How to lock onto Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are full of innovation. Even 25 years after the first game was released, the team at Game Freak and Nintendo are still finding ways to make the series more fun and more approachable. Following up from the smash hit, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the team decided to bring some of the mechanics in that game over to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, like encountering wild Pokémon. With wild Pokémon sometimes showing up in hordes, it may be hard to single out one to battle; thankfully, there is a lock on system. Here is a quick guide on how to lock onto Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

How to lock on

The way to lock onto Pokémon in this game is very similar to how it worked in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. To lock onto a Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, simply hit the ZL button on the controller to lock on. There are some differences, though; unlike Pokémon Legends: Arceus, players can’t sneak up onto a Pokémon to catch it without battling it. Players wanting to catch Pokémon will have to go into battle just like in the other mainline games.

What the lock on feature is useful for in this game is singling out Pokémon to battle or to catch. Since the wild Pokémon are always moving and are free-roaming, it could be hard to keep track of which Pokémon a player wants to interact with. Hitting ZL and holding it will allow a player to keep the camera locked onto a specific Pokémon while still being able to move around. Doing this can help players run into the Pokémon with their own body to initiate a battle or can allow them to send out their Pokémon through the Let’s Go mode and they will automatically go to the Pokémon that a player already has locked onto.