Feature: The Best Pokédex Pictures In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet

One of our favourite new features in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has to be the new Pokédex. Instead of being a dry encyclopaedic list of Pokémon you've seen and caught, ScarVi takes the boring old 'Dex formula and throws it out of the window in favour of a stylish bookcase of Pokémon. And it's gorgeous.

We began to notice that some of these "book covers" had a little personality to them after catching a few 'mons, and as we evolved those 'mons, we realised that some of them had stories, too. So we've gathered up some of our favourites in the hopes that you can appreciate them just as much as we do!

Family Portrait

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's 'mons like to hang out with each other more than ever before. Whether it's a Pawmo supervising a group of Pawmi, or a Sawsbuck frolicking through a meadow with a trail of Deerlings behind it, we love seeing evolutions hang out with their former selves.

And so does the Pokédex, which is full of cute little family portraits:

It's Dangerous Out There

It's a dog-eat-dog Fidough-eat-Fidough world, and Pokémon are not exempt from being part of the food chain. The Pokédex entries show bug Pokémon being chased down by birds, bird Pokémon being hunted by cats, and sea creatures being hunted by... other sea creatures:

Baby Friends

Did you know that the Baby Pokémon hang out while their parents aren't looking? It's incredibly cute, even if we think it's a bit mean that no one invited Mime Jr.

Point of View

Cool Reference, Bro

Some Pokédex entries are subtle references to Pokémon lore, the anime, Pokédex descriptions, and past games.

There's Meowth trying to capture a Pikachu, just like Team Rocket:

And a touching reunion of Pikachu with a couple of the Pikachu-likes from other generations:

Ampharos is pictured hanging out by a lighthouse, a reference to how its tail is used as a guiding light and the fact that it was the light in the Olivine City lighthouse in Pokémon Gold and Silver:

There's a neat reference to Oranguru's Pokémon Moon 'dex entry: "Deep in the jungle, high in the lofty canopy, this Pokémon abides. On rare occasions, it shows up at the beach to match wits with Slowking."

From Violet's Pokédex entry for Garganacl: "Many Pokémon gather around Garganacl, hoping to lick at its mineral-rich salt."

From Scarlet's entry for Pyroar: "The females of a pride work together to bring down prey. It’s thanks to them that their pride doesn’t starve." The females are the ones with the slicked-back mane, surrounding the male with the larger mane:

From Froslass' Legends: Arceus entry: "A Pokémon inhabited by the soul of a woman who died bearing a grudge in the snowy mountains. Legends of Froslass placing deathly curses on misbehaving men send shivers down my spine." From its Moon entry: "The soul of a woman lost on a snowy mountain possessed an icicle, becoming this Pokémon. The food it most relishes is the souls of men." Things aren't looking good for this Courier...

Pictures Tell A Thousand Words

Some of the Pokédex images tell a story over one or two or even three images, like Drifloon contemplating kidnapping a child:

Or Santa Delibird handing out gifts in the snow:

Or the story of lil baby Axew learning from its elders, who might look fierce, but are very sweet really:

What do crickets, bees, and squirrels have in common? Apparently, they all love Kricketune's music:

Hawlucha and Hariyama, two Pokémon that love wrestling, having a tussle:

The inspirational Palafin superhero and his admiring fans:

How about the Sunflora of Artazon hanging out with the Sunflora statue?

Or the Stunky that's just too stinky:

Or some Greedents getting peckish:

Or this Shellder that's following Slowpoke around, ready to chomp on his tail:

Or the story of Tandemaus buying a house, settling down, and having kids:

Weaviles about to drop the more fire album of 2022:

Or our personal favourite, the ongoing rivalry between mortal enemies Zangoose and Seviper:

Ooooh, Pretty

Some Pokédex pics are just really pretty, or really cute. They don't have a story or a reference... We just like looking at them!

We're really hoping that this Pokédex picture party continues in future Pokémon games, because whether we're finding references or just appreciating the cute art, it's a delight. Plus, it's far more interesting than a boring old Pokédex!

Have you picked up on any Easter Eggs or references in the Pokédex yourself? Tell us in the comments!