Is Pokerus in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

It's the good kind of virus.

A player stood alongside a Magmortar in The Indigo Disk.
Screenshot by Dot Esports.

Pokerus is a disease Pokémon players have been taking advantage of for decades, but with the release of Scarlet and Violet, it has gone mostly unseen.

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This status glitch might sound bad, but Pokerus is the perfect tool to ensure you’re training Pokémon at the optimal speed, and the best part: only one Pokémon in your party needs to be infected for the others to reap the benefits.

It’s easy to spot Pokerus given it includes a glitched icon that indicates when a Pokémon is infected, so naturally players have been curious about the lack of Pokerus in Scarlet and Violet. Before you go chasing down an infected Pokémon or attempting to bring one in, here is what you need to know about Pokerus in Scarlet and Violet.

Is Pokerus in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

A player taking a picture with a Ninetails in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
You will need to EV train the old-fashion way. Image via The Pokemon Company

No, you won’t be seeing any Pokémon with Pokerus in Scarlet and Violet. Even using Pokémon HOME to import a Pokerus Pokémon from another game won’t work.

According to a forum discussion, If you do attempt to import a Pokémon with Pokerus to Scarlet and Violet the good news is bringing it back into HOME and then another game will retain its infected status. It just won’t show this when in Scarlet and Violet.

You might be disappointed to see Pokerus go since it has been prevalent from back when Gold and Silver launched, but perhaps it is for the best. Maybe we will see this fictional disease return in a future game, but for now, Generation IX is Pokerus-free.

Author
Image of Ryan Galloway
Ryan Galloway
Ryan is a Senior Staff Writer for Dot Esports who has been working at GAMURS since 2020. He covers a wide variety of titles from across the gaming space, with a focus on Pokémon. He boasts a degree in Journalism from Murdoch University. Email: ryan@dotesports.com