Paldea is the newest region introduced in the Pokemon franchise. It is the central location of the Scarlet and Violet titles released on the Nintendo Switch. Based on the real-world Iberian Peninsula that encapsulates modern-day Spain and Portugal, Paldea's landmarks are also based on culinary terminology.
As trainers explore the region of Paldea in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, they'll likely pick up more than a few bits of dialogue about how the region came to be.
Players may have heard about the Paldean Empire or the emergence of the Great Crater in-game, but there's a lot more to the region's history. The information may not be as in-depth as that of other regions at the moment, but it's certainly worth looking into.
Trainers can take Paldea history classes during Pokemon Scarlet and Violet gameplay
Much of Paldea's history isn't well-documented, but much of it starts being recorded around the time of the Great Crater of Paldea's emergence. Since its appearance, the crater has been a central fixture in the region for approximately one million years. It has even outlasted the rise and fall of an empire.
Thanks to the history classes that trainers can take during Scarlet and Violet's gameplay, the community has a rough idea of how events transpired leading up to the games' events.
The Paldea region's historical timeline, according to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- 2,000,000 years BG (Before Games) - The Area Zero Underdepths develop and come into shape.
- 1,000,000 years BG - The Great Crater of Paldea emerges, and much of the Paldea region forms around it.
- 2,000 years BG - The Paldean Empire begins its dominion over much of the region. The Emperor issues an edict of exploration to find the treasure rumored to be hidden within Area Zero, a deep cavernous network in the deep portions of the Great Crater Paldea.
- 1,000 years BG - Due to the cost and weight of administering several failed expeditions into the Great Crater, the Paldean Empire goes into decline. The modern era begins to take shape across the region.
- 805 years BG - Mesagoza City establishes Naranja/Uva Academy for aspiring Pokemon scholars. Depending on the version of the game you're playing, Mesagoza historically established one of the two academies. Naranja appears in Scarlet, while Uva appears in Violet.
- 800 years BG - In a bid to usher in the modern age of humans and Pokemon, the Paldean Empire allies with its neighboring countries in the region. The authority of the Emperor declined over time until contemporary Paldean culture took hold.
- 200 years BG - An Area Zero expedition led by a scholar named Heath allegedly reaches the bottom of Area Zero. Heath documents the expedition's undertakings in the Scarlet/Violet Book, but the exploits of the team are largely discredited by the academic community. The expedition finds samples of Herba Mystica and plants them in five different regions of Paldea, which leads to the growth of Titan Pokemon species.
- 140 years BG - Terastallized Pokemon were first discovered and observed in Area Zero.
- 87 years BG - A research outpost was established in Area Zero to further analyze its secrets.
- 10 years BG - Professor Sada/Turo determined that the Terastal energy phenomenon emanates from crystals found within Area Zero. Tera Orbs are developed as a result, allowing trainers and researchers to Terastallize different species. The orbs are provided to the academy in Mesagoza and the Pokemon League of Paldea.
- 1.5 years BG - Nemona becomes the youngest trainer to achieve the Champion rank in Paldea's league. Team Star, led by Penny, rises up against their bullies at the academy. Director Harrington resigns alongside the rest of the academy's staff. Penny returns home to Galar to pursue her studies, leaving the rest of Team Star to dismiss the academy's classes and await their leader's return while antagonizing the academy and its students.
- 1.5 years BG (cont.) - Clavell and Jacq depart their research jobs to become the director and biology instructor of the academy, respectively. Tyme retires as the gym leader of Montenevera and is replaced by her sister Ryme, shifting the gym's preferred elemental type from Rock to Ghost-type. Tyme becomes the mathematics instructor at the academy.
- 1 year BG - Professor Sada/Turo created an android in their likeness and worked with it to develop a working time machine in Area Zero to reach out to the past/future. However, a pair of Koraidon/Miraidon appear from the machine and battle each other in a territorial fight, killing the professor. Paradox Pokemon begin to escape from Area Zero, and the android begins searching for candidates to assist it in deactivating the time machine and preventing any more dangerous Paradox Pokemon from emerging through time. Candidates in the search included Arven, the professor’s estranged son who is a student at Naranja/Uva Academy.
In addition to these dated notes of Paldea’s history, several moments in the region’s chronology have been confirmed but have not been given a specific date in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet or its DLC expansion Hidden Treasure of Area Zero.
Non-Dated Events in Paldea’s History, according to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- At some point in Paldea’s ancient era, the Pokemon Terapagos once lived in large numbers across the region. However, due to devastating seismic activity during Paldea’s early formation, the Terapagos population is considered to have died out and gone extinct well before the events of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
- Before the Paldean Empire took power in the region, strange symbols were etched in the depths of Area Zero, including one etched into a metal plating. It’s unclear who or what created these symbols or what purpose they serve.
- While the Paldean Empire ruled the region, the monarch was visited by a traveling merchant who provided them with treasures from faraway lands including a vessel, a broken sword, wooden tablets, and a set of beads. The Paldean Emperor’s greed eventually activated the objects and awakened the Treasures of Ruin, four immensely powerful Pokemon (Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, Chi-Yu), who created a calamity that nearly destroyed the Paldean Empire in totality.
- To address the threat of the Treasures of Ruin, Paldea’s monarch called out to powerful Pokemon users to combat the creatures. The Treasures of Ruin were defeated, and they were sealed in four shrines across the Paldea region in hopes that they would never be awakened again.
One and a half years after the established Paldean timeline ends, the player's journey begins across the region. They awake to a new day as a student of the academy and undertake the region-wide Treasure Hunt.
Along the way, the trainer will make friends with both people and Pokemon, battle fearsome gym leaders, gather the Herba Mystica, and turn the tides against Team Star. Eventually, they will descend into the depths of Area Zero themselves and uncover the mysteries with their own eyes.
