Scarlet application is installed or available through the inserted card.
• The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk are recognized as optional additional content.
• Your planned route is restricted to the Paldea base-game story.

3. Update the Nintendo Switch system

Connect the console to the internet from the HOME Menu by opening System Settings, selecting Internet, and configuring Internet Settings if necessary. Then open System Settings, choose System, and select System Update. Follow the on-screen instructions if an update is available.

Use the version offered by the console rather than relying on a number printed on the game box or remembered from launch. Nintendo continues to publish system updates, and current support instructions place the manual system-update command under System Settings, System, and System Update.

Keep the console connected to power or sufficiently charged while updating. Do not remove a game card or shut down the console while update data is being installed. When the process finishes, return to the HOME Menu and continue with the game update.

• The console has an active internet connection.
• System Settings reports that the system software is current.
• The console returns to the HOME Menu normally after the update.

4. Update Pokémon Scarlet through the HOME Menu

Highlight Pokémon Scarlet on the HOME Menu without starting it, press the plus button, choose Software Update, and select Via the Internet. Allow the download and installation to finish before beginning the adventure. If the system reports that the latest version is already installed, no further action is required at that time.

Use this method even if the cartridge is new or has been stored for a long time. Update data can contain bug fixes, compatibility changes, and corrections to problems that affected progression or other game functions. The official Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet support page lists the available update history and the current software version supported by Nintendo’s published instructions.

If the update fails, check the internet connection and available storage, restart the console, and repeat the same Software Update process. Launch the game only after the update has completed. If Pokémon Scarlet displays an additional update request when it starts, close the software and allow that update to finish before playing.

• Software Update, Via the Internet completes successfully.
• The game launches without a pending update notice.
• There is sufficient console or microSD storage for update data.

5. Establish safe save and transfer practices

Pokémon Scarlet uses autosave in many situations, but create a deliberate manual checkpoint by opening the X Menu, choosing Save, and waiting for the save confirmation. Make a manual save before important Gym battles, Titan encounters, Team Star bases, major story battles, and the Area Zero finale.

A manual save is not a second backup file. The game does not provide a normal in-game slot system for restoring several earlier points, so avoid treating repeated manual saves as a way to preserve multiple branches. Before a major event, save once, complete the event, and save again after the result is secure. Do not close the software or power off while the saving message is displayed.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet do not support ordinary Nintendo Switch Online Save Data Cloud backup. Check this directly by highlighting the software on the HOME Menu, pressing the plus button, and viewing the save-data-backup option; unsupported software is identified there. An active Nintendo Switch Online membership therefore does not provide an automatic cloud restore for this game.

If you move to another console, use Nintendo’s supported user-transfer or save-data-transfer procedure. Keep the original console and its save intact until you have confirmed that the transferred save opens correctly on the destination system. Do not delete the original user or save data first. A transfer is a migration process, not the same thing as cloud backup.

• A manual in-game save has completed successfully.
• You know that ordinary Save Data Cloud backup is unavailable for Pokémon Scarlet.
• For a console move, you will use Nintendo’s transfer procedure and verify the destination save before deleting anything from the original console.
• You will make a fresh manual save before the Area Zero finale.

Choose a starter that fits your preferred style

At the first starter selection, choose Sprigatito, Fuecoco, or Quaxly. Sprigatito is Grass-type, Fuecoco is Fire-type, and Quaxly is Water-type. Each can complete the base story when supported by a sensible team, so there is no mandatory choice for the campaign. The other two starters are not normally obtained during the same save without trading, so choose the one you actually want to use rather than expecting to collect all three through ordinary early exploration.

Their later evolutions suggest different battle roles, but these are tendencies rather than rules. Sprigatito's line leans toward speed and physical offense, Fuecoco's line leans toward slower special offense, and Quaxly's line leans toward physical attacks and mobility. Moves, abilities, Tera Types, and your supporting Pokémon can change how each one performs.

• Choose one starter and keep it in the party while learning the early systems.
• Do not build the entire team around only the starter's type.
• Remember that no starter is required for Victory Road, Path of Legends, Starfall Street, or the base-game ending.

Follow the opening route and complete the required lessons

Follow the story from Cabo Poco to Poco Path. Nemona teaches you the basic capture process, and the early route provides several nearby wild Pokémon to catch. Wild Pokémon appear visibly in the environment, so move toward one and begin a normal battle, weaken it, then throw a Poké Ball. If you approach from behind and initiate the encounter with a Poké Ball, you can gain a battle advantage, but this is optional.

Continue through the lighthouse sequence and then travel toward Los Platos. The encounters involving Nemona and Arven are part of the opening progression, so speak to nearby characters again if the route appears stalled. When Nemona demonstrates the Pokémon Center and the path toward Mesagoza, use the center to heal and restock before continuing north. The opening route through Poco Path, Los Platos, and the Mesagoza gate is the intended introduction to catching, healing, map movement, and trainer battles.

• Catch several Pokémon instead of stopping after the tutorial capture.
• Heal at the Pokémon Center in Los Platos before proceeding toward Mesagoza.
• Follow the active story objective if an early character encounter has not triggered.

Build type coverage with flexible team members

As you explore South Province, add Pokémon with different types and attacking options. A practical early party might include the starter plus several Pokémon that can use Flying, Bug, Electric, Water, Ground, Rock, Dark, or other useful attacks. You do not need those exact types or species; the objective is to avoid relying on one move type against every opponent.

Check each new Pokémon's summary before replacing a party member. Compare its type, current moves, ability, and whether its stronger attacks use Attack or Special Attack. Keep a Pokémon that offers a useful defensive switch or status move even if it does not deal the most damage. Pokémon gain experience through normal battles and other activities, making it easy to rotate new captures into the party without rebuilding from the beginning.

Use the Boxes to store alternatives. This lets you test a new capture later without releasing it, and it is especially useful when a Gym, Titan, or Team Star base exposes a weakness in your current lineup.

• Carry several different attacking types across the active party.
• Keep at least one Pokémon that can switch safely into a threat your starter dislikes.
• Use Boxes for unused candidates instead of releasing them prematurely.
• Replace redundant members when a new Pokémon gives the team better coverage.

Use Let's Go and auto-battles safely

After the relevant early tutorial, press R to send the lead Pokémon into the field. The Pokémon can follow you, collect nearby items, and initiate auto-battles against wild Pokémon. Auto-battles are useful for routine experience and item gathering, but the Pokémon acts without your move-by-move commands and can take damage. Stay nearby, watch its condition, and recall it with ZR if it is losing fights or has become too weak.

Auto-battles cannot capture wild Pokémon. Recall your Pokémon before the target is defeated, then start a normal battle if you want to weaken and catch that species. Use regular battles for unfamiliar Pokémon, rare encounters, targets with unusual Tera Types, or any situation where you need control over damage and status effects.

• Use auto-battles for routine encounters only after checking the area is appropriate for your team's strength.
• Recall the lead Pokémon before it faints or before you attempt to catch the target.
• Start a normal battle whenever you need to control damage or use Poké Balls.
• Do not assume auto-battles are a safe way to investigate every unusual overworld Pokémon.

Explore freely, but read level differences as warnings

Once the early story opens the region, you can investigate roads, cliffs, caves, and settlements in many directions. The open world does not fully scale every wild Pokémon, trainer, or major objective to your current party. If a wild Pokémon defeats your team quickly, or a named opponent survives attacks that normally finish nearby enemies, leave the area and pursue another objective before returning.

Wild Pokémon are visible and may stand still, flee, chase you, or appear in groups. Trainers in the open world are generally optional: you can often walk around them instead of being forced into battle. Named battles, tutorial encounters, and story objectives are different; they trigger through characters, locations, or the active objective and cannot always be bypassed. Towns and Pokémon Centers are useful recovery anchors while you explore.

• Use towns and Pokémon Centers as regular recovery points.
• Leave an area when its wild Pokémon are clearly beyond your team's strength.
• Save before investigating an unusual or difficult-looking overworld encounter.
• Treat optional trainer battles as opportunities for experience, not mandatory gates.

Learn Terastallization after the Mesagoza Team Star encounter

The game gives you the Tera Orb in Mesagoza after the early encounter involving a Team Star Grunt and the student who is being harassed. Nemona then demonstrates Terastallization. In a normal battle, select the Terastallize command when the orb is charged. Your Pokémon changes to its Tera Type for the battle, which can alter its weaknesses and strengthen moves that match that Tera Type. A Pokémon's Tera Type may differ from its ordinary type, so check the summary and battle information before planning a strategy.

After use, the Tera Orb must be recharged. A Pokémon Center is the dependable early-game method. You may also encounter wild Pokémon already surrounded by a crystalline glow. These Terastal Pokémon remain transformed during the battle until their Tera state is broken and may have a Tera Type different from their usual typing. They can be worthwhile catches, but they are optional and may be harder than nearby ordinary encounters.

Save Terastallization for a meaningful advantage: a super-effective attack, a defensive type change, or a difficult named battle. Do not spend it automatically in every wild encounter, because the orb will need to be recharged before the next important fight.

• Receive the Tera Orb during the Mesagoza Team Star sequence.
• Check both a Pokémon's ordinary type and its Tera Type.
• Recharge the orb at a Pokémon Center after using it.
• Use Terastallization when it changes the matchup or secures an important victory.
• Remember that glowing wild Tera Pokémon are optional encounters.

1. Receive Koraidon and summon the ride form

After the opening events, Koraidon becomes your travel companion. During this part of the story it is not a regular member of your party, so do not search your party or Boxes for a normal battle-ready Koraidon. Its initial role is transportation.

While outside in a suitable area, press the Plus button to mount Koraidon. Press Plus again to dismount. The mount cannot be used inside most buildings and other restricted indoor locations. While riding, use the Left Stick to steer and press B to jump. You can use the map to fast-travel to discovered Pokémon Centers, towns and other available landmarks, then continue from that point on Koraidon.

• Koraidon appears when Plus is pressed in a permitted outdoor area.
• Do not expect the ride Koraidon to occupy an ordinary battle-party slot before the ending.
• Use fast-travel points together with riding instead of crossing the entire region on foot each time.

2. Unlock dash from the Stony Cliff Titan

The first movement upgrade comes from defeating Klawf, the Stony Cliff Titan, in the Path of Legends storyline. After the Titan encounter and the Herba Mystica scene, Koraidon can dash. While riding, press the Left Stick to accelerate.

Dash shortens long crossings and helps you move between wild encounters, items and nearby objectives. It can also knock Pokémon out of trees when you collide with a tree while dashing. Slow down near cliffs, narrow paths and wild Pokémon that you intend to avoid, because the extra speed makes accidental contact more likely.

• Defeat Klawf and finish the scene that follows the battle.
• Press the Left Stick while riding on open ground to test the new ability.
• Use dash for faster travel, but remember that it does not provide access to high ledges or sheer walls.

3. Unlock swimming from the Open Sky Titan

Defeating Bombirdier, the Open Sky Titan, restores Koraidon’s ability to cross water outside settlements. After the Herba Mystica event, ride into a river, lake or coastal body of water and Koraidon will move across the surface instead of stopping at the shoreline.

Swimming opens shortcuts and routes to islands, shoreline items and areas around Casseroya Lake. Press B while on the water to jump. The upgrade does not let you climb cliffs, so a far shore may still leave you facing a separate height barrier. Use the map and nearby landmarks to decide whether swimming is actually the shortest route.

• Defeat Bombirdier and complete the immediate story sequence.
• Enter open water while mounted to confirm that swimming is active.
• Use swimming to reach opposite shores and islands, but do not confuse it with the later climbing upgrade.

4. Unlock the high jump from the Lurking Steel Titan

After defeating Orthworm, the Lurking Steel Titan, Koraidon can jump higher. A quick press of B performs the normal jump. Holding B produces the higher jump, which is useful for low ledges, broken ground and raised paths.

This upgrade improves vertical movement but does not allow Koraidon to scale vertical walls. If a ledge remains out of reach, look for a switchback path or return after another ride upgrade rather than repeatedly jumping against the same surface. The high jump is especially useful in rocky areas and around routes where ordinary jumps barely miss the top of a ledge.

• Defeat Orthworm and complete the Herba Mystica scene afterward.
• Hold B when you need the higher jump; tap B for the shorter jump.
• Treat an unclimbable wall as a later obstacle rather than a failed jump challenge.

5. Unlock gliding from the Quaking Earth Titan

In Pokémon Scarlet, the Quaking Earth Titan is Great Tusk. Defeating it unlocks Koraidon’s glide ability after the related story scene. Jump from a slope, cliff edge or other elevated position, then press B while airborne to begin gliding.

Gliding slows your descent and lets you cross ravines, descend from mountain paths and reach separated platforms. It is not unrestricted flight: Koraidon gradually loses height and cannot gain altitude after leaving the launch point. Press B again to stop gliding and fall, so use that input only when you want to end the glide or correct your landing.

• Clear the Scarlet-specific Great Tusk Titan encounter.
• Start from a real elevation whenever possible so the glide has useful distance.
• Aim for a broad landing area and do not expect glide mode to carry you upward.

6. Unlock climbing from the False Dragon Titan

The final base-game ride upgrade comes from the complete False Dragon Titan sequence. In Scarlet, this sequence begins with Dondozo and continues with Tatsugiri. Koraidon gains climbing only after the sequence is finished and the final Herba Mystica scene has occurred.

To climb, jump toward a suitable wall while facing it. Koraidon attaches to the surface, then the Left Stick moves you up, down or sideways. Press B again to let go. Climbing lets you bypass winding paths, reach high plateaus and approach objectives from above. It is useful around Glaseado Mountain, the Casseroya region and many rocky approaches to Team Star and Path of Legends locations. If Koraidon will not attach, try another angle or find a different surface; not every wall is climbable.

• Complete both parts of the False Dragon Titan encounter.
• Jump toward the wall rather than walking directly into it.
• Use climbing to reach a high point, then glide when crossing a gap is faster than descending and traveling around.

7. Use Battle Form after The Way Home

Koraidon cannot be used as an ordinary party Pokémon during the early game, the three main storylines or the approach to Area Zero. During the final Area Zero sequence, The Way Home, the story temporarily allows Koraidon to fight in the concluding battle. This temporary battle use is not the same as having permanent party access.

After the final battle is complete and the ending sequence has finished, return to the Pokémon menu. Make sure your party has an open slot, then select the ride Koraidon entry at the bottom of the party interface and confirm the prompt to change it into Battle Form. Koraidon moves into the open party slot. If you later choose to use Koraidon as your mount again, it returns to the ride slot and leaves the ordinary party position, so the same Koraidon cannot simultaneously remain in Battle Form and serve as the ride Pokémon.

After the ending, you may also encounter the second Koraidon in Area Zero. That optional capture is not required to unlock the original companion’s Battle Form, but it can provide a separate battle-ready Koraidon while you continue using the original as your mount.

• Complete Path of Legends, Starfall Street and Victory Road before entering The Way Home.
• Finish the final Area Zero battle and allow the ending sequence to complete.
• Create an open party slot before selecting Koraidon from the bottom of the Pokémon menu.
• Confirm that Koraidon is in Battle Form and appears in the ordinary party before entering a battle.

Open the map and identify the three story routes

Press Y while exploring to open the Paldea map. It shows your position, towns, Pokémon Centers, facilities, Gyms, Team Star bases, Titan destinations and other points of interest. Select an icon to view its name and available commands before setting out.

Victory Road destinations are Gym locations and the Pokémon League. Path of Legends destinations are associated with Titan Pokémon. Starfall Street destinations are Team Star bases. Because the game presents all three stories as concurrent routes, several objective types can be available at the same time. There is no single mandatory order for completing them.

After a story scene or major victory, inspect the map again. The game may add, update or make clearer the next relevant destination. If no new marker appears, review the last conversation and look for a named town, facility or region rather than assuming the game is blocked.

• Open the map after finishing a Gym, Titan, Team Star base or major cutscene.
• Read the destination name and icon instead of relying only on its position.
• Treat the map as a list of available objectives, not a single prescribed route.

Use Mesagoza, Naranja Academy and towns as checkpoints

Mesagoza and Naranja Academy are the main early reference points in Pokémon Scarlet. The academy establishes the Treasure Hunt and introduces the three major story paths. Return there when the story specifically calls you back for a class, conversation, school event or post-story development, but do not assume every new objective begins inside the academy.

The towns of Paldea are practical regional anchors. Los Platos and Cortondo help orient the southern and western approaches. Artazon and Levincia are useful eastern checkpoints, while Cascarrafa, Medali and Montenevera divide the central and northern routes. Alfornada is a useful landmark for the southwest. These towns provide shops, healing access and recognizable starting points for nearby roads.

Pokémon Centers, including roadside Centers outside towns, are especially important. Visiting one gives you a nearby healing point and can make it available for Flying Taxi travel. Stop at Centers even when your team is healthy; the time saved on later trips is often more valuable than the small detour.

• Use Naranja Academy for early and explicitly scripted story returns.
• Use towns to heal, restock and reorient before entering a new region.
• Visit roadside Pokémon Centers whenever you pass near them.

Unlock and use Flying Taxi fast travel

Flying Taxi becomes available early in the adventure after the opening sequence and tutorial events. You do not need to teach Fly to a Pokémon or own a particular party member. Open the map, highlight a previously visited location with the feather-shaped Flying Taxi icon, and select the travel command shown on screen.

Pokémon Centers are common Flying Taxi destinations, but they are not the only possible points. Some named facilities and other locations can also receive the feather icon after you have visited them. A map marker that you have merely seen from far away is not necessarily available for fast travel, so reach the location first and check its icon afterward.

Fast travel can be unavailable during a battle, conversation, scripted event or restricted location. Finish the encounter or leave the restricted area, then reopen the map. If a target is not available, travel to the nearest unlocked Center and ride from there instead of trying to select an unvisited destination.

• Visit important Centers and facilities before leaving a region.
• Look for the feather icon when selecting a fast-travel destination.
• If Flying Taxi is unavailable, finish the current event or move out of the restricted area.

Set waypoints and read the terrain

Highlight a town, Center, Gym, Titan site or Team Star base on the map and use the destination command displayed at the bottom of the screen. The selected point appears as a marker in the field and on the minimap, helping you maintain a general direction while riding Koraidon.

A waypoint is not an automatically calculated road route. The marker can point across a river, up a cliff or into a ravine that Koraidon cannot yet cross. If you reach an impassable section, stop following the direct line and search for a road, bridge, cave entrance, beach, slope or town that approaches the target from another direction.

Use the Great Crater of Paldea, coastlines, lakes, mountain ridges and major cities as large-scale orientation landmarks. Zoom out when you need to understand the region, then zoom in to identify the nearest Center or road. A reliable practical route is usually Center to Center, followed by the final approach to the story location.

• Set one destination at a time to keep the minimap readable.
• Use roads, bridges, caves and regional landmarks to solve terrain problems.
• Do not repeatedly attempt a cliff or body of water that requires a later Koraidon upgrade.

Use NPC conversations to confirm the next objective

Nemona provides direction for the Gym path and may appear before or after Gym-related milestones. Arven explains the Titan investigation and the search for Herba Mystica. Cassiopeia directs the Starfall Street operation, while Penny is closely connected to that storyline. When one of these characters contacts you or appears in a scene, check the map again after the conversation ends.

The game often gives the next destination through dialogue rather than a separate quest journal. A character may name a Gym, Titan, Team Star base or town without giving a precise route. Write down the named location mentally, then locate its icon on the map and choose a reachable starting point. If the destination is too difficult, switch to another marked objective and return later; the open-world structure permits this.

Academy staff and Pokémon Center personnel can provide useful explanations or general guidance, but not every conversation advances the main story. Optional NPCs may offer trades, items, side activities or local information. If a conversation creates no new objective and does not name a required story location, treat it as optional and return to the main map icons.

• Reopen the map after conversations with Nemona, Arven, Cassiopeia or Penny.
• Match the named destination in dialogue to the correct Gym, Titan or Team Star icon.
• Separate optional requests from objectives tied to the three main storylines.

Manage encounters, healing and supplies on long trips

Wild Pokémon and many trainers are visible in the overworld. Steer around them when your party is weakened or when you are traveling directly to a story event. If you want experience, battle deliberately near a Pokémon Center or town so recovery does not require a long return journey.

Heal before entering a Gym, Titan encounter or Team Star base. Restock Poké Balls, Potions, status cures and other useful supplies when passing through a town or shop. Picnics can restore the party in suitable outdoor locations, but they should not replace preparation for a major battle.

If a route becomes inefficient or the nearby encounters are overwhelming, use Flying Taxi to return to a known Center. Heal, change the party, buy supplies and approach from another direction. You are not required to finish the first marker you select, and changing between Victory Road, Path of Legends and Starfall Street is a normal part of the campaign.

• Avoid unnecessary battles when traveling with a damaged party.
• Heal and restock before entering a marked story location.
• Use Flying Taxi to retreat, reorganize and approach difficult objectives from a better checkpoint.

1. Begin Path of Legends after the academy briefing

Progress through the opening section until the academy’s treasure hunt begins and the game presents the three main story routes. After the briefing, open the map and look for the Titan objectives associated with Path of Legends. Arven’s route can be started and completed independently of Victory Road and Starfall Street, so you may alternate between the three storylines whenever you want.

Arven first introduces the Titan hunt near the beginning of the adventure, and later story scenes explain that the Herba Mystica may help Mabosstiff recover. The route does not force one universal order, but Titan encounters have fixed difficulty levels rather than scaling to your team. Begin with the lower-level targets and use the map to avoid accidentally reaching a later Titan before your party is ready.

• Complete the academy treasure-hunt introduction.
• Open the map after the three routes become available.
• Confirm that Titan objectives are visible before setting out.

2. Use the map and landmarks to locate the five Titans

The five Titan objectives in Pokémon Scarlet are the Stony Cliff Titan, Open Sky Titan, Lurking Steel Titan, Quaking Earth Titan, and False Dragon Titan. Select a Titan marker on the map and set it as your destination. Pokémon Centers, watchtowers, province boundaries, and major terrain features are useful navigation anchors when the direct route is unclear.

The Stony Cliff Titan is in the rocky terrain of South Province Area Three. The Open Sky Titan is on a mountain in West Province Area One, reached by following the paths up toward the boulder-strewn summit. The Lurking Steel Titan is in East Province Area Three; look for the large Orthworm in the mining and tunnel-like terrain, then follow it through the nearby passages when it flees.

The Quaking Earth Titan is in Asado Desert. In Scarlet, this Titan is Great Tusk. The False Dragon Titan is at Casseroya Lake. Look for the unusually conspicuous Tatsugiri that displays the Titan-related speech cue. Interacting with the correct Tatsugiri starts the Dondozo sequence; do not assume the first large Pokémon visible around the lake is the trigger.

• Use the Titan icon rather than searching the entire province at random.
• Use cliffs, desert terrain, tunnels, and the lake as visual confirmation of the correct region.
• At Casseroya Lake, investigate the marked Tatsugiri to begin the False Dragon encounter.

3. Prepare before touching a Titan trigger

Heal at a Pokémon Center or with items before interacting with a Titan. The first phase is a normal battle involving your active Pokémon, but the Titan is much tougher than an ordinary wild Pokémon of the same species. Bring at least one reliable attacker with a super-effective move, but also include Pokémon that can take the Titan’s attacks. A team built around only one attacking type can become unreliable when the route reaches Great Tusk or the False Dragon sequence.

Type preparation should match the individual target. Klawf is Rock-type, Bombirdier is Flying and Dark, Orthworm is Steel, Great Tusk is Ground and Fighting, and Dondozo is Water before the concluding Tatsugiri battle. Use resistances as well as weaknesses, because surviving long enough to heal or attack again is often more useful than choosing a fragile Pokémon with maximum theoretical damage.

If a Titan defeats your lead repeatedly, do not keep retrying with the same setup. Return to a Pokémon Center, change the lead Pokémon, add a sturdier team member, teach a useful coverage move, or gain experience through nearby battles and captures. Titan progression remains recorded after a loss, so you can retry without restarting the entire route.

• Heal the full party before each Titan attempt.
• Bring both super-effective attacks and defensive type options.
• Carry healing items and, if available, a Pokémon with recovery or status-clearing support.

4. Follow the Titan into its second phase

After the first battle, the Titan retreats toward a nearby landmark and consumes Herba Mystica. Follow it rather than leaving the area. Interact with it again to begin the powered-up phase, where Arven joins you with one of his Pokémon. In most Titan encounters, this is a battle fought with your Pokémon beside Arven’s partner.

Concentrate your attacks on the Titan and treat Arven’s Pokémon as support. Do not waste turns targeting your temporary ally. Arven’s Pokémon can draw attacks and add damage, but you still need to manage your own health. Use healing items between turns when necessary, or spend a turn on a defensive or recovery move if the Titan’s damage is becoming difficult to sustain.

The False Dragon route has an additional structure. After the first Dondozo battle, follow it and fight Dondozo again with Arven’s assistance. Once Dondozo is defeated, the Tatsugiri associated with the Titan becomes the final target of that sequence. Heal if needed between the linked battles and keep a Pokémon capable of handling the Water-type Dondozo before preparing for the Dragon-type Tatsugiri.

• Follow every Titan after it retreats.
• Focus attacks on the Titan rather than Arven’s Pokémon.
• In the False Dragon sequence, defeat Dondozo before fighting Tatsugiri.

5. Confirm and use each Koraidon ride upgrade

Each completed Titan awards a Herba Mystica scene and unlocks a new ride function for Koraidon. The Stony Cliff Titan unlocks sprinting. The Open Sky Titan unlocks swimming. The Lurking Steel Titan unlocks a higher jump. The Quaking Earth Titan unlocks gliding. The False Dragon Titan unlocks climbing.

These abilities are practical progression tools, not merely convenience rewards. Swimming opens routes across rivers and lakes, the higher jump helps clear ledges, gliding provides controlled travel from elevated ground, and climbing allows access to steep walls and isolated objectives. If an objective appears to be blocked by a cliff or body of water, check whether the corresponding Titan has been completed before assuming you missed a hidden path.

Use the new ability in a safe area after each reward scene so you know it has been applied. Then return to the map and revisit objectives that previously appeared unreachable.

• Confirm the new ride ability after every Herba Mystica scene.
• Test sprint, swim, jump, glide, and climb in ride mode as they become available.
• Use newly opened terrain to reach later story markers.

6. Finish the route with Arven at the Poco Path Lighthouse

After all five Titans are defeated, the game directs you back to the Poco Path Lighthouse. Enter the laboratory through the side entrance and watch the scene involving Arven and Professor Sada. When the laboratory sequence ends, exit the lighthouse and approach Arven outside to begin the final battle of the Path of Legends route.

This battle is not another Titan encounter. Arven uses a complete mixed team, so a party designed only for the last Titan can struggle. Heal fully, restore move resources if necessary, and bring broad coverage. Fighting-, Grass-, Electric-, Ice-, and other appropriate coverage moves can each be useful against different members of his team, but avoid relying on one Pokémon to defeat everything. Save before entering the laboratory if you want a safe retry point.

If you lose, reload the save or return after healing and adjusting the party. The five Titan victories and their ride upgrades remain completed, so you do not need to repeat those encounters. After winning, watch the concluding scenes and wait for the game to register the storyline clear.

• Defeat all five Titans before returning to the lighthouse.
• Enter the laboratory and complete the Professor Sada scene.
• Exit the lighthouse and defeat Arven outside.
• Watch the Path of Legends conclusion.

7. Verify the Area Zero prerequisite

Path of Legends by itself does not open The Way Home. You must also complete the final objectives of Victory Road and Starfall Street. Once all three story arcs are complete, the game begins the sequence that brings the characters together for the Area Zero expedition.

A practical Path of Legends completion check is that all five Titan encounters are finished, Koraidon has sprint, swim, high-jump, glide, and climb functions, and the final Arven battle at the Poco Path Lighthouse has been won. If the Area Zero meeting does not appear, do not search for a sixth Titan. Recheck Victory Road and Starfall Street for an unfinished final objective.

The Herba Mystica and ride upgrades remain useful throughout the rest of the base game. They also make it easier to travel through Area Zero and return to previously inaccessible parts of Paldea.

• All five Scarlet Titan encounters are complete.
• Koraidon has all five base-game ride upgrades.
• The final Arven battle at the Poco Path Lighthouse is complete.
• Victory Road and Starfall Street are also complete before attempting The Way Home.

Start Operation Starfall and locate the five bases

After reaching the Academy and progressing through the opening story events, Cassiopeia contacts you about Operation Starfall. The map then identifies the Team Star base locations. You can travel between Starfall Street, Victory Road, and Path of Legends objectives freely, so you are not required to clear the bases in one fixed order.

The five bases specialize in Dark, Fire, Poison, Fairy, and Fighting types. In Scarlet, the squad bosses are Giacomo, Mela, Atticus, Ortega, and Eri. Their bases are positioned in different parts of Paldea, so use discovered Pokémon Centers and other fast-travel points as recovery anchors. If wild Pokémon around a base are consistently overwhelming your party, mark the base and continue another storyline rather than repeatedly forcing the encounter.

• Confirm that Operation Starfall has been added to your active story objectives.
• Use the map to identify a Team Star base and a nearby recovery point.
• Check your party’s levels, moves, healing items, and type coverage before approaching.

Prepare the three Pokémon used in the Star Barrage

The Star Barrage uses the first three Pokémon in your party. These Pokémon are sent out together through the Let’s Go command, so choose partners that reliably defeat the base’s ordinary Pokémon without needing manual commands. Your strongest turn-based battlers are not automatically the best choices if they move slowly, lose health quickly, or lack effective attacks for the local opponents.

Keep the rest of your party available. The squad boss battle is a normal Pokémon battle, so your fourth through sixth party members can supply a better matchup, a status cure, resistance, or emergency switch. Heal the full party before entering, and change moves or party members if most of your attacks are resisted by the base’s specialty.

• Put three dependable auto-battle Pokémon in party positions one through three.
• Retain reserve Pokémon for the squad boss and Starmobile fight.
• Carry restorative items and begin with a fully healed party.

Win the battle outside the gate

Approach the base entrance and speak with the Team Star member blocking the way. This starts a regular trainer battle. Defeat that opponent before entering the base. If the battle leaves your team weakened, heal at a Pokémon Center or with items before starting the assault.

At the entrance, interact with the gate bell when you are ready. Clive will explain the Star Barrage and the game will use your first three party members for the base challenge. Recheck the party order before confirming, because the Star Barrage lineup is determined by those first three positions.

• Defeat the Team Star trainer outside the gate.
• Restore your party if the approach battle caused damage or status problems.
• Verify the first three party slots before starting the Star Barrage.

Clear the Star Barrage with Let’s Go

Inside the base grounds, press R to send your first three Pokémon toward Team Star’s Pokémon. Defeat 30 opposing Pokémon before the ten-minute limit expires. You do not need to catch anything, and you do not fight this phase through the ordinary battle command menu. Move through the base’s routes and send your Pokémon toward nearby groups so they continue engaging targets.

Monitor the three Pokémon rather than standing still. If one is taking too much damage, recall it and send it toward a safer nearby target. Vending machines placed around the base restore the participating Pokémon, and Clive can also heal them. Use those recovery points before a Pokémon is knocked out, then continue toward the next group.

The Star Barrage ends in failure if the timer expires or all three participating Pokémon are unable to battle. You can also retreat from the attempt with Y. The requirement is 30 defeats, not every Pokémon in the base, so avoid unnecessary detours and keep the group moving along the available paths.

• Defeat 30 Team Star Pokémon within ten minutes.
• Use R to issue Let’s Go commands and keep nearby targets in range.
• Heal at vending machines or through Clive when the active Pokémon are weakened.
• Retreat with Y and restart if the lineup or route is proving unsuitable.

Recover before the squad boss battle

After the Star Barrage, heal before speaking to the squad boss. The vending machines and Clive remain important because the Star Barrage damage carries into the next encounter unless you restore the participating Pokémon. This recovery opportunity means you do not have to fight the leader with the same weakened health bars from the timed phase.

The five base themes give you a practical preparation guide. Fighting, Bug, or Fairy attacks help against Giacomo’s Dark specialty. Water, Ground, or Rock attacks are useful against Mela’s Fire specialty. Ground and Psychic coverage help against Atticus’s Poison specialty. Poison and Steel attacks are valuable against Ortega’s Fairy specialty, while Flying, Psychic, and Fairy attacks are useful against Eri’s Fighting specialty. These are starting points rather than guarantees; check your team’s actual moves and defensive weaknesses.

• Heal the three Star Barrage participants before beginning the boss battle.
• Select a lead that can survive the squad’s ordinary Pokémon.
• Keep at least one backup answer for the Starmobile’s type and strongest attacks.

Defeat the squad boss and Starmobile

The leader battle is turn-based and ends with that squad’s customized Revavroom, called a Starmobile. The Starmobile uses the squad’s type theme and is built to withstand more punishment than the earlier opponents. Do not spend every useful resource on the first Pokémon if doing so leaves you without a reliable answer for the final machine.

Use resistances as well as super-effective attacks. Switching is preferable to sacrificing a Pokémon that could answer the Starmobile later. Healing items are allowed, and a safe, repeatable victory is more important than finishing without item use.

Terastallization is most useful when it changes a dangerous matchup, strengthens a decisive attack, or removes a weakness that the Starmobile can exploit. You can use it on the opening Pokémon if necessary, but saving it for the Starmobile is often safer when the earlier part of the fight is under control. Watch for status effects and use cures or switches instead of allowing a key counter to be disabled.

• Use type advantages without ignoring defensive resistances.
• Save a dependable counter or Tera option for the Starmobile.
• Use healing items, switching, and status cures whenever they prevent a likely knockout.
• After victory, collect the squad reward and allow the following story dialogue to finish.

Retry a failed base without losing progress

A failed Star Barrage or lost boss battle does not erase previously cleared Team Star bases. Heal at a Pokémon Center, review which part of the attempt failed, and revise the team before returning. If the Star Barrage was the problem, replace one or more of the first three party members with Pokémon that engage targets more reliably. If the boss was the problem, keep the successful auto-battle lineup but alter the reserve party and moves for the turn-based fight.

You can leave a base and pursue a Gym, Titan, or exploration objective before returning. Team Star bases do not scale to your level, so gaining experience and adding a stronger type counter is a legitimate progression method, not a requirement to repeat the same failed strategy.

• Heal and revise the team after a loss.
• Change the first three party positions if the Let’s Go phase was inefficient.
• Change the reserve party or moves if the Starmobile caused the defeat.
• Return later if the base’s fixed level is beyond your current preparation.

Complete the final Starfall Street sequence

Clearing the five squad bases is not the end of Starfall Street. After the fifth base, follow the new objective to the Academy. A confrontation with Director Clavell occurs at the Academy entrance. After that battle and its dialogue, enter the Academy and use the internal travel system to go to the Schoolyard at night, where the final Cassiopeia battle takes place.

Prepare a balanced team before entering the Schoolyard because this final battle is a full regular battle rather than another Star Barrage. Complete the battle and let the following scenes play out. The Team Star route is only fully complete after this Academy sequence, not merely after the fifth Starmobile is defeated.

• Clear all five Team Star squad bases.
• Defeat Director Clavell at the Academy entrance when the post-base event begins.
• Travel through the Academy to the Schoolyard at night.
• Defeat Cassiopeia/Penny and finish the following dialogue and cutscenes.
• Confirm that Starfall Street no longer remains as an unfinished main-story objective.

1. Begin Victory Road and choose a practical Gym route

After the Academy opening, Nemona explains that you can pursue the Gym challenge as one of the three main story paths. Pokémon Scarlet does not force a fixed Gym order, and the eight Gyms remain available while you work on Path of Legends or Starfall Street. Use the map to select a Gym or its surrounding town, then fast-travel to a nearby Pokémon Center whenever one is available.

The Gyms do not scale to your party. A Gym that is geographically close can still be much stronger than one you have already cleared. If a Leader defeats several of your Pokémon quickly, leave instead of repeatedly forcing the battle. Complete another storyline objective, catch a replacement with better coverage, or train your current team before returning. Build around the displayed Gym specialty, but keep more than one answer available because each Leader’s final Pokémon Terastallizes into that specialty.

• Select the next Gym from the map and note its type specialty.
• Heal at a Pokémon Center before entering the Gym.
• Carry a balanced party instead of relying on one Pokémon with a type advantage.

2. Complete the Gym Test before challenging each Leader

Enter the Gym and speak with the receptionist to begin its test. The test is a separate objective from the Leader battle. Follow the marker and the staff instructions, then return to the Gym desk when the test is complete so the battle option becomes available.

The eight tests are distinct. Cortondo uses the Olive Roll, where you push the olive through the course. Artazon requires you to find ten Sunflora around the town and return them to the starting area. Levincia has you search the crowds for Director Clavell and defeat the trainers encountered during the search. Cascarrafa sends you to Porto Marinada with Kofu’s wallet, followed by the auction task. Medali requires you to discover the secret menu order and give the correct order at the Treasure Eatery. Montenevera’s test is a double battle against the Gym staff member. Alfornada’s test is the Emotional Spectrum Practice, using the prompted expressions. Glaseado’s test is the Snow Slope Run.

If you leave during a test, return to the relevant town and check the Gym entrance, marked area, or test NPC. Do not enter the battle room expecting the Leader fight to start before the receptionist records the test as complete.

• Speak to the receptionist before attempting the test.
• Follow the test marker rather than searching for the Leader immediately.
• Return to the Gym desk after completing the objective.

3. Prepare for the Leaders and their Terastallized aces

The Leaders are Katy in Cortondo, Brassius in Artazon, Iono in Levincia, Kofu in Cascarrafa, Larry in Medali, Ryme in Montenevera, Tulip in Alfornada, and Grusha in Glaseado. Their specialties are Bug, Grass, Electric, Water, Normal, Ghost, Psychic, and Ice respectively. Their final Pokémon changes to the Gym’s specialty when it Terastallizes, so plan for that final type rather than only the Pokémon’s ordinary typing. For example, Larry’s ace becomes Normal type and Grusha’s Altaria becomes Ice type.

Heal after the test and save before speaking to the receptionist for the Leader battle. Bring Potions or stronger healing items, status recovery, and at least one backup answer to the specialty. Terastallization is usually most valuable against the Leader’s ace, but it is not mandatory. If your main counter is knocked out, switch to a durable neutral Pokémon and use healing or a safe finishing attack rather than sacrificing the rest of the party one at a time.

Gym Badges increase the level of Pokémon that will obey you and improve your ability to control higher-level catches. They do not make the Gyms scale to your team, so badges are both story milestones and practical obedience checks.

• Restore the party after the Gym Test.
• Bring healing and status-recovery items.
• Reserve Terastallization for the battle point where it gives the greatest advantage.

4. Earn all eight Badges across Paldea

Clear the eight cities in any order that suits your team and location: Cortondo, Artazon, Levincia, Cascarrafa, Medali, Montenevera, Alfornada, and Glaseado. After each win, collect the Leader’s reward, heal, and check the map for the next nearby objective. You do not need to visit the Gyms in the order listed above, and you can interleave these battles with Titan and Team Star objectives.

Do not treat the eighth Badge as the end of Victory Road. The Badge collection unlocks the next League stage, but the Champion Assessment and the final Nemona battle are still required to mark this storyline complete.

• Confirm that all eight Gym Badges are recorded.
• Check that the party is healed and has varied offensive coverage.
• Save before traveling to the Pokémon League.

5. Pass the Champion Assessment at the Pokémon League

Travel to the Pokémon League headquarters west of Mesagoza after obtaining all eight Badges. Rika conducts the Champion Assessment. First answer the interview questions about your journey, your chosen starter, and your preferred Gym challenge. The answer about which Gym was most difficult must match the Gym you identified earlier in the interview. A wrong answer ends the assessment, but you can retry after speaking with the receptionist again.

After passing the interview, enter the battle section. You face the Elite Four in sequence: Rika, Poppy, Larry, and Hassel. Their specialties are Ground, Steel, Flying, and Dragon. Prepare answers for all four rather than building only for one type. Use items between battles, manage PP, and keep a fast or sturdy Pokémon available for emergencies. Rika restores your party before the battle with Geeta, but you should still carry your own healing supplies for the earlier fights.

Defeat Top Champion Geeta after the Elite Four. Her team is not built around one single specialty, and her final Glimmora Terastallizes as Rock, so retain Fighting-, Ground-, Water-, or other suitable coverage for the final battle.

• Pass Rika’s interview.
• Defeat Rika, Poppy, Larry, and Hassel in sequence.
• Defeat Top Champion Geeta.

6. Complete Victory Road with the Nemona battle

After the League battles, follow the story back to Mesagoza. Nemona meets you near the central plaza and challenges you to the battle that concludes Victory Road. Heal and save before starting it. Her final team is built around the starter that has the type disadvantage to your chosen starter, and her roster includes Lycanroc, Goodra, Dudunsparce, Orthworm, Pawmot, and a fully evolved starter. The last Pokémon Terastallizes into its starter’s type.

Defeat Nemona to complete the Victory Road story flag. If the Area Zero finale is not yet available, do not repeat Gym battles. Check Path of Legends and Starfall Street instead: all three storylines must reach their concluding objectives before The Way Home opens. The Academy Ace Tournament is not part of this requirement.

• Return to Mesagoza after the Pokémon League sequence.
• Defeat Nemona in the concluding Victory Road battle.
• Verify that Path of Legends and Starfall Street are also complete before entering Area Zero.

7. Unlock the Academy Ace Tournament after the credits

The Academy Ace Tournament is optional postgame content. It is not required to complete Victory Road, unlock Area Zero, reach the credits, or make Koraidon battle-capable. After finishing the main story, return to the Academy and speak with Geeta. She asks you to inspect the eight Gyms in her place. Travel to every Gym and defeat each Leader in a stronger rematch, then return to the Academy and follow the resulting conversations.

When the tournament is unlocked, speak with the attendant at the desk in the Academy Entrance Hall. The first tournament has four set opponents: Arven, Jacq, Dendra, and Geeta. Your party is healed before each round, allowing you to Terastallize in every match. After the first clear, the tournament can be repeated, with four opponents selected from a broader pool.

Use a balanced team for the tournament because its opponents cover several types. Keep answers to Rock, Fighting, Ground, Dark, Psychic, Fairy, and Ice threats available, and bring at least one Pokémon that can safely handle Geeta’s Glimmora. Treat the tournament as a training and reward activity, not as another required story gate.

• Finish the base-game story before attempting to unlock the tournament.
• Complete all eight postgame Gym rematches requested by Geeta.
• Enter the tournament through the Academy Entrance Hall attendant.

Rotate between the three story paths

After the opening Academy sequence, the game marks the Gym, Titan, and Team Star objectives on your map. You are not locked into whichever path you begin, and you do not need to finish one storyline before starting another. Use that freedom to alternate between nearby objectives instead of spending the whole campaign on only Gyms, only Titans, or only Team Star bases.

A practical opening sequence is Cortondo Gym, the Stony Cliff Titan, Artazon Gym, the Open Sky Titan, and Team Star’s Dark Crew. Continue with Levincia Gym, Team Star’s Fire Crew, the Lurking Steel Titan, and Cascarrafa Gym. This is a pacing recommendation, not a requirement; switch targets whenever your available team has a better type matchup elsewhere.

• Open the map after each major victory and compare nearby Gyms, Titans, and bases.
• Treat the map markers as destinations, not proof that your party is ready for them.
• Keep a balanced party and rotate newly caught Pokémon into active positions before one team becomes overleveled.

Use a level-conscious route without treating it as mandatory

Major Gyms, Titans, and Team Star leaders have set teams. They do not automatically adjust to your level or badge count, so an objective that is geographically close can still be intended for much later. If ordinary wild Pokémon are consistently faster than your team or defeating several members in one encounter, retreat and work on a different marked objective. If every major battle ends without meaningful resistance, move farther across Paldea rather than grinding the same area.

A smooth middle and late-game pattern is Poison Team Star, Medali Gym, Montenevera Gym, the Quaking Earth Titan, Alfornada Gym, and Glaseado Gym. Finish with Fairy Team Star, the False Dragon Titan, and Fighting Team Star, adjusting the order when a particular matchup or travel route suits your party better. The False Dragon Titan requires access to water, while later destinations are easier after more ride abilities have been unlocked.

• Do not assume northern areas are safe simply because you can reach them.
• Use Gym badges to improve obedience for higher-level Pokémon, especially traded Pokémon.
• Capture replacements or train existing team members when your coverage is too narrow for the next objective.

Prioritize Titans when exploration is the problem

Path of Legends is useful for more than its story rewards because each Titan victory improves Koraidon’s ride capabilities. The Stony Cliff Titan grants the dash, the Open Sky Titan grants travel across water, the Lurking Steel Titan improves jumping, the Quaking Earth Titan grants gliding, and the False Dragon Titan unlocks climbing. These upgrades open routes to distant objectives, items, caves, and wild Pokémon.

After defeating a Titan, do not immediately leave if Arven’s follow-up scene has not occurred. The fifth Titan also has a required conclusion: after obtaining the final Herba Mystica, follow the next objective to the Poco Path lighthouse and complete the battle there. The Titan encounters alone do not finish Path of Legends.

• Test each new ride ability near the completed Titan site so you understand what terrain it opens.
• After the fifth Titan, follow Arven’s marked objective to the Poco Path lighthouse.
• Confirm that the Arven battle and its following dialogue have finished before treating the path as complete.

Clear Team Star bases between Gym and Titan objectives

Each Team Star base begins with an approach through the base entrance, a field phase using the first three Pokémon in your party, and a battle against the crew leader and their Starmobile. Before entering, heal completely and place three Pokémon in the lead that can reliably defeat opponents with Let’s Go commands. Bring recovery items because the base sequence can wear down a party before the leader battle.

A generally rising order is Dark Crew, Fire Crew, Poison Crew, Fairy Crew, then Fighting Crew. If you lose the leader battle after clearing the base’s field phase, return and retry; the cleared approach does not need to be repeated. After all five bases are defeated, return to Mesagoza and follow the new Team Star objective. The post-base confrontation at the academy is required to finish Starfall Street and is separate from the fifth base.

• Set the first three party slots before entering each base.
• Carry healing items and status recovery even when a Pokémon Center is nearby.
• After the fifth base, travel to Mesagoza and complete the final Team Star sequence rather than stopping at the base victory.

Use Victory Road to maintain badges and obedience

Gym victories provide badges and establish a steady progression framework. A smooth Gym order is Cortondo, Artazon, Levincia, Cascarrafa, Medali, Montenevera, Alfornada, and Glaseado, but the game permits another order. Read each Gym’s objective carefully because the Gym test comes before the Leader battle and may send you to a separate marked location.

Victory Road is not complete when you simply earn eight badges. After the Gym circuit, enter the Pokémon League, clear the Elite Four and Champion assessment, and then follow the resulting Nemona objective for the final Victory Road battle. Do not leave after the Champion assessment if the game has directed you to continue the rivalry sequence.

• Track all eight Gym badges on the map and trainer card.
• Complete the Pokémon League after earning all eight badges.
• Finish the subsequent Nemona battle and dialogue before counting Victory Road as cleared.

Confirm the three path finales before going to Area Zero

The Way Home does not unlock from partial progress. You must finish Victory Road, Path of Legends, and Starfall Street, including the concluding event attached to each path. The visible crater, the number of badges, or the fifth Titan victory by itself is not enough.

The reliable in-game confirmation is a phone call from Arven asking you to meet the group at the Zero Gate. If that call has not occurred, revisit the last marked conclusion for whichever path remains unfinished: the Pokémon League and Nemona for Victory Road, the Poco Path lighthouse battle for Path of Legends, or the Mesagoza Team Star finale for Starfall Street. Once Arven’s call arrives, travel to the Zero Gate and use the entrance to begin the final sequence when ready.

• Victory Road: eight badges, Pokémon League, and the concluding Nemona battle are complete.
• Path of Legends: all five Titans, the final Poco Path lighthouse battle, and its dialogue are complete.
• Starfall Street: all five bases and the final Mesagoza Team Star sequence are complete.
• Arven has called about meeting at the Zero Gate.

Prepare the team before committing to the final approach

Make a manual save before entering the Zero Gate, heal the entire party, and restock recovery items and status cures. Area Zero contains a long sequence of story battles with varied opponents, so a team assembled only to defeat the last Gym, Titan, or Team Star crew can struggle. Prioritize broad type coverage, both physical and special damage, and at least one Pokémon that can safely switch into attacks while you heal or change tactics.

Do not wait until inside Area Zero to solve an obvious team weakness. If a party member has become too specialized, replace it in Paldea with a Pokémon that supplies missing resistances, reliable damage, or status support. Perfect competitive training is unnecessary for the base ending, but every active member should have useful moves against more than one kind of opponent. Use Terastallization when it provides a defensive rescue or a decisive matchup advantage, rather than spending it automatically at the start of every battle.

• Save manually immediately before approaching the Zero Gate.
• Heal and carry recovery items before beginning The Way Home.
• Check that the party has mixed offensive coverage and at least one dependable defensive option.
• If Arven’s call has not appeared, finish the missing path finale instead of attempting to force entry.

Finish the three required storylines

Complete Victory Road by defeating all eight Gym Leaders, passing the Champion Assessment at the Pokémon League, defeating the Elite Four and Geeta, and winning the concluding Nemona battle. Complete Path of Legends by defeating all five Titans and finishing the associated Arven scenes, including the final battle at the Poco Path Lighthouse. Complete Starfall Street by clearing all five Team Star bases and finishing the storyline’s concluding battles and dialogue.

The game does not require the Academy Ace Tournament to open Area Zero. That tournament becomes available after the main ending and is a postgame activity. The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk are paid downloadable expansions and are separate from the base-game route; neither is needed for The Way Home.

• All eight Gym Leaders and the Champion Assessment are complete.
• The Elite Four, Geeta and the final Nemona battle are complete.
• All five Titans and the final Path of Legends events are complete.
• All five Team Star bases and the Starfall Street conclusion are complete.
• The Academy Ace Tournament has not been mistaken for a prerequisite.

Start The Way Home at the Zero Gate

After the three storylines are complete, follow the new main objective to the Zero Gate. The game’s progression directs you there; returning to the Poco Path Lighthouse is not an additional prerequisite once Path of Legends itself is finished. The Zero Gate is southeast of Medali, beside the Great Crater of Paldea, and it is also a fast-travel destination once registered.

Enter the Zero Gate and follow the central facility sequence. Arven, Nemona and Penny join the expedition. When the game asks you to descend, use Koraidon to glide into Area Zero. This is a scripted use of the mount, not permission to freely ride throughout the first Area Zero section.

• A new objective sends you to the Zero Gate.
• The Zero Gate has been registered as a reachable destination or you can reach it from Paldea.
• Arven, Nemona and Penny are present at the gate.
• The descent into Area Zero has begun.

Prepare a mixed team for Scarlet’s ancient Pokémon

Area Zero contains powerful wild Pokémon and version-specific ancient Pokémon. Scarlet’s notable encounters include Great Tusk, Brute Bonnet, Flutter Mane, Slither Wing, Scream Tail, Sandy Shocks and Roaring Moon. Their types and battle roles vary widely, so do not build the party around a single attacking type or one fragile sweeper.

Bring both physical and special damage. Include reliable answers to Ground, Fighting, Dark, Ghost, Fairy, Rock, Bug and Fire matchups, but do not sacrifice general survivability just to cover every type perfectly. A Pokémon with dependable recovery, screens, status support or another defensive utility can help between battles. Keep spare trained Pokémon in the Boxes so you can change the active party if a key member is weakened or has an unfavorable matchup.

Area Zero battles are not all optional. Some ancient Pokémon confrontations occur along the route to the research stations, and the final approach to the Zero Lab leads into more demanding scripted encounters. Use the party that has carried you through the three storylines only if it remains healthy and has adequate coverage; otherwise, make substitutions before entering the gate.

• The party contains physical and special attackers.
• At least one team member has reliable recovery or useful defensive support.
• The team has practical answers to the main ancient-Pokémon typings.
• Several backup Pokémon are trained and available in the Boxes.
• No single Pokémon is carrying the entire party’s damage or defensive role.

Restock recovery items and create a manual save

Before entering the Zero Gate, heal the entire party and restock healing items, status cures and Revives. Bring enough recovery for wild encounters and scripted fights rather than assuming every section will provide a normal Pokémon Center. Full Restores or equivalent items are valuable because they repair both HP and major status problems in one turn.

Make a manual save outside the Zero Gate after shopping and arranging the party. This is the safest restart point if you discover that the team lacks a needed matchup, spend too many items, or want to change moves and held items. Save again whenever the game allows it, especially before committing to the Zero Lab sequence.

• The party is fully healed before entering.
• HP recovery, status cures and Revives are stocked.
• Held items and moves have been checked for the final party.
• A manual save exists outside the Zero Gate.

Understand movement limits and your retreat plan

During the first The Way Home descent, Koraidon is frightened and cannot be used as a normal ride mount while you explore. Walk between the stations and follow the visible route instead of expecting climbing, swimming or gliding to solve navigation problems. The map provides little useful detail inside Area Zero, so use the crater walls, paths, waterfalls and research-station buildings as landmarks.

Your required exploration objective is to reach four research stations and disable the lock at each one. The first three stations are reached across the surface and surrounding slopes. The fourth is deeper in the cavern. At every station, use the bed to restore the party and use the teleporter to return to the Zero Gate or to another station whose lock has already been disabled. These station teleporters are the dependable way to re-equip and resume the route without retracing the entire descent.

If the party is not ready, use the map’s Flying Taxi function to leave Area Zero when the game permits it, then heal, shop, train or change the team in Paldea. Return through the Zero Gate and use the unlocked station teleporters to resume progress. Do not spend supplies on every wild encounter; avoid unnecessary battles and heal at a station bed whenever possible.

The optional hidden cave near Research Station 3 is not needed to open the Zero Lab. It contains valuable Scarlet encounters, including Roaring Moon, but it is better treated as optional exploration because the first visit limits Koraidon’s movement abilities.

• You know that normal Koraidon riding is unavailable during the initial Area Zero exploration.
• You can recognize the four research stations as the required lock objectives.
• You know how to heal at a station bed.
• You know how to use unlocked station teleporters to reach the Zero Gate or earlier stations.
• You can leave, re-equip and return through the Zero Gate if the party is underprepared.
• The optional cave near Research Station 3 is not being confused with a required objective.

1. Prepare before entering Area Zero

Complete Victory Road, Starfall Street and Path of Legends, including the follow-up events that start The Way Home. When Arven directs you to meet the group at the Zero Gate, heal your party, restore move PP, buy healing items and make a manual save before beginning the expedition.

Bring a balanced party with answers to several types rather than relying on one attacker. Area Zero’s mandatory battles and wild Pokémon are stronger than many earlier encounters. Include dependable damage, useful resistances and a way to recover HP or cure status. Koraidon assists with the opening descent, but it cannot be ridden during the initial Research Station exploration and is not available as a normal party battler at this point.

• Heal the entire party before entering the Zero Gate.
• Restore move PP and carry healing items, Revives and status cures.
• Make a manual save before starting the expedition.
• Plan to travel between the initial stations on foot.

2. Walk the surface route toward Research Station No. 1

After the arrival sequence, Koraidon is too frightened to leave its Poké Ball, so follow the route on foot. The game provides a visually guided descent. Use cliffs, waterfalls, large rock formations, fenced edges and the white Research Station buildings as landmarks.

When several paths are visible, favor the route that continues downward and look for the next station. Wild Pokémon and item pickups can make the landscape seem more complicated than it is, but none is required to open the station locks. Do not spend time searching for a special puzzle solution; the progression is based on reaching each building and using its control panel.

• Travel on foot after arriving in Area Zero.
• Use waterfalls, cliffs, rock formations and station buildings as landmarks.
• Follow the route downward instead of investigating every side path.
• Treat wild encounters and item pickups as optional.

3. Defeat Glimmora and deactivate Station No. 1

Near Research Station No. 1, a mandatory level 62 Glimmora attacks. This is a scripted encounter, not an optional wild battle. Use a lead that can handle Rock- and Poison-type threats, and switch if your opening Pokémon has a poor matchup. Nemona assists during the battle, but you must keep your own party healthy.

After winning, enter Research Station No. 1 and interact with the central control panel when prompted. This deactivates the first lock. Use the bed inside to restore the party, then save before leaving. The bed is a full recovery point, so use it rather than trying to conserve healing items.

• Defeat the mandatory Glimmora encounter outside Station No. 1.
• Interact with the control panel to deactivate the first lock.
• Use the station bed to heal the party.
• Save before continuing downhill.

4. Reach Research Station No. 2 and defeat Scream Tail

Leave the first station and continue down the visible path on foot. Stay near the route instead of chasing every Pokémon in the grass. Near Research Station No. 2, Scarlet’s mandatory scripted encounter is level 62 Scream Tail. It is a Fairy- and Psychic-type Pokémon, so avoid leaving a vulnerable Pokémon in front of it. Steel- or Poison-type attacks can help, but use the strongest safe option available on your team.

Defeat Scream Tail, enter the second station and deactivate its lock at the control panel. Heal at the bed afterward and save. Brute Bonnet may appear in the surrounding area, but it is an optional wild encounter at this stage and is not the required guard for Station No. 2.

• Walk from Station No. 1 toward Station No. 2.
• Defeat the mandatory Scarlet Scream Tail encounter.
• Deactivate the second station lock.
• Heal and save inside the station.
• Do not confuse optional Brute Bonnet encounters with the station objective.

5. Continue to Research Station No. 3 and defeat Great Tusk

From Station No. 2, follow the descending route toward the third station. The terrain becomes more open and may pass waterfalls and broad rocky areas. Keep the next white station building as your destination. Ordinary wild battles are unnecessary unless you need experience or a capture.

Near Research Station No. 3, Scarlet’s required encounter is level 62 Great Tusk, the Ground- and Fighting-type Paradox Pokémon connected to the earlier Asado Desert Titan. Arven assists during this encounter. Flying-type immunity or other defensive answers can help, but watch for Rock- and Fighting-type attacks and switch away from weakened Pokémon. After the battle, enter Station No. 3, deactivate its lock, heal at the bed and save.

• Continue downhill from Station No. 2 on foot.
• Defeat the mandatory Great Tusk encounter near Station No. 3.
• Deactivate the third lock.
• Heal and save before entering the deeper cavern.

6. Enter the cavern and reach Research Station No. 4

After activating Station No. 3, locate the large cavern opening beyond the station and follow the path into the deeper section of Area Zero. This is the required route to Research Station No. 4; do not search the upper crater surface for it. The cavern contains optional items and wild Pokémon, but no complex puzzle must be solved.

Continue through the cavern using platforms, slopes and changing rock formations to maintain your direction. Flutter Mane can appear as an optional wild encounter in this part of Scarlet, but it is not the mandatory station battle at this point. Enter Station No. 4, deactivate the final lock at its control panel, heal at the bed and make a fresh manual save.

Each unlocked station has a warp panel that can return you to the Zero Gate or to other stations you have already visited. Use these teleporters when you need to retreat, reorganize or recover; they are not required to solve a puzzle.

• Enter the cavern beyond Research Station No. 3.
• Follow the descending route to Research Station No. 4.
• Treat Flutter Mane and other wild Pokémon as optional encounters.
• Deactivate the fourth lock.
• Heal and save inside Station No. 4.

7. Defeat the three scripted Paradox Pokémon before entering the Zero Lab

Once all four locks are disabled, continue through the cavern toward the Zero Lab. When the laboratory entrance opens, Scarlet presents three separate mandatory battles before you can enter: Great Tusk, Brute Bonnet and Flutter Mane. These are scripted encounters and are distinct from ordinary wild Pokémon seen during the descent.

Heal at Station No. 4 before leaving and use the party order that best handles Ground-, Fighting-, Grass-, Dark-, Fairy- and Ghost-type threats. Do not assume that catching or defeating an optional wild specimen earlier counts for these encounters; the story battles must be completed at the lab approach. After the three battles, proceed into the Zero Lab and follow the cutscenes and elevator sequence. The next chapter covers the AI professor and Paradise Protection Protocol battles.

• Confirm all four station locks are disabled.
• Heal and save before leaving Station No. 4.
• Defeat the scripted Great Tusk encounter at the Zero Lab approach.
• Defeat the scripted Brute Bonnet encounter.
• Defeat the scripted Flutter Mane encounter.
• Enter the Zero Lab after all three battles are complete.

8. Understand the Koraidon exception and recover from failure

Koraidon cannot be ridden during the initial Research Station exploration, so the route between the stations must be walked. This restriction does not mean Koraidon is absent from every remaining battle. During the later Paradise Protection Protocol sequence, the game requires you to select your Koraidon from the Pokémon menu. It changes into Battle Form and fights the opposing Koraidon in a separate scripted encounter before the credits.

If you lose during the station route, reload the latest manual save, heal again and repeat only the section after that save. The locks already disabled remain completed when you continue from a valid save. Saving at each station prevents a defeat near the bottom from forcing you to repeat the entire descent.

After The Way Home is completed and the credits have rolled, Area Zero remains available for optional exploration. Return through the Zero Gate to catch Scarlet’s Ancient Paradox Pokémon, collect items and investigate side routes. The station beds and unlocked teleporters remain useful recovery and travel landmarks.

• Reload the most recent station save after a defeat.
• Repeat only the unsaved section of the route.
• Remember that Koraidon’s scripted Battle Form fight occurs later, before the credits.
• Finish The Way Home before treating Area Zero as a free exploration zone.
• Return later for optional captures, items and side paths.

1. Confirm the final sequence is unlocked and prepare your team

The Way Home becomes available after Victory Road, Starfall Street and Path of Legends are complete. Travel to the Zero Gate and enter Area Zero with Arven, Nemona and Penny. The expedition leads through the four Research Stations and ends at the Zero Lab.

Deactivate the lock at Research Stations 1, 2, 3 and 4 as you descend. Each station has a bed that restores your party. Once a station is unlocked, its teleporter provides a practical way to return to the Zero Gate or move between discovered stations. Use these facilities if you need healing, items or a different party before continuing.

Research Station 4 is the final convenient recovery point before the laboratory sequence. Heal the entire party there and make a manual save. Bring both physical and special damage, because AI Sada’s Ancient Pokémon have varied defenses and attack roles. Fairy, Steel, Fighting, Ground, Water, Ice, Flying, Ghost, Dark and Fire coverage can all be useful, but no single type is mandatory.

Bring healing items and status cures. Keep at least one Pokémon that can take physical hits and another that can withstand special attacks. Avoid relying entirely on weather: sunlight activates Protosynthesis for AI Sada’s team and can increase the threat posed by its strongest stat.

• Victory Road, Starfall Street and Path of Legends are complete.
• All four Research Station locks are disabled.
• The party is healed at Research Station 4.
• A manual save is made before the Zero Lab sequence.
• The team has both physical and special damage.

2. Defeat the three Ancient Pokémon after opening the Zero Lab

From Research Station 4, follow the route to the Zero Lab. Interact with the entrance and continue through the dialogue. When the opposing Koraidon appears, your Koraidon refuses to fight it, and the Ancient Pokémon escape from the laboratory. You must defeat three of them before entering the lab.

The first battle is Great Tusk at level 64, fought alongside Nemona. Great Tusk is Ground and Fighting, so Water, Grass, Ice, Flying, Fairy or Psychic attacks are useful. The second is Brute Bonnet at level 64, fought alongside Penny. Brute Bonnet is Grass and Dark and is vulnerable to Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison, Fairy and Fighting attacks. The third is Flutter Mane at level 64, fought alongside Arven. Flutter Mane is Ghost and Fairy, so Steel attacks are especially reliable.

These are mandatory battles, not ordinary optional wild encounters. Use the allied Pokémon to add pressure, but still protect your own active Pokémon and switch if a poor matchup appears. Brute Bonnet can use Spore and Sucker Punch, while Flutter Mane’s special attacks and speed make it dangerous to leave a weakened Pokémon in front of it.

After the three battles, enter the Zero Lab. Check the party and use healing items before activating the machine. Do not assume that the preceding battles automatically restore your team.

• Great Tusk is defeated with Nemona.
• Brute Bonnet is defeated with Penny.
• Flutter Mane is defeated with Arven.
• The party is healed before the AI Sada battle.

3. Activate the machine and begin the AI Sada battle

Inside the Zero Lab, speak with AI Sada and follow the dialogue until the game directs you to the central machine. Use the Scarlet Book at the pedestal in the machine chamber. This starts the final trainer battle, so make sure your lead Pokémon, held items and move selections are suitable before interacting with the pedestal.

AI Sada uses six Ancient Paradox Pokémon in a fixed Scarlet order. Slither Wing is level 66 and leads. It is followed by Scream Tail, Brute Bonnet, Flutter Mane and Sandy Shocks, all at level 66. Roaring Moon is level 67 and appears last. Build your plan around this exact sequence rather than preparing for a random middle-team order.

If you need to retry, the manual save at the laboratory entrance is the safest recovery point. Change your lead or party coverage before activating the machine again instead of repeatedly using the same unfavorable opening.

• The Scarlet Book is used at the machine pedestal.
• The lead Pokémon is suitable for Slither Wing.
• The team is healed before the machine activates.
• The fixed order is understood: Slither Wing, Scream Tail, Brute Bonnet, Flutter Mane, Sandy Shocks and Roaring Moon.

4. Defeat AI Sada’s Ancient Pokémon team

Slither Wing is Bug and Fighting and knows Lunge, Leech Life, Low Sweep and Zen Headbutt. Fire, Flying and Fairy attacks are effective answers. Do not allow it to recover repeatedly with Leech Life if your attacker is dealing insufficient damage.

Scream Tail is Fairy and Psychic and is comparatively bulky. Steel and Ghost attacks are useful, but watch for its coverage and do not leave a weakened Fighting- or Dragon-type in front of it. Brute Bonnet is Grass and Dark and carries Earth Power, Giga Drain, Payback and Sucker Punch. Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison, Fairy and Fighting attacks work well. Sucker Punch can punish an attacking move when Brute Bonnet moves first.

Flutter Mane is Ghost and Fairy and has high Special Attack and Speed. Its moves include Power Gem, Mystical Fire, Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt. Strong physical attacks are often preferable because Flutter Mane is less durable on the physical side, while Steel attacks are particularly effective. Sandy Shocks is Electric and Ground, not Electric and Steel. Ground, Grass and Ice attacks can exploit its weaknesses, but beware of Earth Power, Discharge, Flash Cannon and Power Gem.

Roaring Moon is Dragon and Dark, holds Booster Energy and knows Dragon Claw, Night Slash, Stone Edge and Earthquake. Fairy attacks are its most important weakness, with Ice, Bug and Fighting also useful. Protect fragile Fairy Pokémon from its coverage moves, especially Earthquake and Stone Edge. Reflect or an X Defense can help if Roaring Moon is breaking through the party.

Switch instead of sacrificing a key Pokémon when a counter appears. Use healing items between turns when necessary, and cure a status condition if the affected Pokémon is needed for a later matchup. Save Terastalization for the point where it gives the greatest advantage, usually against Roaring Moon or whichever earlier Pokémon threatens to break through your remaining answers. Avoid casual sunny weather because Protosynthesis can strengthen AI Sada’s team.

• Slither Wing is answered with Fire, Flying or Fairy pressure.
• Scream Tail is handled with Steel or Ghost pressure and a sturdy counter.
• Physical damage is available for Flutter Mane.
• Sandy Shocks is treated as Electric and Ground.
• Fairy coverage or another strong answer is reserved for Roaring Moon.
• Sunny weather is avoided unless it is part of a deliberate strategy.
• Healing items and status cures are used when they preserve a necessary team member.

5. Defeat the Paradise Protection Protocol

After AI Sada is defeated, the Paradise Protection Protocol activates and sends out the opposing Koraidon at level 72. The protocol locks the Poké Balls of the player and companions, so your ordinary party cannot be used. Select the Pokémon option, move to the Koraidon shown below your regular party and choose Swap In.

A cutscene restores your original Koraidon’s battle power and changes it from ride form into battle form. The opposing Koraidon uses Flamethrower, Taunt, Bulk Up and Giga Impact. Your Koraidon is protected by the scripted encounter and cannot be knocked out normally; attacks that would defeat it leave it at 1 HP. You may use healing items if desired, but do not treat this as a normal team battle.

Follow the battle prompts. Terastallize your Koraidon when the option becomes available and use Tera Blast. This is the intended finishing method and ends the encounter. Your ordinary party is not used, so entering with an underpowered regular team does not prevent completion of this scripted battle.

• The ordinary Poké Balls remain sealed.
• Your original Koraidon is selected from the Pokémon menu.
• Koraidon changes into battle form.
• Koraidon is Terastallized when prompted.
• Tera Blast defeats the opposing Koraidon.

6. Confirm the ending and unlock battle Koraidon

After the Paradise Protection Protocol battle, the final Area Zero scenes play. AI Sada shuts down the time machine, the group leaves Area Zero and the remaining story scenes lead into the credits. Let the complete ending sequence play before checking the postgame state.

When control returns to Paldea, open the party-management menu and select Koraidon’s battle-form option. If there is an empty party slot, add the original Koraidon directly. If the party is full, move one party member to the Boxes when prompted. Koraidon can then be switched between ride form for exploration and battle form for ordinary Pokémon battles.

The second Koraidon encountered in postgame Area Zero is separate and optional. It is not required for the base-game ending. Gym rematches, the Academy Ace Tournament, stronger Tera Raids, the remaining Paldea Pokédex and other postgame activities are available after the credits and are not prerequisites for The Way Home.

• The final Area Zero scenes play.
• The credits roll.
• Control returns to Paldea.
• The original Koraidon can be added to the party.
• Koraidon can be used in battle.
• Postgame activities are available without starting paid expansion content.

1. Finish the ending and establish a postgame save

Complete the final Area Zero sequence, including the concluding battle, and allow the ending scenes and credits to finish. When normal control returns, the main story is complete and you can travel through Paldea again. You do not need to repeat the three routes or The Way Home.

Save after returning to normal play. This creates a clean starting point before you change your party, begin the Gym rematches, or attempt difficult Tera Raid Battles. If you want a separate safety point for catching the optional second Koraidon, save immediately before interacting with it as well.

• The credits have finished.
• You can move freely around Paldea again.
• You have created a postgame save.

2. Add the original Koraidon to your battle party

Open the main menu with the X Button. Make sure your party has an open slot; if all six slots are occupied, move one Pokémon to a Box. Select Koraidon from the lower part of the menu and choose the command to change it to Battle Form. The original ride companion is then placed in your party as a usable Pokémon.

This is not a request to catch another Koraidon. The Koraidon that joined you near the beginning of the game is the one that becomes battle-capable after the main story. When you switch it back to Ride Form, it returns to its mount function rather than remaining in the ordinary battle-party lineup. Check your party before starting a battle if you have just changed forms.

Before using it, review Koraidon’s moves, held-item status, Tera Type, and health. Its battle form is optional for completing the postgame; you can continue using another team while keeping Koraidon as your mount.

• Your party contains five or fewer Pokémon before changing forms.
• Koraidon appears in Battle Form and occupies the open party slot.
• You have checked its moves, health, and Tera information.

3. Visit Director Clavell and collect the Master Ball

Travel to Naranja Academy in Mesagoza and enter Director Clavell’s office. After the ending, Clavell acknowledges your Champion achievement and gives you the Master Ball. This office visit also starts the postgame inspection sequence connected to the Academy Ace Tournament.

Do not treat the Master Ball or the tournament as requirements for the credits ending. They are post-credits rewards and activities. If you have already completed the ending but have not received the Master Ball, confirm that you watched through the ending and are speaking with Clavell in his office rather than merely entering the academy entrance.

• You have spoken with Director Clavell in his office after the ending.
• The Master Ball is in your Bag.
• The postgame Gym inspection objective has begun.

4. Complete the eight Gym Leader rematches

After the office conversation, visit all eight Paldea Gyms: Cortondo, Artazon, Levincia, Cascarrafa, Medali, Montenevera, Alfornada, and Glaseado. Enter each Gym and speak with the staff to begin that location’s rematch. These are stronger versions of the original Gym Leader battles, so use a balanced party rather than relying on the team that defeated the first story lineup.

The rematches can be completed in any order. Fast travel between towns, heal before each battle, restore move PP, and change your lead Pokémon when a Leader’s coverage defeats your usual counter. A loss does not erase completed inspections; heal, revise your team, and challenge that Gym again.

Each Paldea Gym Leader is inspected once for this postgame sequence. After all eight rematches are complete, return to Naranja Academy. The tournament will not become available merely because you have earned the original eight Badges; the postgame inspection battles must be finished first.

• All eight postgame Gym Leader rematches are complete.
• You have healed and reviewed your team after the final inspection.
• You have returned to Naranja Academy after completing all eight battles.

5. Enter and complete the Academy Ace Tournament

Return to the academy entrance in Mesagoza and speak with the tournament staff. The Academy Ace Tournament is a four-battle single-elimination event. The first run follows a set sequence of opponents; later runs use the available academy participants in a changing order.

Your team is healed between tournament battles, but you cannot freely change Pokémon or moves between rounds. Prepare the complete lineup before entering. Bring reliable answers for different types, because the opponents are not all built around one shared weakness. Losing the tournament does not remove access; heal and enter again.

Winning one tournament run completes the immediate postgame tournament objective. The event can then be repeated for money, items, and additional battles. It is not required for the original credits ending or for adding the original Koraidon to your party, but it is a major base-game postgame activity and a prerequisite for the later high-star raid progression.

• The Academy Ace Tournament is available at the academy entrance.
• You have entered with a complete, healed team.
• You have won at least one tournament run.

6. Unlock and use stronger Tera Raid Battles

After completing the base-game story, five-star Tera Raid Battles become available as part of the postgame raid pool. Check the Tera Raid icons across Paldea and use the Poké Portal when you want to join other players. Five-star raids are substantially more demanding than ordinary story battles, so build around survival, reliable damage, and the raid Pokémon’s Tera Type instead of bringing an unmodified campaign party.

After the Academy Ace Tournament, Professor Jacq’s raid investigation can lead to six-star raids after you complete the required number of qualifying four- and five-star raids. Six-star raids are optional and are not needed to finish the base-game story or activate Koraidon’s Battle Form. Treat them as a late postgame progression goal, especially if you want stronger rewards, raid Pokémon, or advanced team-building resources.

• Five-star raids are appearing after the base-game ending.
• You have completed the Academy Ace Tournament before pursuing six-star access.
• You are bringing a purpose-built raid Pokémon rather than an unprepared story team.

7. Revisit Area Zero and catch the optional second Koraidon

Area Zero remains accessible after the ending. Use the map to travel to Research Station No. 4, then descend toward the lowest section near the Zero Lab. The second Koraidon is found outside the lab area on the rocky slope. It is a separate catch from your original ride companion and can be stored or traded like a conventional Pokémon after capture.

Save before approaching it. Weaken it carefully, use status when practical, and bring enough Poké Balls. The second Koraidon is optional: catching it is not necessary to use your original Koraidon in battle, complete the tournament, or access ordinary postgame activities.

While revisiting Area Zero, check the crater for Scarlet-exclusive Paradox Pokémon, items, and any encounters you skipped. These are optional completion goals and should not be confused with content from The Teal Mask or The Indigo Disk.

• You have returned to Area Zero after the ending.
• You have saved before attempting the optional second Koraidon encounter.
• You have caught or deliberately postponed the second Koraidon and reviewed remaining Area Zero encounters.

1. Start the postgame Academy sequence

Load your completed save after the credits and return to Naranja Academy. Follow the new conversations in the Academy, including the meeting that assigns you to inspect the Paldea Gyms on Geeta’s behalf. This postgame sequence is the route that leads to the Academy Ace Tournament; finishing the original Gym challenge alone does not unlock the tournament.

Heal your party before leaving the Academy and decide whether you want to prioritize Pokédex completion, Gym rematches, Tera Raids, tournament rewards or shiny hunting. These goals can be mixed freely. The required order for the tournament is to complete the main story, finish the postgame Gym inspection, and then register for the tournament at the Academy.

• Load the save created after the credits.
• Return to Naranja Academy and advance the postgame conversations.
• Accept Geeta’s Gym inspection assignment when it becomes available.
• Heal and revise the party before beginning the rematch circuit.
• Treat all postgame goals as separate from the completed base-game ending.

2. Complete the Paldea Pokédex

Use the Pokédex habitat and evolution information to identify missing entries. Catch Pokémon during ordinary travel, evolve species already in your party, and use experience items when evolution is the only missing step. Check each entry’s evolution method before searching for another location, because some species require an item, friendship, a particular move, a special battle condition or a trade.

The Paldea Pokédex contains 400 entries. Scarlet does not provide every species available across Scarlet and Violet as ordinary local encounters, so version exclusives, trade evolutions and some other entries may require trading with a Violet player or using a compatible transfer service. The Kitakami and Blueberry Pokédexes from the paid expansion are separate and are not needed for the Paldea completion reward.

When all 400 Paldea entries are registered as caught, visit Professor Jacq in the Biology Lab at Naranja Academy. He awards the Shiny Charm. Seeing a Pokémon is not enough for this reward; the entry must be recorded as caught. Director Clavell can also provide the completion diploma after the Pokédex reward sequence.

• Review missing entries through the Pokédex habitat and evolution screens.
• Catch or evolve species that are already available in Scarlet.
• Trade for version exclusives and trade evolutions when necessary.
• Complete the Paldea Pokédex rather than an expansion Pokédex.
• Visit Professor Jacq in the Biology Lab after reaching 400 caught entries.
• Collect the Shiny Charm if shiny hunting is planned.

3. Rematch all eight Gym Leaders

Travel to the following Gyms and speak with the staff to begin each postgame rematch: Cortondo, Artazon, Levincia, Cascarrafa, Medali, Montenevera, Alfornada and Glaseado. These battles use stronger fixed teams rather than scaling to your current party, so a team that handled the original campaign may need improved moves, held items or additional type coverage.

Build around each leader’s specialty type, but do not rely exclusively on super-effective attacks. The rematch teams contain different secondary typings and stronger defensive options, while each leader’s final Pokémon is Terastallized. Bring answers to status conditions, include both physical and special damage where possible, and keep at least one Pokémon with recovery or useful defensive support.

The rematches are separate battles. After each victory, leave the Gym to heal, change held items, adjust moves and train replacements if necessary. If you lose, identify whether the problem was the opening matchup, an unexpected secondary type, status pressure or the Terastallized finisher, then change the lead or strategy before trying again. After all eight victories, return to Naranja Academy and continue the tournament setup.

• Rematch Cortondo Gym.
• Rematch Artazon Gym.
• Rematch Levincia Gym.
• Rematch Cascarrafa Gym.
• Rematch Medali Gym.
• Rematch Montenevera Gym.
• Rematch Alfornada Gym.
• Rematch Glaseado Gym.
• Return to Naranja Academy after all eight rematches are complete.

4. Unlock and win the Academy Ace Tournament

After the main story and all eight Gym rematches are complete, go to the Entrance Hall at Naranja Academy. Speak with the tournament receptionist to register. If the tournament is not available, confirm that every Gym rematch has been won and that you advanced the Academy conversations connected to Geeta’s inspection.

The Academy Ace Tournament consists of four single battles in a single-elimination run. The first tournament uses a fixed opponent sequence. Later runs draw from the available student and faculty pool, so repeat tournaments are not guaranteed to use the same opponents. Choose your party before entering, because you cannot freely change the party or moves between rounds. Your Pokémon are healed after each battle and the Tera Orb is restored, allowing you to plan Terastallization for more than one round.

Winning the first tournament awards the Sporty Cap (Pokémon League), and the Pokémon in your party receive the Paldea Champion Ribbon. Later victories provide random item rewards that can include Mints, Tera Shards, Rare Candies, Nuggets, Bottle Caps, PP items, vitamins and a small chance at rare Apricorn Balls. Speak with the receptionist again whenever you want to repeat the tournament.

• Confirm the main story and all eight Gym rematches are complete.
• Register at the Naranja Academy Entrance Hall desk.
• Bring six Pokémon with varied offensive types and defensive roles.
• Plan which tournament round presents the greatest need for Terastallization.
• Win all four rounds for the first-clear rewards.
• Repeat the tournament when you need money, experience or random item rewards.

5. Prepare for and unlock higher-star Tera Raids

After the credits, stronger Tera Raids become available as postgame progression advances. Find raid crystals across Paldea or search through the Poké Portal. Build each raid Pokémon around the opposing Pokémon’s Tera Type rather than judging only by its original species typing. A dependable raid attacker needs durable defenses, consistent damage and a way to improve its damage or reduce the opponent’s effectiveness. Support Pokémon can contribute healing, screens, cheers, stat control or other forms of party protection.

Five-star raids are a useful preparation stage. They provide experience items, Tera Shards, battle resources and practice against shields, stat resets and disruptive moves. Do not enter six-star raids with an ordinary story moveset and no plan for the boss’s Tera Type. Train several raid options instead of expecting one Pokémon to handle every matchup.

Six-star raids are optional and require postgame progression. First win the Academy Ace Tournament, then advance Jacq’s investigation when he asks you to look into the appearance of dangerous raids. Complete qualifying higher-star Tera Raids as the investigation directs. Continue until Jacq contacts you and black six-star raid crystals begin appearing in Paldea. No exact raid count or tier threshold is necessary for this walkthrough; the in-game call and the appearance of the black crystals are the reliable completion signs.

Seven-star raids are special event encounters rather than a permanent ordinary tier. Check the game’s news and event notices before planning around one. Online players may also join some raids hosted by other players, but completing the postgame investigation in your own save is the dependable way to gain local access to six-star raids.

• Train at least one durable raid attacker.
• Prepare support options with healing, screens, cheers or stat control.
• Match each raid build to the boss’s Tera Type.
• Win the Academy Ace Tournament before working toward six-star access.
• Advance Jacq’s investigation and complete qualifying higher-star raids.
• Continue until Jacq calls and black six-star raid crystals appear.
• Treat six-star and seven-star raids as optional postgame content.

6. Begin shiny hunting and other collection projects

Shiny hunting is optional and does not affect the base-game ending. The most useful preparation is the Shiny Charm from Professor Jacq, sandwich ingredients that provide encounter or sparkling effects, and a manual save before a planned outbreak or ingredient-consuming session. Mass outbreaks let you focus on one species, while ordinary overworld searches remain useful when no suitable outbreak is active.

Inspect overworld Pokémon directly rather than assuming every shiny has an obvious color change or sound cue. Let’s Go auto-battle will not defeat a shiny Pokémon, but you should still inspect targets manually so that you do not overlook a subtle color difference or lose track of the encounter. Saving before a hunt gives you a recovery point if you accidentally end an encounter or use resources in an unwanted way; reloading can also discard outbreak, sandwich or other temporary progress.

Other optional projects include a living Pokédex, alternate forms, trained raid specialists, Team Star rematches, special legendary encounters and collecting marks. These goals can be pursued in any order once the base story is complete. Expansion Pokédexes, expansion storylines and expansion-exclusive rewards are not part of the base-game completion target.

• Complete the Paldea Pokédex if you want the Shiny Charm.
• Target a suitable mass outbreak when one appears.
• Save before using valuable sandwich ingredients or beginning a planned hunt.
• Inspect questionable Pokémon manually instead of relying only on visual assumptions.
• Treat shiny hunting, living-dex work, alternate forms and marks as optional projects.

Recover correctly after a party wipe

When all Pokémon in your party faint, you black out and are returned to the last Pokémon Center you visited. Your party is restored there, but the game can deduct money. This is normal failure recovery, not a corrupted-save condition. Heal, review the battle that caused the loss, and prepare again before returning to the encounter.

After a Titan, Team Star, Gym, Elite Four, Champion assessment, or Area Zero defeat, use the map to travel to a Pokémon Center or other reliable healing point. Replace Pokémon that were consistently exposed to super-effective attacks, restore depleted moves with a visit to a Pokémon Center, and buy the recovery items you actually used. If the battle involved a scripted sequence, return to the marked location and begin it again; losing does not normally erase the storyline.

A party wipe is not the same as losing unsaved exploration. If you want to undo a battle result, only a save from before that result can do so. Pokémon Scarlet autosaves by default, and closing the software without saving may still leave you with the most recent autosaved state rather than the older manual save.

• Confirm that the party is restored at the last Pokémon Center.
• Heal again and replace weak matchups before retrying.
• Do not delete save data merely because the player blacked out.
• Assume recent progress may have been autosaved unless you deliberately prepared a rollback.

Use manual saves and the backup save carefully

Before a long Area Zero visit or a major story battle, open the main menu with the X Button and choose Save. Saving in a safe overworld position gives you a known point to resume, but it does not create several separately selectable save slots for the same user.

If a crash, freeze, or unwanted autosave leaves the regular save in an unusable state, close and relaunch the game. At the title screen, press Up, X, and B together to open Pokémon Scarlet’s backup-save option. Review the displayed trainer and progress information before selecting the backup. Loading it replaces the current working state with the available backup, so do not accept the prompt without checking that it represents the point you need.

The backup is limited and should not be treated as a permanent archive. It may not be the same moment as your last manual save, and loading it can discard later captures, items, or story progress. For ordinary retries, the safest routine is to save before the event, leave autosave enabled for normal play, and use the backup option only when the regular save or software session has a genuine problem.

• Make a manual save in a safe overworld location before a major attempt.
• Remember that autosave can overwrite the state you hoped to retry.
• Use Up, X, and B only from the title screen when checking the backup save.
• Verify the backup’s displayed progress before loading it.

Confirm the actual prerequisites when Area Zero is unavailable

Reaching the Great Crater physically does not unlock The Way Home. The final story becomes available only after the three main story paths have reached their concluding events: Victory Road, Starfall Street, and Path of Legends.

For Victory Road, eight Gym victories are not enough by themselves. Complete the Pokémon League sequence, including the Elite Four and Champion assessment, then finish the following Nemona battle and story scene. For Starfall Street, defeat all five Team Star base leaders and complete the concluding events involving Clive, Cassiopeia, and Penny. For Path of Legends, defeat all five Titans, return to the Poco Path Lighthouse when the story directs you there, and complete the final Arven battle and laboratory scene.

Once those conclusions are registered, Arven contacts you and directs you toward the Zero Gate. Follow the objective marker and meet the group there. If the Zero Gate still refuses entry, open the map and check whether one of the three story icons or objective descriptions still identifies an unfinished conclusion. Do not try to climb around the crater as a workaround; physical access does not replace the story requirement.

• All eight Gyms, the Elite Four, Champion assessment, and Nemona’s concluding battle are complete.
• All five Team Star bases and the Starfall Street conclusion are complete.
• All five Titans, the Poco Path Lighthouse sequence, and the final Arven battle are complete.
• Arven’s call and the Zero Gate objective have appeared.

Investigate a story trigger that appears to be missing

First read the current objective text and examine the map. If the game names a town, academy location, base entrance, lighthouse, or character, travel to that marked location and finish every dialogue box or battle there. Story scenes can require the preceding event to end completely before the next objective appears, so do not move away during a conversation or close the software while a transition is still occurring.

If the objective marker points to a known location but the character or scene is absent, save in the overworld, close Pokémon Scarlet from the HOME Menu, restart the software, and check the map again. Confirm that the software is updated before repeating the sequence. Nintendo’s update history specifically lists fixes for game-progress issues, so an update is a sensible troubleshooting step, although it cannot reconstruct a story flag that was never completed.

Do not assume that wandering, changing the in-game time, or repeatedly entering and leaving every nearby building will repair a missing flag. If the three route conclusions are visibly complete but Arven’s Area Zero objective never appears after a restart and update, record the exact objective text and contact Nintendo Support.

• Use the map and current objective text to identify the required location.
• Finish all dialogue, battles, and transition scenes at that location.
• Restart the software and confirm it is updated.
• Escalate the problem if every prerequisite is complete but the objective never appears.

Respond safely to freezes, crashes, and corruption warnings

If the game freezes, wait briefly to ensure it is not completing a transition. If it remains unresponsive, press the HOME Button and close the software, then restart the console if necessary. A forced close can lose unsaved progress, but repeatedly leaving a frozen program running is not a reliable recovery method.

If the HOME Menu reports corrupted data, use the Nintendo Switch software data-check function and follow the result. Do not choose Delete Save Data while trying to repair an installation. Reinstalling software and deleting its save data are different actions; read each confirmation screen carefully before accepting it.

Pokémon Scarlet save data is stored on the console and is not supported by Nintendo Switch Save Data Cloud. A Nintendo Switch Online membership therefore does not provide a downloadable cloud copy of this adventure. The microSD card is not a normal save-file backup either. If you are moving to another Switch or Switch 2, use Nintendo’s official user or save-data transfer process while the original console still works, and treat the transfer as a deliberate move rather than an automatic backup.

Pokémon HOME can protect Pokémon that you have already transferred into HOME, but it cannot restore Scarlet’s story flags, items, money, trainer progress, or Pokédex state. Do not remove valuable Pokémon from a damaged save and assume that the full campaign is now protected.

• Run the console’s data check before deleting anything.
• Keep the original console available during a save-data transfer.
• Do not treat Nintendo Switch Online or a microSD card as a Scarlet save backup.
• Use Pokémon HOME only for Pokémon storage, not campaign restoration.

Contact Nintendo Support when local recovery is insufficient

Contact Nintendo Support if Scarlet repeatedly crashes after an update and restart, the console cannot read the game card, the system reports corrupted data, or a required story event remains impossible after every prerequisite has been confirmed. Pokémon Support directs technical questions about Pokémon games on Nintendo consoles to Nintendo Support.

Prepare the game version, cartridge or digital status, console model, software-update version, exact error message, approximate date the problem began, and the last action taken before the failure. Include photographs or screenshots of error messages when possible, but remove account credentials, serial numbers, and other personal information.

Do not use unofficial save editors, modified consoles, or third-party recovery tools while seeking assistance. They can alter the evidence needed for diagnosis and may make the save harder to recover. If Nintendo recommends repair, replacement, or initialization, ask how the save data will be handled before approving the procedure. Support may not be able to recreate lost story progress, so preserve the original console and save until you receive clear instructions.

• Record the exact error code and when it first appeared.
• Confirm whether other software shows the same problem.
• Ask about save-data preservation before repair or console replacement.
• Use Nintendo Support for technical Switch-game issues rather than expecting Pokémon Support to restore progress.

1. Set a stable team before changing anything

Begin with four or five Pokémon that you already know how to use. Keep a mix of physical and special damage, then reserve one or two slots for a defensive switch-in, recovery, status support or a late recruit. A balanced team is more useful than six attackers that all depend on the same type of move.

Open each Pokémon’s summary and review its moves, ability, held item and Tera Type. Replace weak moves when stronger level-up, TM or evolution options become available, but do not remove recovery, status, priority or protection moves merely because they do less direct damage. Area Zero contains varied opponents, so dependable neutral damage and safe switches matter when a super-effective attack is unavailable.

• Keep at least four established members before attempting the final story sequence.
• Include both physical and special attacking options.
• Give each active Pokémon a clear purpose instead of assigning every slot as a pure attacker.
• Carry healing items and Revives before a long Area Zero session.

2. Train replacements through normal play first

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet distribute experience to the party automatically, so a newly caught Pokémon can gain levels without leading every battle. Add the replacement to your party immediately, then use trainer battles you have not completed, ordinary wild encounters and travel between objectives to bring it up safely.

Let’s Go sends a Pokémon out to battle nearby wild Pokémon without starting a conventional battle. It is convenient for modest gains while moving through an area, but it is less suitable when the new Pokémon is far below the local opposition or needs to learn a particular move through a normal battle. Switch to direct battles when survival, move selection or evolution timing matters.

• Put a new recruit in the party before traveling or battling.
• Use Let’s Go for safe, incremental training rather than forcing it against dangerous wild Pokémon.
• Check the moveset after level increases and evolutions.
• Use ordinary battles to test whether the recruit can survive and contribute without constant support.

3. Use Experience Candies to close large gaps

Tera Raid Battles are the most convenient late-game source of Experience Candies, and their rewards also include Tera Shards and other useful items. Choose raids that your current team can clear reliably rather than repeatedly attempting a difficult raid with an untested recruit. A failed raid wastes time and does not replace the value of a safe training loop.

Spend candies in stages. After each group of candies, check for newly learned moves, an available evolution or a change in the Pokémon’s role. This avoids leveling a Pokémon past a useful move without noticing and lets you stop once it is close enough to the rest of the party. There is no need to make every member exactly equal if the new Pokémon already survives the opponents you intend to face.

• Use lower-risk raids to build a supply of Experience Candies.
• Raise a replacement in stages and inspect its moves after each increase.
• Do not spend every large candy on a Pokémon whose moves, ability or typing do not fit your team.
• Keep several backup Pokémon available if an experiment fails.

4. Select Tera Raid counters by Tera Type and moveset

When choosing a Tera Raid counter, begin with the raid boss’s Tera Type because that determines the type it uses for its defensive weakness after the shield appears. Then account for the boss’s original species and attacks. A Pokémon may be weak to the Tera Type’s usual counter while still being a poor choice because the boss carries a powerful move from its original typing.

In raids, Cheers are a resource rather than a replacement for a good matchup. Use an Attack or Special Attack boost when the team can safely deal damage, a Defense or Special Defense boost when the boss is overwhelming the group, and Heal Cheers when multiple allies are in danger. Bring recovery, stat control or reliable sustained damage when possible; fragile attackers that rely on winning immediately are less dependable against stronger raids.

• Check the raid boss’s Tera Type before selecting your Pokémon.
• Read the boss’s likely original-type attacks before committing to a counter.
• Prefer recovery or sustained damage for solo attempts.
• Use Cheers when attacking would be unsafe or when the group needs to recover.

5. Assign Terastallization a specific purpose

Terastallization is strongest when you decide what it is meant to accomplish before the battle. An offensive Tera can strengthen moves that match the new Tera Type, while a same-type Tera generally provides the simplest damage plan. A defensive Tera changes the Pokémon’s active typing and can remove a dangerous weakness or create a resistance, but it may also expose the Pokémon to attacks that were previously harmless.

Against a Gym Leader, Titan or Team Star leader, save the Tera opportunity for the member that gains the clearest advantage. Use it to finish a key target, survive an otherwise decisive attack or turn a poor matchup into a manageable one. Do not automatically Terastallize on the first turn. If the opponent has a move that threatens the chosen Pokémon even after the transformation, switch or use a safer member instead.

Tera Blast is most useful when the Pokémon’s Tera Type and offensive stats support it. Otherwise, a reliable STAB or coverage move may be better. If you want to change a Pokémon’s Tera Type, complete the Medali Gym and then use 50 matching Tera Shards at the Treasure Eatery in Medali; do not spend shards on a late recruit until you know that the new type improves its role.

• Decide whether your Tera plan is offensive, defensive or survival-focused.
• Do not transform a Pokémon into a type that leaves it exposed to the opponent’s strongest attack.
• Use the Pokémon’s actual moves and offensive stats when deciding whether Tera Blast belongs on the set.
• Save Tera Shards for proven team members unless the new type solves a specific matchup.

6. Prepare for Area Zero’s mixed battles

Area Zero does not require one narrow counter team. Build around varied matchups and reliable neutral attacks. Useful coverage often includes answers to Dragon, Fairy, Ground, Dark, Flying and Steel opponents, but the exact choices depend on your starter, captures and available moves. A Pokémon that resists several common attacks can be more valuable than another attacker with a narrow super-effective option.

Keep at least one Pokémon that can take physical hits and one that can take special hits. A fast attacker can finish weakened targets, while a bulky Pokémon with recovery gives you a safe switch when the lead matchup is uncertain. Held items should reinforce the job: damage items for a cleaner, recovery items for a sustained battler, and status protection when a member is vulnerable to paralysis, sleep or poison.

Scarlet’s Area Zero also offers late-game Pokémon that may fill gaps in your roster. You can add one if it provides a missing resistance, immunity, speed tier or attack type, but test it outside the final sequence first. Do not replace several experienced members at once.

• Carry physical and special damage.
• Have a safe switch-in for a threatening matchup.
• Use held items that support each Pokémon’s role.
• Add late recruits one at a time and test them before The Way Home.

7. Choose the safest final roster

Immediately before entering The Way Home, keep the team whose damage, speed, weaknesses and switch patterns you understand. A trusted party is safer than a theoretically stronger team that has not been tested. If a recruit is close to ready but still unreliable, leave it in reserve and continue training it after the credits.

Make a manual save before committing to the final sequence. Check that the party is healed, moves are selected intentionally, held items are equipped and the Tera plan is clear. If an experiment fails, return to the save, restore the proven roster and use Experience Candies or ordinary battles to improve the recruit later.

• Every active member has useful moves and a clear role.
• The party includes several resistances and at least one safe switch.
• You have healing items, Revives and backup Pokémon.
• At least one Pokémon has a deliberate Terastallization plan.
• You can explain what each team member does when its preferred attack is resisted.

Confirm that the base-game ending is complete

Finish the final Area Zero sequence, The Way Home, and allow the ending scenes and credits to play. After the game returns you to normal play, save before starting another activity. This is the completion point for Pokémon Scarlet’s three main stories—Victory Road, Path of Legends, and Starfall Street—followed by the Area Zero finale.

Koraidon is no longer restricted to ride use after the ending. It becomes available in battle form, and you can manage it through the party and Boxes screens like the other Pokémon. If your party is full, move another Pokémon to a Box before arranging Koraidon in the active party. During exploration, the ride function remains available; use the appropriate ride toggle when you want to travel rather than battle.

The base game now supports continued Paldea play. You can revisit towns and routes, catch species you skipped, complete Pokédex entries, search for stronger Tera Raid Battles, collect items, and train a postgame team. None of these activities require The Teal Mask or The Indigo Disk.

• The Way Home has been completed.
• The credits have appeared.
• Koraidon is available in battle form through party or Box management.
• A new in-game save has been made after returning to regular Paldea gameplay.

Use the correct postgame route in Paldea

To begin the main base-game postgame sequence, return to the Academy and check Director Clavell’s office. The postgame Gym inspection request leads you back to all eight Paldea Gyms for rematches. These are separate from the original Victory Road battles and use stronger teams, so heal fully and adjust your party before traveling between Gyms.

After all eight Gym rematches are complete, return to the Academy to unlock the Academy Ace Tournament. The tournament is optional for story completion, but it is a repeatable postgame battle activity and a useful way to test a stronger team. It is not required to see the base-game credits or unlock Koraidon’s battle form.

Tera Raid Battles, Pokédex completion, breeding, item collection, shiny hunting, and further team training are also optional. Treat these as postgame goals rather than hidden requirements. If a guide tells you that you must visit Kitakami or Blueberry Academy before the original Area Zero ending, it is describing DLC progression rather than Pokémon Scarlet’s base campaign.

• Director Clavell’s office has been checked after the ending.
• Gym rematches are treated as postgame content, not prerequisites for The Way Home.
• The Academy Ace Tournament is recognized as optional after the Gym rematches.
• Remaining Paldea activities are pursued without adding DLC objectives to the base-game checklist.

Keep The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero separate

The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero is a separate paid expansion for Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. It contains Part 1, The Teal Mask, which takes place in Kitakami, and Part 2, The Indigo Disk, which takes place mainly at Blueberry Academy. These parts add their own locations, characters, story missions, Pokémon, battles, and activities.

Neither DLC part is required to complete Victory Road, Path of Legends, Starfall Street, or The Way Home. Neither is required to enter the original Area Zero finale, reach the base-game credits, or unlock Koraidon for battle. A physical or digital bundle that includes the base game and DLC is still a purchase bundle; it does not change the base-game completion requirements.

If you want to continue into the expansion, request a dedicated DLC supplement. The Teal Mask guide should cover Kitakami’s story and activities separately from the Paldea campaign. The Indigo Disk guide should cover Blueberry Academy, the Terarium, the BB League, League Club content, and its own story progression. Do not use DLC objectives to diagnose an unfinished Paldea save.

• The Teal Mask is identified as Part 1 of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero.
• The Indigo Disk is identified as Part 2 of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero.
• Kitakami and Blueberry Academy are excluded from the base-game ending check.
• Any DLC walkthrough is kept separate from the Paldea campaign guide.

Update the software without confusing updates and DLC

To check Pokémon Scarlet’s software version on Nintendo Switch, highlight the game on the HOME Menu, press the + or – Button, choose Software Update, and select Via the Internet. Nintendo’s support page currently lists version 4.0.0, released June 2, 2025. Nintendo also states that applying an update does not remove the existing save data.

An update is not the same thing as owning the expansion. Software updates can repair bugs, support online features, or add compatibility changes, while paid DLC is licensed separately. If the game displays DLC-related menu options after an update, that does not mean DLC objectives are required for the base ending.

Pokémon Scarlet does not support Nintendo Switch Online Save Data Cloud backup. Do not tell players to rely on cloud restoration for this game. Make an in-game save at important stopping points, and use Nintendo’s official system-transfer instructions when moving save data between consoles. Keep the original console available until the transfer has been confirmed.

• The software is updated through HOME Menu, Software Update, Via the Internet.
• The installed version is checked against Nintendo’s current support information.
• No Nintendo Switch Online cloud backup is assumed for Pokémon Scarlet.
• A manual in-game save is made before major postgame changes or a console transfer.

Understand Nintendo Switch 2 compatibility

Pokémon Scarlet is a Nintendo Switch game that is compatible with Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo announced a free enhancement update for Scarlet that became available on June 5, 2025. The listed improvements include visuals optimized for Nintendo Switch 2 displays and high-resolution televisions, plus smoother frame-rate performance on Nintendo Switch 2.

This enhancement does not create a new story, replace the original Nintendo Switch release, or make The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero mandatory. The Paldea campaign, The Way Home, the credits, and Koraidon’s battle availability remain the same completion targets.

When moving between systems, check the software version and Nintendo’s current compatibility notices. Do not import features from unrelated Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games into Scarlet unless an official Pokémon Scarlet notice specifically describes them. If an enhancement or compatibility issue affects your console, consult Nintendo Support rather than changing the base-game completion requirements.

• You know whether you are playing on Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2.
• The official Scarlet software update has been installed for that system.
• The Switch 2 enhancement is treated as a technical improvement, not a separate campaign.
• No unverified Switch 2 feature is being used as a completion requirement.