Summary
Although the bundle including The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk DLCs forPokemon Scarlet and Violetwas never confirmed to be the only form of major content drop for Gen 9, the fact that an epilogue called Mochi Mayhem was released does seem to mark the end of this generation’s support. That isn’t to say no more meaningful content can come toPokemon Scarlet and Violet, though, as it’s very likely new distribution events, special Mass Outbreaks, and Tera Raids will come every week or two until Gen 10 games are released. With this in mind, seeing which Pokemon the newly announced 7-star Tera Raid boss will be means that Game Freak will most likely use a familiar pattern for all future ones, which may have pros and cons.
7-star Tera Raids inPokemon Scarlet and Violetare some of the hardest content in the game, especially when they first release, due to how powerful these bosses tend to be and how hard it is to find perfect counters for them in many cases. They do remain both fun and rewarding activities, however, even if Gen 9 is meant to not get more expansions. On the other hand, the fact that the next 7-star Tera Raid boss is Empoleon means one can safely predict most future bosses.
Every 7-Star Tera Raid Boss in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Explained
Why Empoleon as a 7-Star Tera Raid is Good News
Even before The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk DLCs were out,Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s 7-star Tera Raid bosses included several returning starter Pokemon - possibly as a means to help players finish theirBlueberry Academy Pokedexfast when the second expansion dropped. Regardless of the reason, there have been multiple starter Pokemon as 7-star Tera Raid bosses now, aside from Empoleon, including:
With 12 out of 24 past starters now featured as 7-star Tera Raid bosses, including Empoleon and not counting the three Hisuian forms fromPokemon Legends: Arceus, it seems inevitable that every other starter will appear as a future Raid boss. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as starters are some of themost popular Pokemon ever, and these all come with the Mightiest Mark, are level 100 already, and have all their IVs set on “Best.” In fact, this is a good thing for the game and collectors alike, as one may be more motivated to jump back into the game to catch all Tera Raid starters.
Every Missing 7-Star Tera Raid Starter Pokemon After Empoleon
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Empoleon is a Double-Edged Sword for Future Raids
Likewise, this can be a bad thing because not only does it make a good chunk of future Tera Raid bosses predictable, but it also means that those who expected more unique events likePokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Mew vs. Mewtwomay be in for bad news. Since Empoleon marks 12 starter Pokemon used as Tera Raid bosses, it seems extremely unlikely that the remaining 12 will be skipped. If every starter returns, then the remaining ones would be:
There is also a chance thatPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s startersmay be featured as Tera Raid bosses, eventually, and that would be an exciting prospect, especially for shiny hunters. Normally, a game’s starters are shiny-locked, and they’re never available in the wild, so they can only be obtained as shinies by breeding - which in turn means they will always hatch inside a Poke Ball. However, having Meowscarada, Skeledirge, and Quaquaval eventually appear as 7-star Tera Raid bosses would mean players can catch them in special balls and then breed them down to find a shiny, one that may inherit that special Poke Ball.
