Xerneas, a powerful Legendary Pokémon from the Kalos region, is currently not available in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Its absence, alongside Yveltal and Zygarde, is primarily due to strategic game design decisions related to the unique Terastal mechanic and the overwhelming power of their signature Aura Abilities.
The Impact of Aura Abilities and Terastallization
The core reason for Xerneas's exclusion stems from its powerful Ability, Fairy Aura. This Ability significantly boosts the power of Fairy-type attacks, and when combined with Scarlet and Violet's Terastallization feature, it could create an imbalance in gameplay.
Here’s a breakdown of the interaction:
- Xerneas's Fairy Aura: This Ability increases the power of all Fairy-type moves used by any Pokémon on the field by approximately 33 percent.
- Terastallization: This mechanic allows Pokémon to change their type to their Tera Type, boosting the power of moves matching that Tera Type and providing strategic defensive changes. If a Pokémon Terastallizes into a Fairy type, their Fairy-type moves receive a further significant boost.
Combining Fairy Aura with Terastallization would result in an exceptionally high damage output for Fairy-type attacks, potentially making Xerneas overly dominant in battles and trivializing the strategic depth intended by the Terastal mechanic.
Aura Legendary Abilities Overview
| Pokémon | Primary Type | Ability | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xerneas | Fairy | Fairy Aura | Boosts Fairy-type attacks by ~33% |
| Yveltal | Dark | Dark Aura | Boosts Dark-type attacks by ~33% |
Yveltal faces a similar situation with its Dark Aura Ability, which boosts Dark-type attacks by a comparable percentage. The omission of these Pokémon is likely a conscious decision by the developers to maintain a balanced and competitive environment within the Paldea region's unique battle system.
Balancing Gameplay in Paldea
The developers likely aimed to preserve the integrity and strategic complexity of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's core gameplay mechanics. Introducing Pokémon with Abilities as potent as Fairy Aura or Dark Aura, especially when they can synergize with Terastallization, might lead to:
- Power Creep: Making other Pokémon or strategies less viable in comparison.
- Reduced Strategic Variety: Encouraging players to rely almost exclusively on these boosted attacks, limiting diverse team compositions.
- Unintended Competitive Dominance: Leading to a less enjoyable experience in competitive play.
By keeping Xerneas and its counterparts out of the game, Game Freak ensures that the Terastal mechanic remains a central and balanced feature for strategic depth, rather than being overshadowed by a few overwhelmingly powerful Pokémon.
