In February 2024, The Pokémon Company decided to make up for lost time by publishing not one, not two, but three OSTs on the same day. Among them was the soundtrack to their gen-9 flagship title: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet! This soundtrack is the largest of any from the franchise to date, spanning six discs and nearly seven hours in total. It is also, in my opinion, the best Pokémon soundtrack yet, thanks to some smart direction and a crew of talented musicians.
Utilizing the soundtrack’s booklet (also noted at the bottom of the vgmdb listing), you can see which composers and arrangers worked on which tracks. If you’ve played the game, you know that the main story breaks into three paths: Team Star story with Penny, Titan/Herba Mystica with Arven, and the traditional gym/league path with Nemona. There is also a special composer tasked with covering Terastal phenomenon and all things related to Area Zero, but we’ll get there!
Teruo Taniguchi handles all of the Team Star music, and he is definitely an unconventional choice. Other than some work on Pokémon Black 2 & White 2, Taniguchi has not done the franchise’s music before. He has a handful of interesting works behind him, one of his earliest being the PS1 rarity Eithéa. But without question, his was a name I had all but forgotten. After his work on Scarlet & Violet, though, I’m going to be paying much closer attention to his work. The standard Team Star battle theme is plenty catchy, but the Team Star Boss battle theme (disc 2, track 37) stands out as one of the strongest battle themes across the soundtrack. I should probably use headphones when playing because my recollection of it from the game is fuzzy, but if you listen closely to this one, it’s incredible. Even more impressive, though, is the break-neck pace we find in the final battle for this subplot, “Battle! (Cassiopeia)” (disc 4, track 3). Though the foes in this battle may be tiny, the music is grand—rock ‘n’ roll guitars paired against intense drum machines, often a winner in my book!
Composer Go Ichinose, a long-time part of the Pokémon music team, handled composition for the Titan Pokémon path. “Battle! (Arven)” on disc 1 is his first notable song as part of this path, and it is a wild blend of orchestral pop and a light tango-jazz fusion. The instrument choices run the gamut from accordion (or, more likely, bandoneon) to ensemble string hit synth leads and further to reed organ and funk-style guitar. It’s a fantastic battle theme, and it stands as a great primer before getting into the more abstract and cacophonous music of the Titan Pokémon. This track, sometimes translated as “Leader Pokémon” despite the official Titan localization, stands out amid some less-notable environment themes on disc 2. Effective use of sweeping 12-tone builds help to convey the sense of chaos and dire need to bring a difficult battle to a close. Ichinose swings for the park and lands with this one.
However, two other Ichinose tracks stand out even more for me. One of them is disc 4, track 27, “Battle! (Calamity Pokémon).” You may also know these by the name “Treasures of Ruin,” the four optional Legendary Pokémon you can hunt down in the Scarlet & Violet base game. The battle music playing when hunting down Chi-Yu, Ting-Lu, Wo-Chien, and Chien-Pao fuses the Europop vibes of the game’s entire score with some traditional Chinese instruments and some melodic and harmonic structure more in line with Chinese composition, resulting in a formidable and unforgettable piece of music.
The other Go Ichinose piece I cannot overlook is “Arven’s Treasure,” related to the same subplot and found on disc 4. This is a short piece of music used for a very memorable cutscene involving his pet Mabosstiff. It’s short, and it is also technically co-composed by Hiromitsu Maeba. But if you want to remember or be spoiled by the brief but powerful cutscene where this music appears, here it is.
Next up! We have the “Victory Road” path of the game, the common path for nearly all Pokémon titles. This path includes gym tests, gym leader battles, interactions with friend/rival Nemona, and endgame League events (Elite Four, etc). Many of these songs utilize original compositions from Junichi Masuda, often to great effect. Given the size and scope of this path, it seems that both Minako Adachi and Hitomi Sato handled new compositions and arrangements of classic compositions for these. The musical reference in disc 3 track 16, “Battle! (Top Champion),” showcases Minako Adachi’s skill particularly. Sato’s “Battle! (Nemona)” brings so much of what makes Scarlet & Violet what it is into sharp relief—wild syncopation throughout, clean electric guitar, rock ‘n’ roll drums, those classic school bell chimes, and sick piano improv lines inserted at just the right moments.
Minako Adachi handles the lobby, test, and battle music for the eight Gym Leaders. Masuda’s classic melodies are clear and present throughout, but things get downright funky for the Gym Leader battle. However, there is more to it than that. Though the actual track presents it in one fluid experience (disc 2 track 4), there is a dynamic layering to this battle theme that anyone who played it understands. The battle theme is this funkified brass-filled tune with a tempo that is hard to keep up with. However, in the moment when the Gym Leader pulls out their last Pokémon and Terastallizes it, the song changes to a new, powerful, memorable melody sung by a choir (presumably the crowd watching the battle), and this moment is exciting every time! Adachi nailed it on this one.
When we get to the league, Hitomi Sato handles arrangements of classic Junichi Masuda melodies throughout the “Interview Phase” and the theme music that plays during League character dialogue. Adachi takes over for “Battle! (Elite Four)” and the aforementioned Top Champion battle theme. Though the funk is all gone and the serious tension of drum machines and synthesizers in a minor, even diminished, harmonic structure appear through much of the Elite Four battle theme; the brass section makes a strong return here.
Alright, now it’s time to talk about Toby Fox. The creator of Undertale seems to be a kindred spirit with Junichi Masuda, as both were once sole developers of their own project, even writing the music for the game they designed, which would then go on to live a life larger than they could possibly predict. As Fox continues to release Deltarune in episodic form, he has also taken some time to write music for the beloved Pokémon franchise. On Sword & Shield, he composed exactly one song—the final boss battle. In Scarlet & Violet, including the DLC on discs 5 and 6, Fox is credited for 35 compositions in total, though many of them are variations of two key themes. One theme is what we may refer to as the Scarlet & Violet main theme, encapsulated best in the opening track “Welcome to the Paldea Region!” Though Adachi is credited as arranger and co-composer here, this same melodic refrain is found throughout the province (environment/map) themes, and Fox is thus credited for all of these as well. This fun and simple theme is catchy, hummable, and one that defines the soundscape. In battle form, this main theme comes out in “Tera Raid Battle!” (disc 2 track 10), a juiced-up rock theme with a tempo that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s a great piece of music.
But it’s the other key theme I wish to focus on regarding Fox’s contribution: the “Area Zero” theme. That’s what everything leads up to, after all. After clearing the three main paths, the epilogue scenario (prior to the DLC) allows the player and their three friends (Nemona, Arven, Penny) to enter the giant crater in the center of the continent, known as Area Zero. This musical theme might be the most evocative, spiritual, epochal, and revelatory among all music in the entire Pokémon series history. In its purest form, “Area Zero” (disc 4 track 9) is credited as composed by Toby Fox, arranged by Go Ichinose. If you’ve played the game, you know exactly what this song sounds like. I bet you can already hear it, reading these words. There’s that soft crystalline synth running in a single-measure ostinato, then the modulated bass, then *BAM!* wall-of-sound choir that holds a few sustained notes, shouting and dropping just as quickly as it arrived. This use of choir and the birds singing at just the right moment reminds me of the opening to Ar tonelico; if that was the intent, I fully approve.
What shocks my system about “Area Zero” is its staying power. This is one I can listen to on loop, and it certainly helped that when I first played the game and the mount is force-disabled, I had beautiful sights and sounds to enjoy all throughout the long trek to the center of the crater. Much of the song is a powerful, otherworldly synthesized soundscape with peaks and valleys across bass and treble. But when the song loops and the choir returns, I lose my mind every time. It’s a true “when will the bass drop?” kind of moment.
The next track on the OST is, of course, the battle theme in this same area. “Battle! (Pokémon in Area Zero)” is essentially an EDM remix of the base theme, and while I promised myself I would never use a handful of Gen Z phrases to describe catchy music, the functional use of *slap bass* makes me want to describe it as such. Yeah, it’s so good it has me wanting to break promises to myself. That stands out as significant. Things get even more intense and significant two tracks deeper in at “Battle! (Pokémon in Area Zero) 2″—utilizing a half-time percussion approach that allows you to nod your head to the track while arrangers Ichinose and Maeba let loose.
Things go from amazing to fully transcendental when Toby Fox gets full control. This is one of the few tracks where Fox is solely credited as composer and arranger, and it’s one where he takes up his mantle from Sword & Shield. That’s right, the final battle. “Battle! (Zero Lab),” disc 4 track 14, is where the Area Zero theme gets turned into a battle theme worthy of such Undertale greats as “Asgore” and “Save the World.” There’s even a thirds-harmonic guitar lick repeated near the end of this battle theme’s first pass that feels like this perfect merge of Pokémon and Undertale. I cannot rightly explain it. But when you hear it, you know. And it is just such a momentous elevation in quality of Pokémon music of the past decade—bringing Fox onto this soundtrack in such a big way was the best creative decision they made for this OST, honestly. This six-minute final battle theme is top-tier, y’all.
Okay, so we’ve explored the three main paths and the converging Area Zero. What about the rest of the music across the four main discs? These songs are a mix of classic Pokémon themes arranged by Adachi, Sato, and Maeba, as well as some solid environment, event, and battle themes. There are some interesting stretches of music that I enjoy, like Maeba’s work across disc 1 tracks 14-18 (rescuing Koraidon/Miraidon from the cove). I’ll also call attention to Sato’s “Cascarrafa” (disc 2 track 13), which I believe to be one of the strongest town themes in the game. While Adachi’s Province/Area themes are all great, they do tend to get lost in a single-sitting listen of the OST. Her original theme for “Casseroya Lake” stands out as a particularly memorable environmental track, though! In form and in instrumental choice, it packs an emotional punch.
The quality and quantity of the base OST’s four discs are enough to set Scarlet & Violet apart not only from many predecessors but from many VGM contemporaries. But wait! There’s more—thanks to the extensive DLC The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero and its component Teal Mask and Indigo Disk chapters! The music for these two chapters makes up the fifth and sixth disc; that’s a lot of extra content! But is it any good?
In short, yes. In The Teal Mask, Minako Adachi shines as the lead composer and arranger, having handled over half this DLC’s music on her own. Two early themes that stand out are the peaceful “Mossui Town” and the acoustically driven guitars and brass band stylings of “Battle! (Pokémon in Kitakami).” Adachi also utilizes the motif from the battle theme in “History of the Signboard,” and teases this motif in the lovely flute part alongside the great traditional drum work in “Festival of Masks.” The motif comes into stark relief when we move from “History of the Signboard” to “The Real History” (disc 5 track 18), where the lovely, simple melody gets further expounded upon. This particular track reminds me of some of Adachi’s earliest works prior to her Pokémon days. In “The Real History,” I hear the slow, evocative melodies from Riviera and Yggdra Union. Gotta love that!
Adachi then wraps up her contribution to The Teal Mask with a trio of battle themes: “Battle! (The Loyal Three),” “Decisive Battle! (Kieran),” and “Battle! (Ogerpon).” Given Kitakami’s intentional use of Japanese traditions, including theater and Noh masks, these songs make some great use of shakuhachi flute and koto played in tandem with a xylophone, placing traditional instruments against brass band, string ensembles, and more. The resulting fusion is very enjoyable, if a tad predictable.
Two other songs I’d like to call your attention to before moving to the final DLC chapter: “Perrin’s Theme” by Hitomi Sato is a sweet, soulful character theme that brings together elements of soulful jazz piano and bright acoustic guitar arpeggiation. “Crystal Pool” is credited as Go Ichinose on arrangement and Ichinose plus Fox for composition. If you’ve been to the Crystal Pool, you likely know its connection and might be able to guess at what this song is. That’s right: it’s the most scaled-back, chill, soft, placid version of the Area Zero theme you could ever imagine. Those who have played the game to completion know that the Crystal Pool holds significance well past The Teal Mask chapter in and of itself.
With that, let’s get into The Indigo Disk! This DLC chapter actually starts at the end of disc five, with the “Blueberry Academy” theme from Minako Adachi establishing the tone. Environmental themes for the Terarium and two of its distinct biomes (Savanna, Costal) arranged by Go Ichinose are also at the end of disc five. I specify “arranged” as the biome compositional credits include Junichi Masuda, Shota Kageyama, Hitomi Sato, and Go Ichinose, which is to say, melodic themes from multiple Pokémon generations are interwoven effectively here. Long-time series fans will definitely enjoy these environment tracks!
But wait, what’s this? A new arranger has been spotted! “Battle! (Academy Trainer)” credits Masuda and Adachi as composers, so it’s the classic battle themes you know and love woven together. But arranger Haruka Soeda, who seems to be a newcomer to arrangement but had done previous sound design in the Scarlet & Violet base game, created a sort of sugar-laced dubstep arrangement that I can absolutely endorse.
Though Minako Adachi had a smaller role on The Indigo Disk than on The Teal Mask, her presence is still felt, big time, in the battle themes for BB League Elite Four and Champion Kieran (disc 6 tracks 11 and 15, respectively). The former theme is a high-octane EDM powerhouse. The latter takes a surprise turn with a symphonic rock approach, mixing synth string ensemble with electric guitar—think Ys / sound team jdk, and you’re on the right track.
Outside of Blueberry Academy itself, the music gets much more interesting. Toby Fox’s “Area Zero” theme is back, and it’s back with a vengeance! Hitomi Sato arranges a version of the environment theme entitled “Area Zero Underdepths,” removing the crunchy modulated bass, and with more audible choir amidst crystalline keys. This is the kind of stripped-back arrangement I can get behind. I didn’t realize just how complex the choir part was until I heard this version.
Hiromitsu Maeba handles some great cutscene event music back to back with “Conditions of the Hidden Treasure” and “Terapagos Goes Rampage,” with Toby Fox listed among composers, as the Area Zero theme is utilized throughout these tracks. Maeba really does keep the music alive for those special event moments throughout the game, and I felt this was one spot where he did shine.
The final battle for The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero is “Battle! (Terapagos – The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero),” with composition credits going to Rei Murayama, Toby Fox, Go Ichinose, and arrangement to Ichinose alone. This battle theme is a big beefy medley of the Area Zero theme, the Tera Raid battle theme, and the new Terapagos battle theme found exclusively in this chapter (disc 6 track 20). It’s a big carousel of grandiose themes strewn together, and it is certainly worth multiple listens!
There are a handful of songs after the Terapagos battle theme, mostly involving cute subquest events and the “Mochi Mayhem” epilogue scenario. I’m going to call attention to just two of them. First is “Relic Song” (disc 6 track 27), originally composed by Shota Kageyama and arranged for this album by Go Ichinose and Hitomi Sato. Do you know what this song is and what it’s doing here? Long-time Pokémon fans may know, especially if you were a big fan of Gen 5. This is the theme song for the mythical Pokémon Meloetta, and in this version, she is singing her ballad alongside light instrumental accompaniment for a total of two minutes. I love this melody so much, and I’m so glad to have it here.
The other song I want to call attention to is “Mochi Mayhem,” the theme song to the latest and greatest dance craze. Eat the purple mochi, and you may be doing the chicken dance until you drop! This song fits the goofiness of this whole chapter perfectly, and it makes me laugh every time I hear it.
The one thing missing? “Celestial.” I wasn’t expecting the Ed Sheeran single that plays during the end credits to be on this OST. It makes sense to keep it as a digital single. However, Toby Fox did a *remix* of this song for the DLC end credits. That remix did not get its own digital single release, so I was hoping it might find its way onto this OST. Apparently not. Hopefully, someday, I can officially have that subversive little remix added to my music collection.
And on that note, I think I’ve said everything I can think to say about this massive set of Pokémon music. Flawed as the game may have been, the music was a clear and strong step up from Sword & Shield. This music team has become a powerhouse, and I can only imagine what awaits us with Pokémon Legends: Z-A and the main Gen 10 entry later this decade!
