How To Use Picnics In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are less than two weeks away, and the anticipation is becoming too much to bear. However, while everyone is speculating about final evolutions, Terastal mechanics, and open-world exploration, a feature that has been overlooked is the new picnic function. 

Interacting with your Pokémon has become somewhat of a staple feature in recent games. Whether it be via Pokémon-Amie or the Campsite, players love to get up close and personal with their Pokémon and give them the praise they deserve. Picnics are how you will be giving your Pokémon head pats in the ninth Generation of games and will allow you to spend quality time with your team members. This article will cover the basics of the new Picnic mechanic and what benefits there are to using it. 

What Are Picnics In Pokémon Scarlet And Violet

As mentioned, Picnics in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have similar functionality as Campsites did in Pokémon Sword and Shield.

On the surface, they allow you to spend time with your Pokémon, letting up to six party members out of their Pokéballs to stretch their legs and eat some food. You can also wash them, play with them, and take selfies using the new camera function. 

What Do Picnics Do In Pokémon Scarlet And Violet?

We don't know too much about Picnics yet, but they definitely seem to have a lot of benefits based on the prerelease footage shown for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. First and foremost, it is confirmed that eggs can be found inside your picnic basket. It isn't known if this will be the primary breeding method for these games or an added bonus just yet. 

Additionally, cooking will make a return. However, instead of curry from Sword and Shield, we'll be making sandwiches. You can purchase ingredients from various shops around Paldea and rustle up some grub for you and your team. These sandwiches will give you bonus effects, including catching boosts, encounter boosts, and Raid power boosts. There is even a boost to your shiny encounter rate!

We don't know yet whether these effects are random, but it will likely come down to the ingredients used. We all remember how long it took to complete the curry journal, and considering the level of buff these sandwiches can provide, we suspect the picnic journal will be twice as long.  

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Featured image courtesy of Nintendo / The Pokémon Company