Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Postgame Guide: What to do in the Postgame
While every Pokemon title has had some form of a postgame, the shape that they take has always varied wildly with each title - of course, Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are no different. There is indeed stuff to do other than cleanup for players who have already finished the story and seen the credit roll; in fact, there's arguably quite a bit more substance to Scarlet and Violet's endgame than some of the more recent titles in the series history. Let's go over what players can expect to be able to do. To do that, let's establish exactly where the postgame starts; as the addition of multiple story paths can make things a little confusing at first.
What's in the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Postgame?
It goes without saying at this point, but there will be some spoilers about Pokemon Scarlet & Violet beyond this point due to the nature of the content on offer at the end of the game.
Anything after players have completed the final story in The Way Home is the best candidate for what's actually a postgame activity for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. This means that any of the activities that the game tasks you with after the credits roll are part of the postgame. Gym Leader Rematches, the Academy Ace Tournament, and 5 and 6-star Tera Raid battles are all part of the postgame, as is catching your second Koraidon or Miraidon within Area Zero. Similarly, while technically you could have searched for Iron Valiant or Roaring Moon in Area Zero before the credit roll; chances are you'll be catching these version exclusives after the story is said and done. In the same vein, while you can unseal the game's 4 shrines and capture the Ruinous Pokemon within before the credit roll, there's a good chance that many players won't actually get around to it until later. Let's break each of these activities down a bit:
Gym Leader Rematches
The first thing you'll be tasked with in the postgame is to defeat every Gym Leader a second time; this time around with their teams at full power. Each Gym Leader will be much, much stronger - sporting a full team with levels rivaling that of the story's final boss. You can tackle these in any order, and besides offering a challenge and some experience points, the primary motivation for these fights is to unlock the next bit of content in the Academy Ace Tournament.
Academy Ace Tournament
While the trial run of this tournament is predetermined, after your first victory you're able to replay it any time you like, and the enemies you face can be somewhat randomized; sadly, this does appear to replace a Battle Tower for Scarlet and Violet, and it's not quite the same type of experience - as it feels more like a cutdown Pokemon World Tournament from Pokemon Black 2/White 2, reduced in scope to merely the Trainers and Teachers found within the Paldea region. Still, it's an interesting enough concept, and perhaps it will see additions down the road with DLC. Regardless of what happens in the future, succeeding at the Academy Ace Tournament will unlock the final bit of true postgame content - the highest tiers of Tera Raid Battles.
Max Difficulty Tera Raid Battles
After your first successful run of the Academy Ace Tournament, you'll be alerted by your homeroom teacher Jacq that even more powerful Tera Raid Battles have begun to appear across Paldea; this is your cue that you're now able to challenge the highest difficulty Tera Raid Battles, which include the strongest possible Pokemon. While there are already a number of strategies to cheese these fights, if you're attempting to take them head-on without any gimmicks, you and your friends will need to bring your A-game - and a proper strategy. Beyond these raids, there are a few more activities that range from definitely part of the postgame - to others that technically aren't, but most players will tackle them after the credits roll.
Rare and Legendary Pokemon
On paper the only Pokemon that truly belongs on this list as a Postgame Exclusive is your second Koraidon or Miraidon, depending on the title you're playing. These will spawn behind the Zero Lab at the bottom of Area Zero, following the credits. However, you can also find Iron Valiant or Roaring Moon in Area Zero; albeit, technically players could have found them before the credits, given enough exploration. Or at least we assume so; the cave you can find them in is accessible before then, and other Paradox Pokemon can be captured before the credits as well.
Similarly, while there's actually nothing stopping players from capturing the Ruinous Pokemon Quartet before they even finished every basegame story, it feels like a safe assumption that many players might save the task for later. There are 32 stakes in total for you to remove, and 4 shrines you'll have to either memorize or get written down on your map by completing the History course at the Academy.
Beyond that, it's all standard stuff - complete the Pokedex, and fill out the rest of the Academy Courses that you've yet to finish. Nothing that in and of itself is exclusive to the postgame, but rather is likely to slip into it as players naturally progress through the game. There are truly a ton of different avenues that players can tackle once the story is over, so pick a path and get to it! Have fun with the rest of the game, folks.