Do Wild Pokemon Levels Scale in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? – Answered

An interesting feature of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that wasn’t present in many past games is the freedom to explore the open world to your heart’s content. If you want to stick to the intended, beaten path, then you can. If you venture off and focus on filling your Pokedex or battling Pokemon Trainers, you can do this too. However, depending on how far you stray from the beaten path, you may run into Pokemon far higher level than your party. This begs the question: do Pokemon, Gym Leaders and other significant battles scale in level? If you’re interested in learning more, continue reading to find out whether wild Pokemon levels scale as you progress through Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Do Wild Pokemon Levels Scale in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? – Answered

The short and simple answer is that no, level scaling doesn’t exist in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Regardless of your current level, the Pokemon in various areas will always stay in the same level range. For example, those along Poco Path will stay around levels one to three, while Pokemon near Artazon will stay around levels 15-20. Even if you’re nearing the end of the main story, these won’t change.

Related – Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: How to Read Tutorials After They’re Gone

Do Gym Leader and Team Star Levels Scale in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

Like wild Pokemon, Gym Leader and Team Star levels won’t scale with yours. Depending on how much you fight in Overworld Pokemon battles, you may find yourself severely under or over-leveled when you enter your first Gym Leader battle.

Similarly, if you dedicate a few hours to leveling your party, you may find yourself flying through each Gym Leader and Team Star challenge since their levels will stay the same. However, each fight is a harder and higher level than the last, so don’t expect every leader in the game to remain at level 20-25!

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch through the official website. If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out How to Evolve Gastly and How to Catch Tree Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.