This page lists all of the notable early purchase and pre-order bonuses for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.
In an attempt to get people to pre-order the game or buy it within the release window, Nintendo and other retailers are offering multiple in-game bonuses.
All Early Purchase Bonuses¶
Flying Tera Type Pikachu¶
Until 28th February 2023, every owner of Scarlet & Violet can receive a rare Pikachu via Mystery Gift. This Pikachu knows the move Fly and has the Flying Tera-Type, reminiscent of the old-school Flying Pikachu.
To receive this Pikachu, you must access the in-game Mystery Gift menu, then choose “Get via Internet”. Naturally, your Nintendo Switch must be connected to the Internet. A Nintendo Online Subscription is not required to obtain Mystery Gifts.
Evaluation: This sounds like a useful bonus, because it’ll probably be the only way to obtain Fly on Pikachu. Fly itself isn’t amazing, but it’s nice for countering Grass-types. Meanwhile, the Flying Tera Type is neat because it allows Pikachu to turn the tables against its number one enemy: Ground-types.
Pre-order Bonuses¶
Floral-print Sport Backpack¶
Until 11th November 2022, if you pre-order Pokémon Scarlet, Pokémon Violet or the Double Pack from the Pokémon Center website (US, Canada or UK), you can obtain a serial code for a Floral-print Sport Backpack. You can input this serial code via the Mystery Gift menu, when you’re connected to the Internet, to obtain the backpack.
Evaluation: The backpack is a character customization accessory and has no gameplay benefit. So basically it’s just for looks. If you’re a collector, you may want to grab this, since it sounds like it’s exclusive. However, at the end of the day, it’s not a huge deal if you don’t have it.
200 Poké Balls¶
Those who pre-order the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet Double Pack will receive two serial codes for 100 Poké Balls each. This bonus is also included if you pre-order the digital version of the Double Pack (where available). The serial codes will not expire.
Evaluation: Considering one of the main draws of the games is catching Pokémon, 100 Poké Balls will be quite useful early on. That said, we imagine it’ll be quite easy to obtain Poké Balls as you progress through the game. This is a convenient bonus if you’re getting the Double Pack anyway, but don’t feel pressured to buy the Double Pack for the bonus.
Adventure Set¶
If you pre-order Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet separately via the Nintendo eShop, you can receive a serial code for the Adventure Set, which contains the following items:
- Potion ×10
- Full Heal ×5
- Revive ×3
- Ether ×3
- Rare Candy ×1
- Nugget ×1
The serial code expires after 7th March 2023.
Evaluation: These items will probably be useful near the start, when you have very few items. But if it’s similar to previous games, the bonus items will soon become redundant. Like the Double Pack bonus, they’re nice if you’re already planning to get Scarlet or Violet from the eShop. Otherwise, they’re not worth fussing over.
Berry Set¶
If you pre-order a physical copy of the Pokémon Scarlet, Pokémon Violet or the Double Pack via BestBuy (US or Canada), you can receive a serial code for the Berry Set, which includes the following:
- Cheri Berry x1
- Chesto Berry x1
- Aspear Berry x1
- Pecha Berry x1
- Persim Berry x1
- Rawst Berry x1
Evaluation: Berries are nice, but this selection is pretty underwhelming, even compared to the Adventure Set. Although it’s currently unclear how you can obtain berries in Scarlet & Violet, these berries have always been extremely common.
Healing Set¶
If you pre-order a physical copy of Pokémon Scarlet, Pokémon Violet or the Double Pack via Amazon.com, you can receive a serial code for the Healing Set, which includes the following items:
- Potion x10
- Antidote x10
- Revive x5
Evaluation: This is like a slightly worse version of the Adventure Set. You do get 10 Antidotes versus 5 Full Heals, but Full Heals can heal every status condition, so they’re worth more. Meanwhile you get 2 more Revives here, but you lose the Ethers, Rare Candy and Nugget. That said, neither set is really that good. The main advantage is that you can get this bonus with a physical copy of the game.
Luxury Balls & Soothe Bell¶
If you pre-order a physical copy of Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet via Amazon UK, you can receive a serial code for the following items:
- Luxury Ball x10
- Soothe Bell x1
Evaluation: This is a rather niche bonus that only experienced trainers will appreciate. Pokémon caught in Luxury Balls start with higher Friendship than normal and if you let them hold a Soothe Bell, their Friendship will increase at a faster rate. This is useful for Pokémon that require high Friendship to evolve, etc. In any case, it’s in the same boat as the Adventure, Berry and Healing Sets: Hardly essential, but better than nothing.
Refreshment Set¶
If you pre-order a physical copy of Pokémon Scarlet, Pokémon Violet or the Double Pack via The Source (Canada), you can receive a serial code for the Refreshment Set, which includes the following:
- Fresh Water x5
- Soda Pop x5
- Lemonade x5
Evaluation: These are items that restore HP similar to Potions. Unless you have a soft spot for soft drinks, we don’t really recommend it; the Adventure Set and Healing Set are a bit better since they have Revives. But really, all of these item sets are largely skippable.
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