As a part of the studio’s updated formula, players can technically explore the Paldea region in any order that they see fit. In another break from tradition, during their subsequent journeys of discovery through Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, they can also interact with multiple Champions. Each of these high level trainers has a unique backstory and impact on the experience that’s worth exploring.

RELATED: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Why Tall Grass May Never Return in Future Generations

Champion Geeta

Out of all the Champions that players interact with in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Geeta will arguably be the one that seems the most familiar to veterans of the series. As the Champion of the Paldea region’s Elite Four, Geeta occupies the role that other trainers like Leon and Cynthia have taken up in previous games. After beating the four trainers before her, players will have to face off in a fight with Geeta to beat the Pokemon League.

Unlike previous Pokemon games, though, Scarlet and Violet approach that concept a little differently. Beating the Elite Four and Geeta, for example, is the final part of the Naranja and Uva Academy’s Victory Road storyline. While Geeta is the Chairwoman of the Pokemon League, she also occupies a similar role on the board of both schools. It’s implied because of this that the player’s first battle with her is really only a finishing exam. It isn’t until the post-game Academy Tournament that the Champion fully engages the player in a traditional all-out battle.

It’s worth noting that Geeta is the only trainer in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that has the Top Champion class attached to her name. This helps to distinguish her from the other Champions while making it clear that she’s Paldea’s most powerful and highest-ranking trainer. That’s reflected in her team of Pokemon as well, and the fact that she doesn’t specialize in one type like some of her Champion predecessors.

Champion Nemona

One design choice that makes Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s idea of the Champion special, is the fact that any trainer who beats Geeta also attains that rank as well. This is the case of the player’s first rival and friend, Nemona. When they meet her at the start of the games, Nemona has already set out and completed her journey to become a Champion. The player’s interactions with her during their own Victory Road quest are more engaging as a result. Unlike some of the rivals that Game Freak has introduced in the past, Nemona is already a proven entity in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Other Champions

Due to the way the Paldea region hands out Champion titles, it’s possible that players will interact with more trainers in that class at some point in the future. It’s been heavily rumored by insiders and leaks, for example, that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will get DLC expansions in 2023. It’s therefore not out of the realm of possibility that there are other trainers in the region that have beaten the Elite Four and Geeta already.

Upon finishing off the Victory Road quest line in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the player ascends to the rank of Champion as well. Previous games like Pokemon Sun and Moon have explored the idea of other trainers coming to challenge the player for their crown, so it’s possible that this concept could pop up again in a different guise as well. With rumors regarding Scarlet and Violet’s potential DLC continuing to swirl online, fans might not have long to wait when it comes to finding out.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Flamigo May Look Basic, But it’s Secretly a Beast