Terastal phenomenon

The **Terastal phenomenon** or **Terastallization** (Japanese: **テラスタル** *Terastal*) is a temporary transformation affecting Pokémon and Magic Gem wielders.

Terastallizing gives the affected a gem-like appearance and changes its type.

## Terminology

There are some terms related to this mechanic:

* **Terastal phenomenon** or **Terastallization** (Japanese: **テラスタル** *Terastal*) is the transformation.
* **Terastallize** (Japanese: **テラスタルする** *Terastallize*) is the related verb for this transformation.
* **Tera Pokémon** (Japanese: **テラスタルポケモン** *Terastal Pokémon*), also known as **Terastallized Pokémon** (Japanese: **テラスタルしたポケモン**), is the transformed Pokémon.
* **Tera Type** (Japanese: **テラスタイプ** *Teras Type*) is the type of the Terastallized Pokémon.
* **Terastal energy** (Japanese: **テラスタルエネルギー** *Terastal energy*) is the energy involved in this transformation.
* **Tera Jewel** (Japanese: **テラスタルジュエル** *Terastal Jewel*) is the jewel on top of the head of a Terastallized Pokémon.
* **Tera Orb** (Japanese: **テラスタルオーブ** *Terastal Orb*) is the Key Item that allows a Pokémon to Terastallize.
* **Tera Shard** (Japanese: **テラピース** *Tera Piece*) is any of the items that change a Pokémon's Tera Type. There are 18 Tera Shards, one for each type.
* **Tera Raid Battle** (Japanese: **テラレイドバトル** *Tera Raid Battle*) is a type of Pokémon battle.
* **Tera Blast** (Japanese: **テラバースト** *Tera Burst*) is a move related to this phenomenon.
* **Terastal Form** is an additional form for Pokémon species that change their appearance when Terastallizing, as well as the form used for Magic Gem wielders.

## History

There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Terastal phenomenon and why it only happens in Paldea. Professors Sada (in Scarlet) and Turo (in Violet) were known to be researching this mysterious transformation. It is later reveled the Terastal phenomenon also occurs in Kitakami, though as shown in the series, it can be used in other regions as well as long as the one using it is a Magic Gem wielder.

The Terastal phenomenon as used by Pokémon was first discovered 140 years prior to SV in Area Zero along with Terastallized Pokémon at the bottom of the Great Crater of Paldea. However, attempts to remove Terastallized Pokémon from the crater caused the light to disappear. Further details of the Terastal phenomenon thus remained unclear for a while.

Ten years before the events of the Paldea seasons, the two professors started to solve the mystery. The professors discovered the energy emitted from shining crystals in Area Zero is what triggered the Terastal phenomenon. The Tera Orbs were then created by the professors from the Terastal energy located in Area Zero. Clavell helped support the research on it. This allowed people to Terastallize their Pokémon outside of Area Zero. The Tera Orb was then shared to the Paldea League and the Naranja Academy (Scarlet)/Uva Academy (Violet).

At some point, the Terastal energy was used by the professors to create a time machine, bringing in Paradox Pokémon from the ancient past (Scarlet)/distant future (Violet), including a pair of Koraidon (Scarlet)/Miraidon (Violet).

The crystalline petals of Glimmora seem to resemble the Tera Jewels that appear during the Terastal phenomenon. It is unknown if there is a connection between Glimmora and the Terastal phenomenon, though many of them (along with its pre-evolution, Glimmet) can be found in Area Zero, the place where the phenomenon originated.

The Scarlet Book (Scarlet)/Violet Book (Violet) makes cryptic hints that it may be linked to an unknown Pokémon resembling a disk made of layers of overlapping hexagons, but the truth of this has yet to be confirmed. A journal in Research Station No. 1 further implies its existence and relationship to the phenomenon. The journal reads:

> "We've determined that this energy crystallization is linked to the being we call ▊▊▊▊▊▊. The interlocking hexagonal plates that comprise ▊▊▊▊▊▊'s shell must somehow cause this phenomenon—which I've dubbed 'Terastallizing.'"
>
>

This Pokémon is revealed to be Terapagos, based on its description. A nineteenth Tera Type was later discovered that appears to have all 18 types as one.

## Effects

Trainers who obtain a Tera Orb are able to use it to Terastallize their Pokémon, which makes a Tera Jewel appear above the Pokémon's head, causes the Pokémon's body to glisten like gems. This changes the Pokémon's defensive type(s) to its Tera Type, removing all other types. Terastallized Pokémon are identified by having "Tera" in front of their name.

While Terastallized, Pokémon receive STAB on moves matching their Tera Type, in addition to moves matching the type(s) they had immediately before Terastallizing. If the Pokémon's Tera Type is the same as one of its original types, moves of that type receive an ×2 power boost instead of the usual ×1.5.

During this time, Adaptability works only for the Tera Type (with ×1.5 becoming ×2 and ×2 becoming ×2.25). Additionally, moves of the Tera Type that have base power below 60 but are not a multi-strike move or an increased priority move are stealthily boosted to 60BP; this is checked for after Technician's boost. Pokémon can only have one Tera Type. The move Tera Blast changes type to the Pokémon's innate Tera Type upon Terastalizing.

Terastallized Pokémon cannot have their type changed from moves and Abilities such as Soak, Double Shock, Protean, or Transform. A Pokémon using Transform before Terastallizing will not copy its opponent's Tera Type and will instead keep its own.

The Terastal phenomenon lasts until the battle ends or the Terastallized Pokémon faints. After being used once, the Tera Orb loses all its Terastal energy and has to be recharged by either touching crystals containing Terastal energy or visiting a Pokémon Center. An exception to this can be found in Area Zero, where the Tera Orb will automatically recharge each time it is used.

## Appearances

### Terastal Form

Similar to the Dynamax and Gigantamax phenomenon, some Pokémon species, as well as the Magic Gem wielders, have a separate **Terastal Form** which changes their appearance significantly when Terastallizing, instead of simply gaining their Tera Type's jewel for the former. In the case of the latter, it is referred to as **Tera Power**.

## Trivia

* Due to Florian choosing Fuecoco, no NPC Trainer in the Scarlet season Terastallizes their Pokémon into the Fire type.

## Gallery

### Tera Power Jewels

NormalFightingFlyingPoisonBugGhostFireWaterGrassElectricIceGroundPsychicRockDragonDarkSteelFairySpecial