How to Get Pokemon to Follow You SV
It may not be common knowledge for everyone since not all had the chance to play Pokemon Yellow during their early years, but back then, having Pokemon follow you around the world was a feature that goes back to the Gameboy era. This feature returns in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, along with a few additional quirks. Besides gaining the ability to have your Pokemon partner of choice along with you on the field, you’ll also want to keep them there early in your adventure to optimize their levels.
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Follow the Leader
If you want to walk together with your Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet, you’ll first have to play through the game until you reach the first Pokemon Center. This is where the initial introductory scenes start, where you’ll reach the small community within Los Platos. After listening (more like reading because we don’t have voiceovers) to Nemona go over how the TM Machine works, what items you can buy in the Poke Mart, and how you can utilize the Pokemon Center, she’ll also show you how to use the Let’s Go feature.
Now, you might’ve heard the name “Let’s Go” pop up before, and that’s because we did get Let’s Go Pokemon games on the Nintendo Switch. The Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee! games were released on November 16, 2018. Besides featuring connectivity with Pokemon Go (the AR mobile game made by Niantic), you could play, pet, and choose whichever Pokemon you want to be on your side. If you choose a Pokemon with riding capabilities like Charizard, you could traverse the map more quickly since it can use its wings to fly.
In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the Let’s Go feature is relatively easy to use; just press the R or ZR button to release the lead Pokemon on your team to let it wander around you. If you want to return your Pokemon to its Poke Ball, you can just press the ZR button again to remove them from the field. You can swap the lead Pokemon from your roster through the menu by pressing the X button on your controller or joycon.
The Difference Between R and ZR
There are two ways to release a Pokemon out of their Poke Ball in Scarlet and Violet, and that’s through the R and ZR button. The main difference between the two buttons is that with the ZR button, the lead Pokemon you’ll be letting out will only stay by your side. On the other hand, with the R button, it can engage in battles on its own with any wild Pokemon it’s bound to run into when it roams. Besides that, it’ll also be able to pick up any items it may find in its vicinity. The best way to describe the R button in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is that it uses the auto-battle feature. As the name suggests, it will fight automatically whenever your Pokemon enters a battle using the R button. Weaknesses and type advantages still apply, and there are no menus or other inputs needed from you for it to function. Sounds pretty neat, eh? Well, there’s actually a drawback to that.
Your Pokemon and opponent’s level and type will determine who wins the battle. Since auto-battling doesn’t let you go into the usual battle interface, the results of who reigns supreme come relatively quickly. Should your lead Pokemon win the battle, they’ll gain a small amount of XP, while the other Pokemon in your team will get half of that. If your lead Pokemon is already super-powered, it doesn’t mean they’re invincible—they can still lose health, and although they won’t faint, it’s still possible for their health to drop to 1 HP. This will result in your lead Pokemon trodding back to you to return to their Poke Ball, and they won’t be able to auto-battle until they get healed. Oh, and doing auto-battles means that you won’t be able to catch any rare or uncaught Pokemon around its area. However, it’ll still update your Pokedex.
The best way to utilize the ZR button is by picking up multiple items near you or aiming your Pokemon into a group or a flock. Sometimes, you can find small gatherings of wild Pokemon in the area. These can range from a flock of Fletchlings to a herd of Tauros. By doing auto-battles, you can take down multiple of these Pokemon and collect tons of materials that you can use in the TM Machine.
While it lets your lead Pokemon out, you can also use the ZR button to aim it at a wild Pokemon you want to battle (and catch). This mechanic is similar to what you’d see in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, wherein you can battle with a wild Pokemon if you throw a Poke Ball that has your Pokemon in it. Consequently, you can use the ZL button to aim your Pokemon to determine their actions and where they ought to be headed.
Be Friends With Your Pokemon
You can keep tabs on the condition of your lead Pokemon using the icon that you can find on the bottom left of your screen. Note that they’ll automatically go back to you if you get too far away. It shows their current health; if it reaches zero, your lead Pokemon will automatically switch to the second Pokemon on your team. The main reason to get your Pokemon to follow you is to deepen your friendship with them. If you try to let them out of their Poke Ball now and then, they’ll do their best during battles (such as holding onto dear life after almost getting one shot).
