Quick Links

• Pokemon Obedience in Scarlet & Violet Explained

  • The New Obedience System

• Gym Badge Requirements for Obedience

  • How Badges Affect Your Pokemon

• Do Traded Pokemon Still Obey?

  • Original Trainer Impact Removed

Obedience has been a core Pokemon mechanic since Gen 1, but Scarlet & Violet shake things up. While past games let any caught Pokemon obey up to level 20 (with badges raising the cap), Gen 9 introduces a smarter system. Now, obedience depends entirely on when you caught the Pokemon, not just its current level. Here's how the new mechanics work.

Disobedience in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

The New Obedience System

Scarlet & Violet ditch the old approach where badges determined obedience limits for all Pokemon. Now, it's all about the level at which you first caught them.

Early-game trainers can command anything caught at level 20 or below—and here's the kicker—those Pokemon will keep obeying no matter how much they level up. But if you catch something above your current obedience threshold? That Pokemon will ignore you until you earn more badges.

For example:

• Catch a level 20 Pawmo with no badges → It obeys forever, even at level 50.
• Catch a level 21 Pawmo with no badges → It'll ignore you until you get that first gym badge.

Disobedient Pokemon show their defiance in battle by sometimes refusing attacks, falling asleep mid-fight, or even hurting themselves in confusion. Outside battles, their auto-battle icon gets a blue speech bubble when they refuse commands.

Gym Badge Requirements for Obedience

How Badges Affect Your Pokemon

Check your current obedience limit anytime via your Trainer Card:

1. Open the map (Y button)
2. Access your Profile (X button)

Since Paldea is truly open-world, badge progression doesn't follow a set path. Whether you challenge Katy, Brassius, or Kofu first, each new badge increases your obedience cap by 5 levels. Here's the breakdown:

The system tracks total badges, not which specific ones you've earned. Defeating Brassius first still raises your cap to 25, while beating Katy next pushes it to 30—regardless of gym order.

Do Traded Pokemon Still Obey?

Original Trainer Impact Removed

Previous games made traded Pokemon (with different OT IDs) more likely to disobey. Scarlet & Violet scraps this entirely—now only the met level matters.

Key takeaways:

• Pokémon received via trade at level 17? They'll always obey, even when leveled past 20.
• Got a level 21 traded Pokemon early? It'll ignore you until your badges catch up.

This makes trading far more viable for building teams, though surprise-traded high-level Pokemon may still refuse commands until you progress further.