Spoilers for the main story of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. There is no single villain behind every conflict. Team Star is the apparent enemy in one story, but the climax in Area Zero pits you against a professor’s AI copy under the Paradise Protection Protocol. The original Professor Sada in Scarlet or Professor Turo in Violet is responsible for the dangerous time-machine project, making that professor a morally complicated antagonist—not a straightforward evil mastermind.
Why there is not one bad guy from the start
The Treasure Hunt divides the main adventure into three stories: Champion Road, Path of Legends and Starfall Street. They have different goals and conflicts, rather than one villain orchestrating everything. The official Pokémon story overview describes these routes, while Nintendo says players can progress through the three stories freely as part of an academy study project.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Pokémon Scarlet - Nintendo Switch - Standard Edition | $53.70 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![Pokémon Scarlet/Pokémon Violet Expansion Pass: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero (Retail Version) Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51n-a8y2QXL._SL160_.jpg)
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Pokémon Scarlet/Pokémon Violet Expansion Pass: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero (Retail Version)... | $34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Pokémon Legends: Arceus - US Version | $54.25 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Pokémon Scarlet - US Version | $50.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Pokémon’s official story overview frames the routes; Nintendo’s Pokémon Violet page describes the open-ended story and identifies Professor Turo.
Is Team Star evil?
Team Star is the group you challenge in Starfall Street, and its behavior causes trouble at the academy. But it is not the overarching villain of the game. The plot account says the students formed the group in response to bullying, which changes how their role reads: they are antagonists in that route, but not an evil force driving the Area Zero crisis.
#1 Best Overall
- New Pokémon to Discover - Learn new details about Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly—the three Pokémon from which you’ll choose your first partner—along with other wonderful new Pokémon, including the Legendary Pokémon Koraidon and Miraidon!
- The World of Pokémon Has Evolved - Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet offer an open-world experience that only the Pokémon series can deliver—one welcoming even to newcomers to the series.
- You can experience a new style of adventure, with a world that you’re free to explore at your leisure and not in an order dictated by the story. You will, of course, journey to hone your skills as a Pokémon Trainer, but many more discoveries and stories await you. Meet a variety of people and Pokémon, and adventure in the world of Pokémon the way you want to.
- A Deeper Experience with Multiplayer* Gameplay - Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet allow multiplayer gameplay with up to four players. Along with series staples, such as trading and battling Pokémon, you will be able to explore the various locations of the region in these games with other players. You can discover new Pokémon and explore unfamiliar areas with your friends and family, opening the door to an adventure more precious and fun than ever!
- Meet the characters - As one of the main characters, you’ll set off on your adventure. Your outfit will vary depending on whether you play Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet. Who knows what kind of story awaits you? For the first time in the series, one of two different professors will appear in your game depending on the version you choose to play.
Who is the final boss in Scarlet and Violet?
The concluding Area Zero story, The Way Home, reveals the immediate final threat: the Paradise Protection Protocol. It compels an AI copy of the professor to defend the time machine, even though the AI wants the machine shut down to protect Paldea’s ecology. The AI fights the player because its programming overrides that wish. After the AI is defeated, the protocol escalates the battle by disabling the player’s other Poké Balls and sending the AI’s Koraidon or Miraidon into the confrontation.
This distinction matters: the AI is not simply choosing to cause the danger. It is caught between its own judgment and the system’s instructions. The account of the climax and Team Star’s origin is described in the plot summary of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Rank #2
- Only one code for a Hisuian Zoroark can be used in either the Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet game. Upon purchase of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, an email with your code will be sent to the email address registered to your Nintendo Account. From the in-game menu, go to the Poké Portal, then select Mystery Gift, select Get with Code/Password, and then enter your code.
- The Mystery Gift option can be found within the Poké Portal menu option in the X menu after you unlock the feature in the Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet game. (This occurs after about 1 to 1.5 hours of gameplay, though individual gameplay time may vary.) An internet connection and a Nintendo Account is required to redeem the item in game. A Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required. Each item can only be redeemed once.
Is Professor Sada or Professor Turo the villain?
The original professor created the time machine to bring Paradox Pokémon to Paldea, setting the crisis in motion. The professor encountered in Area Zero, however, is an AI substitute; the plot account says the original had died before the game’s events. Do not conflate the creator of the project with the AI that the player meets.
| Game | Original professor | AI encountered in Area Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Scarlet | Professor Sada | AI Sada |
| Pokémon Violet | Professor Turo | AI Turo |
Nintendo’s Violet page identifies Turo; the plot account describes Sada as the Scarlet counterpart. The professor’s project creates serious danger, but the available plot account does not establish that the original acted from simple evil intent. “Morally complicated antagonist” is a more careful description than “evil mastermind.”
Rank #3
- Action meets RPG in this new take on the Pokémon series
- Study Pokémon behaviors, sneak up on them, and toss a well-aimed Poké Ball to catch them
- Unleash moves in the speedy agile style or the powerful strong style in battles
- Travel to the Hisui region—the Sinnoh of old—and build the region’s first Pokédex
- Learn about the Mythical Pokémon Arceus, the key to this mysterious tale
So who is the real villain?
If “bad guy” means the immediate final opponent, it is the Paradise Protection Protocol and the AI professor it forces to fight. If it means who bears responsibility for the crisis, the original professor does: Sada in Scarlet, Turo in Violet. Team Star is a misleading early answer because its conflict belongs to one route and its members’ backstory complicates their apparent villain role.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Embark on a new Pokémon adventure
- Catch, battle, and train Pokémon in the Paldea Region, a vast land filled with lakes, towering peaks, wastelands, small towns, and sprawling cities.
- Choose either Sprigatito, Fuecoco, or Quaxly, to be your first partner Pokémon before setting off on your journey through Paldea.
- Embark on an independent study called the Treasure Hunt to gain new experiences, meet new people, and find your very own treasure.
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