Pokémon Carnation

Pokémon Carnation is an upcoming Role-Playing Game for the successor the Nintendo Switch and is planned to be released in 2026. The game celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the series and is the mainline entry for the 10th Generation of Pokémon. The game follows the player as they travel across the Lötenza Region (based on the Alps and their surrounding areas) solving the mysteries of the region and its strange connections to past regions.
==Plot Synopsis==
The player character is a child of the Lötenza region, born and raised in the region's central area overlooked by the vast Mt. Himmoren an enormous snowy mountain range that the rest of the region surrounds. As part of the Dreizak School the player receives their first Pokémon from the school's Professor of Pokémon Raising, Professor Lenten as part of a tradition the region holds similar to many others across the world.
After receiving their Pokémon the player learns that as part of the rite of passage for those that take Pokémon under their care in the school, like other schools in the region, the player will need to go explore the region, learning about all the various Pokémon that inhabit the lands. Part of this is visiting the other schools of the region and learning from their professors as well, each having a distinct expert in some field of Pokémon research similar to Professor Lenten. Along the way the player will be able to explore a wide variety of natural and man-made environments, the region's mountainous terrain has long acted as an untameable wilderness where Pokémon roam freely and particularly around Mt. Himmoren only narrow passages can be used to traverse.
Something already well-known to the player however is the powerful UM Co. an organization that grew out from the Alola region with its revolutionary transportation technology. As the player explores the region they'll be able to sync up with the UM Portals across the region allowing ease of access and even gain access to visit the UM Portals set-up in other regions that allow for instant access to completely foreign places.
==Gameplay==
Pokémon Carnation carries many of the gameplay elements from prior games including the core aspects of Pokémon Battling through the use of RPG mechanics and a semi-turn based system similar to Pokémon Legends: Arceus where speed affects the turn occurrence as well as turn order. Exploration is similar to that seen in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet with the player able to explore a 3D Open-World, however this time features a much more vertical region with open areas contrasted with more layered and puzzle-like restricted areas, mimicking the design elements seen in both the more open areas of Pokémon Sword & Shield, Pokémon Legends Arceus and Pokémon Scarlet & Violet to the older route-style areas from Pokémon Red & Blue, Pokémon Gold & Silver, Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire, Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, Pokémon Black & White, Pokémon X & Y and Pokémon Sun & Moon.
Pokémon Carnation also features a greater focus away from battling as the core aspect, while it is still a dominant aspect of gameplay and necessary for completion of the main story, the returning Pokémon Contests, Pokéathlon and other new gameplay systems allow the player to interact with their Pokémon in more novel ways while integrating the core RPG elements of the series (the six primary stats, types, movesets, experience, natures and abilities) into their gameplay mechanics allowing the player to grow their Pokémon's experience even through these side activities.
Pokémon capturing has also seen an evolution on the ideas presented in Pokémon Legends Arceus which ties into the additional gameplay elements as Pokémon behaviours have been expanded upon with more behaviours and reaction to the player requiring the player to think more carefully when approaching wild Pokémon, this also extends to battles themselves where additional flavour text is presented which can have gameplay impacts both positive for the player (similar to that seen from the Affection system in prior games) but also positive towards their opponent which includes the return of the SOS function from Pokémon Sun & Moon, Horde Battles from Pokémon X & Y and the addition of Battle Format Changes a new mechanic present in both wild and trainer battles.
===Generation X Mechanics===
Like prior generations, Pokémon Carnation features mechanics not seen in prior generations. The two mechanics introduced are Delta Genetics and Dream State. Dream State is somewhat of a culmination of prior mechanics in the series and is involed by a Pokémon holding one of the three types of Dream Crystals (Ruby Dream, Sapphire Dream or Emerald Dream) the effects differing according to which is held. Delta Genetics meanwhile is a random quality of a Pokémon which can appear on wild Pokémon and Pokémon hatched from eggs which can give them a variety of unique qualities.
====Dream State====
Dream State is a new mechanic introduced in Pokémon Carnation and involves the use of held items known as Dream Crystals. Dream State is very similar to prior mechanics like Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Dynamaxing and Terastalization serving as an in-battle mechanic which can be activated once per battle. Dream State comes in three varieties; Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald.
Ruby Dream State is most similar to Mega Evolution and Dynamaxing by altering the Pokémon's stats, the boost received will increase a Pokémon's stats in different ways but always results in a total stat increase of 100 Base Points. Sapphire Dream State is most similar to Z-Moves and Dynamax Moves in that it affects a Pokémon's moves giving them additional effects and increasing their power, like the former mechanic it can also only be used once per battle but is immensely powerful to compensate. Notably, secondary effects of the original move still apply such as recoil on moves like Double-Edge and the charging effect of moves like Frenzy Plant. Lastly, Emerald Dream State is the most similar to Terastalization changing a Pokémon's typing, however, Emerald Dream State will not retain STAB for the Pokémon's initial types if its Dream State type differs for example, a Girafarig whose Emerald Dream State is Fairy-Type will not receive STAB from its Normal-Type or Psychic-Type moves but will gain STAB from Fairy-Type moves it can use.
Ruby and Emerald Dream Crystals also have a Focus which simply allows the player to adjust what sort of boost the Pokémon will receive from its Dream State. For the Ruby Dream Crystal this determines how much is put towards each stat value (40, 30, 20, 10 & 0) while for the Emerald Dream Crystal it determines what type the Pokémon will change into.
====Delta Genetics====
Delta Genetics is a new mechanic introduced in Pokémon Carnation which causes random mutations in Pokémon, this mutation can manifest in a variety of ways but is determined when the player first encounters it either through a wild encounter or breeding. Some Pokémon are not affected by Delta Genetics such as Legendary Pokémon and Gift Pokémon, Delta Genetics can also appear on NPC Trainer's Pokémon although is set to be consistent.
The outcome of a Pokémon with Delta Genetics can vary from that Pokémon being able of learning moves outside of its natural learnset, having a distinct boost to a particular stat, having a wholly different ability from normal or even possessing an additional type. These forms of Delta Genetics are mutually exclusive and so a Pokémon cannot possess more than one at a time. Wild Pokémon will have completely random Delta Genetics when they're encountered however the player does have some degree of control over the presence of this mechanic in breeding.
When a Pokémon Egg is produced in the Day-Care it can inherit Egg Moves from other Pokémon not just the father, this also extends to the Delta Genetics where a Pokémon may gain an altered move, altered stat or altered type due to being in the presence of that particular move, stat, ability or type. There is no 100% guarantee for a Delta Gene to be expressed in a bred Pokémon although the more Pokémon with the particular quality are present the more likely that Pokémon will acquire that Delta Gene. Some moves are not able to be acquired through Delta Genetics, this includes all Signature Moves as well as moves exclusive to Legendary Pokémon. Delta Genes which express an enhanced stat have no restrictions although due to the way they're calculated the probability of getting a Delta Gene with a particular stat is not as high as getting one with a particular Move, Ability or Type due to the influence of the other stats of a Pokémon. Abilities have a few caveats, certain abilities particularly Signature Abilities are not obtainable for any Pokémon through Delta Genetics, in addition some Pokémon are not able to have their ability changed this includes Pokémon whose ability permits form change such as Aegislash and Cherrim as well as Pokémon who have self-detrimental abilities such as Slaking and Archeops. Like Stats, there is no restriction on which Types a Pokémon may acquire through Delta Genetics however if a Pokémon already possesses that type it cannot acquire another copy of that type such as a Pikachu being unable to get a Delta Gene of the Electric-Type.
===Battling Mechanics===
While the core foundation of battling in Pokémon Carnation remains the same as prior games significant additions have been made to add variety to gameplay for the player these include not only changes to the behaviour of the enemy AI but a significant expansion to field effects, status conditions and move interactions.
====Field Effects====
Field Effects have seen a significant change from prior games, in addition to returning sub-mechanics (Weather, Terrain, Hazards, Rooms, Screens) field effects can include a wide variety of aspects which can enhance or restrict the usage of moves. Most new field effects have fairly minor changes compared to older sub-mechanics but reward the player for synergizing their Pokémon's movesets. Field Effects are static elements of what is considered the field, that is things that effect either the player's team, the opposing team or both sides of the field rather than a specific singular Pokémon.
Field Effects may raise or lower the stats of a Pokémon while it is on the field such as Heavy Fog reducing the Accuracy Stat or Tailwind increasing the Speed Stat. Some field effects can affect the accuracy of certain moves or prevent them outright such as how Thunder has its accuracy change between standard weather, Sun and Rain or the inability to use priority moves when Psychic Terrain is active. Some of the new field effects and examples of activator moves are listed below.
Field Effect 	Description 	Activator Moves
Leaf Litter 	Increases the power, accuracy or enhances the secondary effects of plant-based moves (e.g. Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Flower Trick, Grass Whistle, Ingrain, etc.) 	Razor Leaf, Petal Dance, Grass Whistle, Magical Leaf, Leaf Blade, Leaf Storm, Grass Knot, Grass Pledge, Leaf Tornado, Petal Blizzard, Leafage, Branch Poke, Ivy Cudgel
Reflective Bubbles	Increases the power, accuracy or enhances the secondary effects of light-based moves (e.g. Mirror Coat, Mirror Shot, Flash, Flash Cannon, Tail Glow, etc.) 	Bubble, Bubblebeam, Sparkling Aria
Suppression Field 	All Secondary effects have their probability of activation halved (e.g. 30% activation becomes 15% activation, 100% activation becomes 50% activation) 	Gravity, Dark Void, Grav Apple, Visegrip, Crush Grip, Smack Down, Nightmare
Low Light 	Decreases the accuracy of all Non-Dark type moves by 5% and increases the accuracy of all Dark type moves by 5%. 	Haze, Smokescreen, Ominous Wind
Maelstrom 	Increases the power of wind-based moves but also locks the user into that move until the field effect subsides or runs out of PP (e.g. Hurricane, Silver Wind, Air Cutter, Fairy Wind, Leaf Tornado, Ominous Wind, Icy Wind, Twister, Air Slash)	Rainy Weather with; Whirlwind, Gust, Hurricane, Tailwind, Extreme Speed, Agility
Hot Embers 	Burns up most held items preventing their use and removing them from the battle (e.g. Berries, Herbs, clothing items like Assault Vest, Silk Scarf and Heavy Duty Boots, etc.) 	Fire Spin, Flame Wheel, Sacred Fire, Eruption, Blast Burn, Lava Plume, Magma Storm, Flame Burst, Inferno, Fire Pledge, Heat Crash, Mystical Fire, Burn Up
Congested Air 	Increases the power of Fire-Type moves by 5% and the accuracy of powder moves (e.g. Sleep Powder, Poison Powder, Stun Spore) and dust moves (e.g. Sand Tomb, Sandsear Storm) 	Sand-Attack, Shore Up, Sandstorm, Stomping Tantrum, Temper Flare, Stomp, Rolling Kick, Trop Kick, Rock Slide
Sub-Zero 	Decreases the Speed of Non-Ice type Pokémon by 15%. 	Snowy Weather with; Whirlwind, Twister, Hurricane, Mist, Blizzard, Icy Wind, Frost Breath, Freeze Shock, Freeze-Dry, Mountain Gale, Chilly Reception
Old World Power 	Causes the Secondary Effects of attacks to become 30% more likely to activate, Pokémon with the Serene Grace ability will always have the secondary effects of their moves activate. 	Ancient Power, Aura Sphere, Draco Meteor, Geomancy, Force Palm, Focus Blast, Light of Ruin, Judgement, Meteor Beam, Mystical Fire, Sacred Fire, Astral Barrage
====AI Behaviour====
AI Behaviour in Pokémon Carnation is generally similar to that of prior games, Pokémon Trainers and Wild Pokémon possess different AI but this also extends to sub-groups within both. The behaviour of Wild Pokémon in how they behave is generally random and will not attempt to target specific type matchups, however will attempt to achieve certain goals through the battle, all Pokémon possess what is known as Common Behaviour and Species Behaviour. The Common Behaviour of a Pokémon is the universal ruleset all Wild Pokémon operate on and has a roughly 1/3 chance of occurring during each turn phase, it simply has the Pokémon attempt to use any of its available attacks.
Species Behaviour is a new aspect to Wild Pokémon and sees them performing particular behaviours depending on specific tasks related to that Pokémon. Some behaviours mimic those seen in prior games such as some Pokémon attempting to flee from the battle or calling for aid (SOS) with high frequency. A Pokémon may possess more than one Species Behaviour and it will generally share Species Behaviour with Pokémon like itself similar to Pokémon Egg Groups, an example would be Pokémon such as Parasect, Amoonguss, Breloom, Shiinotic and Toedscruel which all share a species behaviour which prioritizes putting the player's Pokémon to sleep (either with moves like Sleep Powder or Spore) and then attempting to set-up methods of rapidly regenerating health (such as Ingrain, Moonlight or Leech Seed). Some Species Behaviours also include making use of flavour text such as that seen with Ursaring, Vigoroth, Beartic, Pangoro, Bewear and Ursaluna which can initiate a rage state greatly boosting their Attack stat but forcing them into an Encore as a result.
=====Trainer AI=====
Trainer AI has a significantly different approach to prior games, Trainers fall under particular categories and their individual trainer classes can also signify certain behaviours. Trainers start out unaware of the player's Pokémon's movesets and will attempt to respond to the player's Pokémon in the most appropriate method. Trainer's also have a baseline which varies across different Trainer Classes which infers the types of moves they will use, some trainers have no intelligence in this regard and will start out using moves effectively at random although prioritizing damage. Some trainer classes will attempt to use moves of a particular Type or style reflecting their Trainer Class (e.g. Bug Catchers prioritize Bug-Type moves) until it is no longer considered viable to use such moves. More intelligent trainers will already be aware of type matchups and attempt to respond with higher AI baselines accounting for the abilities a Pokémon might have (such as Levitate making some Pokémon immune to Ground-Type moves) as well as guessing if the player may be making use of certain items such as the Air Balloon or Super-effective reducing Berries.
As Trainers become aware of the player's Pokémon party's movesets and held items they will be able to respond in more complex ways, lower level AI will also forget moves after a certain number of turn phases while higher level AIs such as Ace Trainers and Gym Leaders will keep track of every move. Some AI will even attempt to predict likely moves the player might have on their Pokémon such as STAB-types and coverage against Super-Effective Types. One rather unique quirk applies to plot significant trainers such as Rivals who will remember what moves the player has on their Pokémon between battles, giving them a headstart on responding to the player's team during a battle.
====Flavour Text====
Flavour Text is a major new inclusion into battling for Pokémon Carnation, it has battles shift in unpredictable ways and expands on the mechanics seen with the Affection system in prior games although now applies to both the player and their opponent and can be positive or negative.
Flavour Text can come in a wide array of descriptions and can be a Pokémon's thoughts of individual actions (e.g. a Pokémon may be feeling peckish and will consume a held berry earlier than usual or a Pokémon may get amped up increasing its Speed Stat by one stage), it can also include aspects of the environment (e.g. Rain began to fall causing Rainy Weather or loose rocks were scattered around the ground leading to Stealth Rock). Flavour Text can also change aspects of the battle itself such as turning a battle into a Horde battle or SOS battle or simply forcing it into a Double or Triple battle format, it may also initiate Battle Royales which pit the player against two or more opponents that are not necessarily working together (e.g. the player may encounter a Seviper and Zangoose simultaneously leading to a Three-Way Battle Royale).
Flavour Text can also lead to the player acquiring items including both standard items and crafting items, this is especially common when using contact moves which can increase the amount of drops for the latter type of items from a Pokémon.
===Side Activities===
Although battling, catching and training Pokémon still serves as the primary gameplay of Pokémon Carnation, it also introduces a wide variety of side activities which allow the player to develop their Pokémon through other activities. These incorporate other gameplay styles that differ from the Turn-Based combat seen with battling and include;
* Pokémon Contests - Rhythm focused gameplay with elements of strategy which revolves around Pokémon completing performances for crowds.
* Pokéathlon - Action focused gameplay which involves the player making use of precise and rapid movements to complete sports-themed activities.
* PokéQuiz - Puzzle focused gameplay which involves the player needing to answer questions related to Pokémon as well as solve various puzzles both in the style of minigames and the overworld.
* Pokémon Adventure - Exploration focused gameplay which expands on the overworld and offers a greater deal of interactivity with the world, heavily emphasizes observational skills and a degree of logic puzzles.
* PokéVillage - Simulation focused gameplay which has the player maintaining a village meeting the needs and dealing with events as they occur, has a mixture of active and inactive gameplay.
A core difference these side activities offer over prior ones is the inclusion of the Experience system, allowing Pokémon to be trained through these methods instead of battling. Pokémon Stat growth also reflects this as EVs are determined through the activities and so can offer options similar to that of Super Training although on a more gradual scale. Notably, flavour text that occurs in battles with Pokémon trained will differ according to the most dominant form of training they received whether that's Battling, Contests, Sports, Quizzes, Adventures or Village.
Side Activities also retain the common features from prior entries allowing the player an easier means to acquiring particular items and having in-game ribbons associated with performing well in each side activity. Another factor that differs these side activities from prior entries is their integration into the region, not only do they provide the player with facilities to perform the side activities similar to Gyms in prior games and Contest Halls in Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire but in addition while the player is exploring the overworld they will come across locations and people where they can practice the different side activities out offering unique albeit more limited forms of the side activities. All of the side activities also feature the option to be activated in the overworld in general similar to Picnics from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.
====Pokémon Contests====
Pokémon Contests returns after its absence from several generations. The iteration present in Pokémon Carnation incorporates elements from both the Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire and Pokémon Diamond & Pearl iterations of the activity through the form of the move strategy section where the player needs to consider the moves they choose and the effects they will generate which can differ dramatically from their in-battle qualities. In addition the side activity also incorporates elements from the Pokémon Musical from Pokémon Black & White by featuring rhythm-based gameplay focused around the player performing particular tricks with their Pokémon to gain points.
The core gameplay of Pokémon Contests in this format is to acquire the most amount of points, Pokémon Contests feature three stages known as; Presentation, Solo & Competitive.
Presentation is the first and most basic stage for a Pokémon Contest and simply involves the Pokémon's appearance being judged, this can be improved by the player feeding the Pokémon Appeal food items which can raise their appeal in one of five stats (Cool, Tough, Studious, Beauty & Cute), in addition the player's actions in Refresh Plus can also have a positive impact on their initial Presentation Score. Another factor to consider is the environment, every Pokémon Contest will give hints to the player about what sort of Pokémon fits best with that location and while not necessary for winning it can help give a boost for players by choosing a Pokémon that synergizes with the theme.
The second and third stages, Solo & Competitive offer a more complex gameplay making use of the same features as Practice Battles in that the player directly controls their Pokémon. Similar to Mantine Surfing from Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon the player is able to perform tricks by inputting specific button combinations, these can differ somewhat reflecting the overall body type of the Pokémon and as such some Pokémon can be more difficult in achieving a good score through this aspect. The button inputs for actions make use of the face buttons with Jump, Slide, Spin and Pivot being the player's actions which when combined can create tricks ranging from Flips and Pirouettes to Super Jumps and Twisters. Moves also use the Face Buttons but are active when the player holds down either of the shoulder buttons, moves are mapped simply based on what order they're place in on the Pokémon's menu screen.
Moves have a base Appeal score which indicates how many points they'll generate when performed, moves can be bolstered by performing specific moves one after another or after an action like Jumping or Spinning. During the Solo stage, the player's main goal should be to rack up a combo score, this is done through back-to-back actions, tricks and moves and the player can tell when a Chain is active as a bar will appear that ticks down until the chain is broken getting faster the higher the chain. Moves also have cooldowns between uses which is based on their PP value requiring the player to consider when to use a move as it might not be available for some time.
The Competitive stage although similar to the Solo stage features the player needing to contend with up to five other Pokémon also performing. During the Competitive stage one or two spotlights will appear which the player can use to boost their score. Combo Chains are also present in competitive although decrease much faster making it impossible to attain the higher combo chains possible in Solo stage. A major element of Competitive Stage is Jamming and Damage. Moves also feature a Jamming score which is used in the Competitive stage and will negatively affect other moves used around it, the higher the Jamming score the more powerful this effect will be as such it can be beneficial for the player to make use of Actions and Tricks instead of Moves if an opponent uses moves near them during this stage. Damage is also present, if the player or an opponent makes contact with another Pokémon's move then they will receive damage, this reduces their score and may make them unable to perform certain actions for a few seconds. A core element of the Competitive stage is maintaining control over the opposition, making use of the player's moves to jam or damage their opponents, knowing when to use Actions and Tricks instead of Moves and how to avoid particular attacks.
Once all three stages are completed the final score will be tallied and a winner announced. The player is able to watch the solo stage performance of the winner which may help them in improving their own score as well as better understand the gameplay.
It should be noted that when a Pokémon Contest is initiated in the overworld the Presentation stage is not present, rather the player's score is reflected by other Pokémon appearing to watch the performing Pokémon. This can also mean the Competitive stage does not appear either if there aren't enough wild Pokémon attracted to initiate it. Points can still be earned and rewarded as Experience through this method and it can also make it easier for the player to find certain Pokémon as the Pokémon that are attracted remain present in the overworld afterwards.
====Pokéathlon====
Pokéathlon makes its return from Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver serving as an action-style approach to gameplay making use of sports activities for Pokémon to play. The game mode is focused on precision and speed. Pokémon are able to earn experience through completing the different Pokéathlon events which emphasize different stat growths. The game mode has been greatly expanded upon from its predecessor with more events to choose from and different modes known as; Classic, Marathon & Quick.
Pokémon stats dictate their certain skills;
* HP - The total stamina of a Pokémon indicating how long they can perform more arduous tasks for
* Attack - The power a Pokémon possesses, affecting their ability to deal with opposing Pokémon as well as physical obstacles
* Defence - The guard of a Pokémon, it indicates the resistance to that Pokémon stumbling during an event from obstacles or opposing Pokémon as well as their recovery time
* Special Attack - The skill a Pokémon has in regards to quick turns, sharp movements and the ability to land critical strikes, it also affects the accuracy of a Pokémon's attacks during certain mini-games
* Special Defence - The recovery of a Pokémon, in regards to how quickly they can regenerate stamina as well as contributing towards recovering from stumbles, it is also the stat which dictates the overall radius of effect the Pokémon has with goal orientated mini-games
* Speed - The overall movement of a Pokémon, how fast it can move or initiate actions as well as its dodge potential
Classic Mode bears the closest resemblance to the original Pokéathlon with the player selecting three Pokémon which participate as a group in three events. The goal of the player is to complete each even achieving the most amount of points, some events revolve around achieving a particular goal while others have the player directly competing against other Pokémon and some have the player simply trying to accumulate points. The score from each is tallied and the larger the score the more experience the player's Pokémon receives.
Pokémon can also receive experience through additional bonuses given at the end of Classic or Marathon Mode these are awards which indicate a Pokémon's particular qualities during the competition, these give a boost to the EXP earned for that Pokémon.
Classic Mode appears generally in the overworld and is done through interacting with other characters, by contrast Marathon Mode is a larger and generally one-off affair similar to a Gym battle and is only encountered in the Pokéathlon stadiums. Each Marathon focuses on a different type of event although completing them allows the player to create custom Marathons to train on as well as practice against different trainers. Marathon Mode is comprised of five events and makes use of the player's full party. There is also a larger amount of opponents in this mode resulting in larger scale events to take place.
During Marathon Mode the player's goal is for the first four events to achieve enough points to be in 1st or 2nd, if the player fails to meet this criteria the fifth event is skipped and the player will need to try again. The fifth event of a Marathon Mode is always a one-on-one event between the player and the Stadium's champion, it is always an even that the champion's Pokémon are suited for and for some is unique to just that Marathon until the player unlocks the custom Marathon version. By attaining enough points to achieve 1st at the end of the fifth event, the player will pass the Marathon and achieve recognition in the form of a Stadium Trophy as well as the previously mentioned EXP through completing the events.
The last event type is Quick Mode which is accessible anywhere in the overworld. As the name suggests this mode is comprised of only a singular event and only allows for up to 2 Pokémon for the player to make use of. Depending on where the player activates the mode, Wild Pokémon or another Pokéathlon Trainer may be involved in the event. This mode is very quick in comparison to the others and more closely mirrors traditional battling in terms of the speed at which EXP is earned, it also lacks the additional bonus awards the other modes give.
As a Pokémon gains experience through the Pokéathlon they will be able to level up similar to battling. This also allows the Pokémon to gain access to new moves, unlike other gameplay options Pokémon moves are quite abstracted in Pokéathlon with the player able to use moves as actions. A moves most basic properties will be abstracted and can be used in the Pokéathlon event, some moves such as stat-raising moves are effectively unchanged and function to give the player's Pokémon a boost during the event. Attacking moves generally will expend a considerable amount of stamina but in exchange can significantly stumble opposing Pokémon as well as work towards particular goals, not all attacking moves are given this however with the more basic moves like Tackle, Pound and Scratch simply acting identically to the basic Attack function of events. Some attacking moves as well as status moves can create hazards which can trap or affect opposing Pokémon this can range from limiting movement (generally seen with Speed reducing attacks, Sleep-inducing and Paralysis-inducing), making a Pokémon uncontrollable (Burn-inducing and Confusion-inducing) or affecting the Pokémon's movement to be more difficult to control (Freeze-inducing).
====PokéQuiz====
PokéQuiz is a new side mode introduced in Pokémon Carnation. It is a puzzle-focused style of gameplay which involves the puzzles being tested on information related to Pokémon as well as solving environmental puzzles. PokéQuiz incorporates elements seen in prior games such as the School Tests in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, the Radio Show Quiz in Pokémon Gold & Silver as well as overworld puzzles seen through the use of HMs in earlier entries up to and including Pokémon X & Y.
PokéQuizzes are able to be initiated in any location in the overworld and are also offered by characters found throughout the overworld as well as in towns and cities. Unlike most other modes, PokéQuiz gives experience evenly to all Pokémon in the player's party which can make it quite useful in bringing otherwise under-leveled Pokémon up through means outside of Switch Training.
When initiating a PokéQuiz the player will generally be tasked with either answering a series of questions or solving an environmental puzzle. Some PokéQuizzes require certain Pokémon present to be started, these can include a Pokémon of interest for certain quizzes that revolve around that Pokémon as well as Pokémon with certain overworld abilities reflected in their movesets for environmental puzzles. A core component of the gameplay during these segments is timing, the faster a player can solve the quiz questions or environmental puzzles the more experience they can earn on top of the base experience. In addition, players will often be able to find additional items through the environmental puzzles which would otherwise be more difficult to come across and reflect on the type of puzzle presented.
A special type of PokéQuiz that exists are PokéQuiz Dojos which offer both offline and online options where the player must compete with other trainers to both answer questions of a quiz while also solving multiple environmental puzzles. The set-up for these is similar to that seen in the Trick House from Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire with obstacles which require the player to answer quiz questions to progress while also solving the macro environmental puzzle. Within these Dojos there are particular switches that can be pulled to activate traps for other players to deal with, these are typically located out of the way and so reward players for exploring and can give them an edge, the effects of these traps vary but are mainly focused around stunting the ability for others to progress through reduced or altered movement and visual tricks.
Completing a PokéQuiz Dojo is an important part of progression as they also unlock the Hard Mode and EX Mode renditions which not only have different puzzles to deal with but offer tougher opponents.
====Pokémon Adventure====
Pokémon Adventure is a side activity which is able to be accessed across many locations throughout the region in Pokémon Carnation. Pokémon Adventure involves the player controlling their Pokémon as they explore a labyrinth, these labyrinths are generally focused in their design and to access them the player's Pokémon must be able to perform a particular action. Actions differ from Pokémon to Pokémon and as long as one member of the player's team possesses that action the whole team can enter.
The Labyrinths in Pokémon Adventure feature a variety of obstacles to face and are generally solved in an Adventure-style approach where the player needs to find and make use of key items to solve the labyrinth. Labyrinths often contain areas that require a particular action to be performed which the ones critical to completing the labyrinth being required to enter it. There are also optional actions in each labyrinth which can lead to various treasures or act as shortcuts, as labyrinths can be revisited the player is able to freely swap out their team members to fully complete the labyrinth. Labyrinths feature puzzles which make use of items, these are generally logic puzzles in a similar vein to those seen in the Legend of Zelda and Resident Evil series where the player needs to use intuition and understanding of a space and its components to solve the puzzles. These are also sometimes shared with the environmental puzzles seen in PokéQuiz although most are unique to one side activity or the other.
One of the major challenges within the Labyrinths are the enemies, enemy Pokémon patrol the labyrinths often in groups, this results in horde battles which cannot be run from and can be quite challenging, the player is able to separate enemy Pokémon into small groups or even individuals by alerting some but not all of them, this alters their patrol pattern making it easier to deal with them. Many labyrinths also feature and end boss which may be a Pokémon or a boss entity. These boss encounters can often have unique quirks to their behaviour and can function very differently from a regular battle such as having the player needing to make use of timing-based inputs, being in real-time instead of turn-based or even having the player consider the position of their Pokémon and the opponent on the battlefield.
Unlike most other side activities, the Pokémon Adventure does not feature proper major bosses in-line with a Gym or League system, rather the player is free to explore each labyrinth on their own and completing them can give the player rewards at the central location for this side activity, the Explorer's Guild.
=====The Explorer's Guild=====
The Explorer's Guild is a central location to the Pokémon Adventure side activity, it is both a large building located in Monator City as well as small structures found near Pokémon Centers and PokéMarts in other settlements. Explorer's Guilds provide the player with useful resources, tips and rewards related to the Labyrinths they explore. The player will often find helpful NPCs who can point the player towards particular labyrinths as well as provide quests which give the player access to particular and unique Labyrinths. The player can also exchange resources as the Guild Shop a shop within the Explorer's Guild which sells items including the Delver Berries, Smart Balls and Action Tools. Delver Berries are berries which have functions similar to those of man-made items like Repels and Escape Ropes that previously didn't have an associated berry, the distinction is they are able to be used by a Pokémon while exploring the Labyrinth and give similar effects. Smart Balls have the same role as PokéBalls but as their name would suggest are able to be used independently by the player while exploring a Labyrinth although the player is heavily limited in the amount they carry. Lastly, Action Tools offer the player with the ability to use actions even if they do not have a Pokémon suitable for that action. Action Tools are comparatively more expensive and also have limited uses before they break, they also cannot be used to enter a Labyrinth and so are better used when dealing with optional objectives.
The Explorer's Guild is comprised of several central figures that serve to provide the player with the main questlines around the Guild, these involve exploring the various Labyrinths of the region as well as engaging in a few battles and needing to make use of the observational skills the player is tested on through the Labyrinths in the overworld from time to time.
====PokéVillage====
PokéVillage is a new side activity introduced in Pokémon Carnation, it is a rather unique game mode where the player maintains and takes care of a village that their Pokémon as well as wild Pokémon inhabit. The gameplay is distinct from other side activities and focuses less on objectives and rather on maintaining the player's own village while resolving issues for other villages. The game mode is similar to that of city-building games where the player needs to expend resources to construct new locations throughout the village, the player is free to organize the layout and buildings present in their city and can through the course of the game upgrade and unlock new styles for buildings.
Buildings in the PokéVillage attract different Pokémon and serve different functions helping to meet the needs of the Pokémon present. The main goal of the PokéVillage is to increase the village's overall size and be able to complete activities that turn up, these activities are generally themed around having Pokémon with certain qualities (Types, Species, Moves, Abilities, etc.). By completing the activities the player earns the primary currency between the overworld and the PokéVillage, DP (Discovery Points) which allow the player to unlock expansions to their PokéVillage as well as additional activities which become available as the player progresses.
A large part of PokéVillage is the strategy of maintaining the village, Pokémon have different needs which need to be met the most basic being Food, Water and Housing with additional secondary needs baised on that Pokémon which can increase its contentness within the village which can be necessary for the operation of some higher level buildings and structures. The player is able to have their own Pokémon inhabit the PokéVillage, but can also attract Wild Pokémon which will generally reflect where in the player's exploration of the region they are.
The player will also come across other NPCs who may visit the player's village or be found in the overworld, they will offer the player with tasks they want the player to complete in exchange for rewards, this can also include new buildings. A select group of these NPCs found in the overworld offer more significant tasks which involve the player creating a new village with specific presets which can force the player to think about how to construct the villages more effectively, these special tasks are known as Projects and act similar to Gym challenges as the player will need to have trained their Pokémon to be able to effectively make use of their moves in these Projects as well as have a moderate to in-depth understanding of how to maintain a village to succeed in a Project.
Pokémon are able to gain experience through PokéVillage which offers the most passive means of Exp growth similar to the Pokémon Day-Care in prior generations as simply leaving the Pokémon in the PokéVillage to complete standard tasks will increase their experience. Depending on the task a Pokémon is assigned will also affect aspects such as their EV growth and being able to learn moves outside of their level-up learnset such as TMs, Tutor Moves and Egg Moves. Using Pokémon for specific activities will also see the Pokémon earn a large amount of experience which is in proportion to the activity's complexity rather than the Pokémon's level making it an effective method of raising Pokémon at already high levels due to scaling.
====Minor Activities====
Pokémon Carnation like prior entries in the series also features a number of minor activities, these are generally more specific affairs for players and are generally focused on a singular location or a select few NPCs. Many activities from prior entries in the series also make a return here retaining much of their mechanics from their original appearances;
=====Fishing=====
=====Safari Zone=====
=====Bug-Catching=====
=====Diving=====
=====Secret Bases=====
=====Spelunking=====
=====PokéShop=====
===Catching Mechanics===
Much like the prior games in the series particularly, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Pokémon Carnation further improves and adds variety to the catching mechanics present in the game. Catching Pokémon has an option in the menu which the player can toggle between Classic Mode which emulates the older games in which the PokéBall is used purely as an item with a chance to catch wild Pokémon and Active Mode which incorporates elements present in both Pokémon Legends Arceus and Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee.
====Active Mode====
Active Mode capture is a new system introduced in Pokémon Carnation which builds on prior more involved catching mechanics. The player is able to attempt a capture on a wild Pokémon while in the overworld outside of battle, much of this builds on concepts seen with the Safari Zone in prior games in which the player needs to carefully approach the Pokémon without alerting it (which may cause the Pokémon to run away or attack) and use items such as Berries and Food Items to lower the Pokémon's guard. As the player progresses through the main story they'll gain access to an item which also provides them with an approximate percentage chance a PokéBall has on catching a Pokémon while outside of battle, this accounts for several factors such as the distance the player is to the Pokémon, the quality of the PokéBall in question, how alert of the player the Pokémon is and how guarded that Pokémon is. Some PokéBalls have also had additional effects to their catching rates to reflect this such as the Lure Ball working on any Pokémon on the surface of water when outside of battle as it would be impossible to sneak up on a Pokémon by fishing it.
If the player uses Active Mode while in battle to catch a wild Pokémon they'll be presented with a style similar to that seen in Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee. The player will need to attempt to throw the PokéBall at the Pokémon but can also use items like outside of battle to help improve odds. Pokémon behaviour during this catching portion of a battle depends on the Pokémon and is influenced by their health and status conditions. Some Pokémon such as Pikachu can be very quick when moving about while others like Snorlax will instead attempt to block the player's PokéBall. Pokémon at lower health have worse reaction times and move more slowly and this is amplified by the Poison, Burn and Paralysis status effects. If a Pokémon is Asleep or Frozen they will be unable to move greatly increasing the likelihood the player is able to capture that Pokémon as Active Mode has an innately higher catch rate compared to Classic Mode with the challenge being the Pokémon's behaviour. If a Pokémon has certain volatile status conditions but not one of the non-volatile status conditions listed previously this can also affect their behaviour;
* Confusion - Causes the Pokémon to stumble about, their movement is erratic but very slow
* Infatuated - The Pokémon will be very playful, their guard will be significantly lowered reducing the need for items
* Bound/Cursed/Seeded - The Pokémon's movements are restricted and will have a much smaller movement radius compared to normal
* Grounded - Any airborne Pokémon will be stuck walking on the ground, for some Pokémon this renders them immobile
* Misty Terrain - Non-Airborne Pokémon will move less erratically
* Electric Terrain - Non-Airborne Pokémon will move faster
* Sandstorm/Snow/Foggy Weather - Visibility will be reduced when throwing the PokéBall (this does not effect the catch rate however)
===Pokémon Raising===
Pokémon Raising is a much more prominent feature in Pokémon Carnation than prior games. A concept introduced in earlier Pokémon games by TRI that returns in Pokémon Carnation is that of Raising influenced Evolution in that the player's actions towards their Pokémon can allow the Pokémon to evolve sooner and gain additional boosts through level-ups if they're treated well. This expands on the Refresh mechanics seen in Pokémon Sun & Moon which rewarded the player for treating their Pokémon well.
Pokémon Raising encapsulates three primary aspects of out-of-battling experience; Refresh Plus, Practice Battles and Workout Routines.
====Refresh Plus====
Refresh Plus is an advancement on the returning Refresh mechanic from Pokémon Sun & Moon, the mechanic allows the player to take care of their Pokémon by petting them, cleaning them and fixing status ailments outside of battle (although this aspect now consumes items as necessary). Refresh Plus is an important mechanic as it helps build Friendship which has been made much more difficult to obtain through previous means, which in turn can allow a Pokémon to gain larger boosts through level-up and even evolve earlier if attained high enough.
Refresh Plus comes with several mechanics that prevent the player from being able to spam the mechanic most prominently featured in the Tiring mechanic which results in diminishing returns from repeated actions by the player in Refresh Plus even leading to a Pokémon's friendship going down if the player attempts to overuse the system. This is countered by the player simply letting time pass, engaging in activities with the Pokémon and making use of the Let's Go feature of overworld exploration. The player can always check the Energy level of their Pokémon to determine whether it is appropriate to engage with them more in Refresh Plus again or not. It should be noted that post-battle Refresh Plus has its own mechanics around this separate from opening Refresh Plus out of battle from the menu and will simply stop giving the player additional Friendship points rather than taking away Friendship points after an amount of time.
In addition to improving the friendship of the player's Pokemon they can also acquire a number of items through interacting with their Pokémon through this system primarily food items, berries, some held items and on rare occasions may result in an item that Pokémon consumed in battle being recycled back to the player. Additionally Refresh Plus provides Dex information to the player for their Pokémon as their friendship is increased giving the player more information on how to interact with the wild species of that Pokémon's evolutionary line.
====Practice Battles====
Practice Battles is a new mechanic introduced in Pokémon Carnation which allows the player to have their Pokémon practice battling in a similar vein to the Synchro Machine from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Indigo Disk. The player controls their Pokémon and can go around and challenge Pokémon in the local surrounding area. Unlike regular battling this uses a separate mini-game which requires the player to use the Pokémon's attacks in a sort of rhythm strategy approach where different moves have different responses and the goal is to respond to the opposing Pokémon's attacks as optimally as possible.
Practice Battles have two primary rewards, the first is Move Enhancement which allows existing moves a Pokémon has learned to become enhanced gaining additional properties either in the form of secondary/tertiary effects, additional base power, increased PP or increased accuracy. Some moves have divergent Move Enhancements known as Skill Arts and are reserved for generally late game powerful moves, these function similar to the styles seen in Pokémon Legends Arceus where the skill arts tend to focus around a difference in two approaches to a particular move.
The other reward the player can get from Practice Battles is New Moves, moves that a Pokémon learns through Level-Up, Egg Moves, TMs or Move Tutor Moves can be learnt through these Practice Battles. The probability is directly correlated with both the Friendship the player has with the Pokémon and also how many of the opposing Pokémon species the player has defeated in a row during the current session. Any move within the other Pokémon's moveset that the player's Pokémon can learn may be learnt through this technique however particular moves only can be obtained through this method as the player progresses through the main story (as to prevent the player accidentally ending up with late game moves early on).
====Workout Routines====
Workout Routines is a return of Super Training and Hyper Training from prior games. The system allows the player to adjust their Pokémon's EVs and later IVs. Workout Routines also provide the player with information about the Pokémon's stats as they level-up letting the player know ahead of time approximately how much each stat is currently expected to increase by. Workout Routines is the least interactive of the three mechanics under Pokémon Raising and generally focuses more on the player finding Workout Routines to provide to their Pokémon.
Workout Routines can be bought in the form of the Primo & Maximo Training CDs which are sold at most shops found throughout the Lötenza region, however the player can also find better routines through exploring the region. Routines can allow the player to respecialize their Pokémon's EVs. This is presented in a bar of the Pokémon's EVs with 510 lines representing each EV, initially the player can only override the oldest EVs in the bar with new EVS although can through progression of the main story acquire a means to specify which EVs the Workout Routine should replace. Workout Routines come with a variety of values either divisible by 4 and/or 10 which is denoted on the routine's item icon. Like with other means of EV acquisition, having the Macho Brace held by a Pokémon or a Pokémon having contracted Pokérus will double the amount of EVs gained respectively (quadruple if both are in effect).
Workout Routines can also be used to adjust the IVs of a Pokémon although this is made available much later than access to EVs. The player is able to freely respecialize a Pokémon's IVs using Hyper Workout Routines which can swap out, 1-4 IVs from one stat with another. This is a one-to-one transaction meaning that using these items does not increase or decrease a Pokémon's total IVs and cannot be used if the stat lacks the IVs to give or the space to add more IVs to (e.g. An Attack Stat with 0IVs cannot have more taken away and a Defense Stat with 31IVs cannot have more given). There are extremely rare Golden Workout Routines which are the only method of increasing the Total IVs a Pokémon has, these are known as Golden IVs and once applied to a Pokémon cannot be moved or removed, the limit of 31 IVs still applies and only a maximum of 6 Golden IVs may be present on a Pokémon across all of its stats.
==PokéDex==
TBA
==Characters==
TBA
==Lötenza Region==
The Lötenza Region's Map
The Lötenza region is the main setting Pokémon Carnation, it is a large and expansive region which covers a wide landscape with the central feature being Mt. Himmoren which comprises a large mountainous environment that bisects the region between North and South.
Similar to the Paldea Region in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, the Lötenza region features large open environments navigated in a 3D space of the overworld. Lötenza differs from the prior region however by featuring portions which more closely resemble the more enclosed and winding designs of Routes and dungeons from prior games, this is most evidently seen in the more heavily forested and mountainous environments where impassable terrain requires the player to find the way towards their destination. In general however these locations act as connections between the more open environments as well as focusing access towards locations of interest such as cities and dungeons.
The Lötenza region also features a considerable amount of dungeons compared to prior games not just the other 3D entries but also earlier entries as well. Dungeons in Lötenza are denoted as being; Open or Closed. An Open Dungeon is one that is found simply through traversing on the surface, they're part of the overworld and the player is able to exit them quite easily. Closed Dungeons by comparison are usually an enclosed space such as building or cavern but also include particular ruins and dense forested locations with a thick canopy which the player is only able to access and exit from via the specified entry locations and is treated more so as its own location separate from the rest of the overworld (although Dig, Teleport and Escape Ropes still allow the player to leave these locations).
Fully exploring the Lötenza region requires the use of Field Moves, similar to the PokéQuiz Environmental puzzles. These Field Moves are unlocked throughout the game and require the player to have access to a Pokémon capable of using that Field Move, all Pokémon have their Field Moves listed in both their PokéDex and on their menu screen, the Pokémon in question does not need to be in the player's party when using said Field Move as the player has access to their PC Menu in the overworld.
===UM Portals===
UM Portals (Ultra Megalopolis Portals) allow the player to travel and explore snippets of other regions, most of the major regions in the series are represented through these portals (excluding Kitakami) although it is generally focused around a singular point of interest or segment of the region.
The explorable settings of former regions in Pokémon Carnation
As the player unlocks more UM Portals they will be able to explore portions of the regions; Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Orre, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar & Paldea.
====Kanto Portal====
The UM Portal to Kanto in Pokémon Carnation leads to Saffron City, the region's largest city and most advanced. Here the player can find many interesting sights including the Magnet Train, the Fighting Dojo and Silph Co. Also accessible from Saffron City are its adjacent Routes in Route 7 and Route 8 with the former being a large park-like environment where many trainers gather to relax with their Pokémon and play in social sports together while the latter is a small winding mountainous Route overgrown with vegetation.
Beyond Route 7 lies Lavender Town a small settlement nestled in the mountainous terrain of East Kanto which is notable for its Radio Tower which was constructed within an old graveyard for Pokémon spirits. Mr. Fuji's House, a notable building in Lavender Town provides a refuge for many orphaned Pokémon and is maintained in honour of the man who protected the spirits of Lavender Town in the past. Heading up the Mountain leads one to Route 10 and Rock Tunnel a large interconnected series of tunnels that twist and snake having been made long ago by massive Rock-Type Pokémon.
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