Pokemon Scarlet Gameplay Ending Part 1

How to Reach the Pokemon Scarlet Ending and What Comes After

Most people finish Pokemon Scarlet and immediately notice the game doesn't really end when you expect it to. The credits roll after the final Area Zero segment, but that's not the actual conclusion of your save file. You'll keep playing for a while after those credits finish, and there's a specific sequence of events that determines what happens. Here's what I found when I actually sat down and pushed through it. To reach the ending, you need three storylines checked off. The game calls them the path of legends, the path of the starlight, and the path of the valiant. None of them have to be completed in any particular order. I went straight for the Path of Legends first because it's the most straightforward, but that's personal preference, not a requirement. Once all three paths are finished, Arven takes you to the depths of Area Zero. That's where the main story converges into the final battle. Before you go in there, stock up. Potions, Revives, max Ether — the last few Gym Leaders hit hard if you've been neglecting your team.

What Happens at the End

The final battle is against Synopsis, the game's version of a rival who has been following your progress the entire time. After defeating them, you face the ancient Pokemon at the heart of Area Zero. That triggers the endgame cutscenes, followed by the credits rolling for about ten minutes. When the credits finish, you're dropped back at Paldea Pokémon Center. At this point, the game has technically ended, but your save file isn't locked. You can go back and finish anything you missed. The gym badges, the postgame quests, the shiny hunting — none of it disappears. One thing beginners miss: after the credits, you get a special visit from the Director of the Area Zero Research Station. They give you the ability to summon Koraidon or Miraidon outside of battle permanently. If you haven't unlocked this yet before finishing the story, you'll have to replay the final Area Zero segment to get it. That means beating Synopsis and the legendary Pokemon again. It's not a full game reset, but it's a significant time investment — roughly 45 minutes to an hour depending on how fast you fight.

A Real Problem I Hit Near the End

During my run, I hit a wall at the very last moment. The game flagged that I hadn't completed the Segin Squad side quest before triggering the Area Zero sequence. Without finishing it, the game refused to let me access the final battle area. I had to backtrack through half the map to track down that NPC. The workaround was simple enough once I figured it out: before heading to Area Zero after your third storyline completion, make sure every main quest marker on your map is cleared. If you see a pending quest with a yellow exclamation point near the Academy, complete it first. Check the Segin, Mask, and Team Yell side chains specifically. I skipped the Mask Squad one and almost missed it entirely.

Post-Credits Content

After the ending, the game opens up to what many players treat as the real endgame. The Tera Raid Crystal Events continue, new raids spawn every 24 hours, and the Master Rank Tera Raids become available. These raids feature Pokemon with perfect IVs and specialized movesets that can destroy unprepared teams in seconds. If you want the full Pokemon experience — all 400+ species, the complete Dex — this postgame is where it happens. The wild encounters in the main story are mostly the early route Pokemon. Everything else requires postgame exploration or trading. There's also the Academy Ace Tournament waiting for you. It's a single-bracket knockout event against the game's toughest trainers. Winning gives you access to higher-rank Tera Raids. I found this tournament to be the best way to test if your team is actually ready for what comes next.

Should You Wait or Press Forward?

My recommendation is straightforward. Finish the three paths, reach the ending, collect the Koraidon/Miraidon summoning ability, and then decide whether you want to do the tournament or dive straight into raids. The game won't punish you either way, but there's a noticeable drop in challenge after the credits unless you seek out harder content deliberately. Master Rank raids are the real test, and they don't care how many badges you earned in the main story.