Terastal energy

Terastal energy (Japanese: テラスタルエネルギー Terastal energy) is a type of energy in the Pokémon world derived from the Tera Pokémon, Terapagos. This energy was researched by Professor Sada^S/Professor Turo^V during their stay in Area Zero. Terastal energy can cause Pokémon to Terastallize, either naturally or through the use of Tera Orbs, a device created by the professor.

In the core series games

History and effects

Terastal energy has its origin in the Paldea region. It is produced by the Legendary Pokémon Terapagos, which lived in Paldea in a bygone era. The species was made nearly extinct by a series of seismic shifts that took place over two million years ago. The sole surviving Terapagos protected itself by crystallizing its body and falling into a deep sleep in the depths of the region. As time went on, the Terapagos's Terastal energy began to spread throughout the Great Crater of Paldea, eventually forming large crystals and crystallized structures, including a large crystal tree within the depths. Special herbs with healing and growth powers, known as Herba Mystica, also began to grow in Area Zero. At some point, Glimmet and Glimmora started appearing in the crater, feeding on Terastal energy seeping through the walls of Area Zero's caverns.

Over time, explorers and researchers traveled to Area Zero in attempts to uncover its secrets. Legends were told of "precious stones", "wondrous fruits", and some manner of valuable treasure. Over 200 years prior to the events of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the Area Zero Expedition team, which included the historian Heath, claimed to have reached the depths of Area Zero. Heath described his experiences in the Scarlet Book^S/Violet Book^V, including the discovery of Herba Mystica and an apparent encounter with Terapagos in its Stellar Form. 60 years later, Terastal energy began affecting the Pokémon within Area Zero, giving rise to the Terastal phenomenon in which a Pokémon becomes crystallized, their moves are strengthened, and even their type may be changed. Attempts to move these Pokémon outside of Area Zero caused their Terastallization to vanish.

10 years prior to the events of the games, Professor Sada^S/Professor Turo^V, inspired by Heath's writings, began researching Area Zero with the goal of bringing Pokémon from other timelines to the present. Their research into Terapagos and its energy led to the naming of Terastal energy and Terastallization itself. The professor used their research to create the Tera Orbs, allowing Pokémon to Terastallize outside of Area Zero, which secured funding for further research. The professor eventually used Terastal energy to create an AI-powered robot with their exact appearance. The human and AI professors used Terastal energy to create a time machine to summon Pokémon from the ancient past^S/distant future^V and fulfill the human professor's dream.

Today, many Paldean Trainers, Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions use Tera Orbs to Terastallize their Pokémon during battles. Pokémon have also begun to naturally Terastallize outside of Area Zero, either in the wild or in Tera Raid Battles. With the player's help, Jacq determines that "blasts" of Terastal energy escape the Great Crater from time to time, strengthening any Tera Raid crystals (and the boss Pokémon inside them) they come into contact with. Jacq also determines that the amount of Terastal energy being emitted from the crater is slowly growing. If the Terastal energy blast is powerful enough, the Tera Raid crystal becomes black and the Pokémon within becomes incredibly powerful.

Hundreds of years ago, Ogerpon and its human companion traveled from a distant land to Kitakami, carrying gems that radiated Terastal energy. Because their appearance was unusual to the villagers, they were shunned and lived apart, settling in a den within Oni Mountain. Kitakami's mask-maker crafted four masks for the pair to use during the village festival, embedding the gems into them. These crystals granted Ogerpon the ability to Terastallize without a Tera Orb and strongly suggest that Terastal crystals were introduced to Kitakami through human hands.

At the summit of Oni Mountain lies the Crystal Pool, whose waters and crystals directly reflect the Terastal phenomenon found in Paldea. Its plaque describes it as "infused with crystalline material from an unknown source." According to Briar, the large crystals at the bottom of the pool emit energy of the same wavelength as Terastal energy. The folklore surrounding Ogerpon ties its origin to the pool, while the presence of Glimmora, a species otherwise exclusive to Area Zero, reinforces its role as a miniature of the Paldea's crater. The Crystal Pool is therefore believed to have originated from these foreign gems, arguably Terastal crystals from Paldea. Brought to Kitakami in ancient times and infused into the waters, these crystals seeded the pool with Terastal energy, transforming it into a secondary hotspot that mirrors the properties of Paldea's Area Zero. Legends in Kitakami state that spirits of the dead can be seen in the pool, a phenomenon linked to travel across space-time—akin to encounters from “some point in space-time” and the parallel timelines associated with Area Zero.

In the Unova region's Blueberry Academy, Briar used soil from Paldea and water from Kitakami's Crystal Pool to create the Terarium Core, a large sphere hanging from the top of the Terarium. The Terastal energy subsequently emitting from the Terarium Core makes Terastallization possible within Blueberry Academy.

Within the Underdepths, large crystal clusters are found blocking the path to Terapagos. Briar states they are made of pure Terastal energy, and Carmine notes that they look like flowers. These clusters dissipate when the player character defeats nearby wild Pokémon that are Terastallized with the Stellar type. Briar's Rotom Phone indicates that the level of Terastal energy around them increases as they go deeper into the Underdepths; as they near Terapagos, Carmine and Kieran's Tera Orbs begin visibly reacting to the surrounding energy. The room in which Terapagos is found is so full of Terastal energy that Carmine's, Kieran's, and the player character's Tera Orbs become permanently charged with Terastal energy, no longer needing recharged between battles. Following these events, Briar adds crystals from the Area Zero Underdepths to the Terarium Core, causing some Pokémon in the Terarium to Terastallize with the Stellar type.

If the player returns to Kitakami's Crystal Pool with Terapagos in their party or Pokémon Storage System, Terapagos will come out, a strange mist will manifest around the pool, and the real Professor Sada^S/Professor Turo^V will suddenly appear for a brief time. The professor assumes that their appearance may have something to do with Terapagos and posits that they may not be from the same timeline as the player character.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Masters EX

Terastal energy is briefly mentioned in the Arceus Arc by Nemona in regards to Professor Bellis's research on the mysterious stones.

In animation

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

In Welcome to Naranja Academy!, the chairwoman of Naranja Academy's school board, Geeta, explained how Terastallization works to Liko, Roy, and Dot, who wanted to participate in the academy's Tera Training course. She showed the three a video explaining the phenomenon and how Trainers use it. She also explained how it is still being studied, and that it could be related to the Terastal energy being radiated from Paldea's land.

In The Wonders of the World!, Rystal reveals in her story that 100 years ago, Pagogo passed some of its power to the Six Heroes so they could seal the Laquium inside a giant barrier, protecting the world from it. This also reveals that everytime the Rising Volt Tacklers recruited a member of the Six Heroes, they return Pagogo's power. In Beyond the Shining Rainbow, during the battle against the Black Rayquaza, Pagogo used its remaining Terastal energy to form an orb and throw it on Roy's Crocalor, Terastallizing it as a result. After Rayquaza joined them, Pagogo finally regained all of its lost power, which allows it to even transform into its Stellar Form like it used to 100 years ago.

Over the series, Pagogo was shown to be capable to summoning any of the Six Heroes from their Poké Balls through the use of its own Terastal Energy.

In Guided by the Black Rayquaza!, similarly to 100 years ago, Pagogo passed some of its power to the Six Heroes, but this time, to completly erase Laquium from existance, which worked, but left Pagogo exausted, falling into a deep slumber for an entire year. Also unlike last time, Pagogo regained its power from the heroes after the Laquium was gone.

Trivia

The way Terastal energy originates from Terapagos is similar to how Z-Power and Galar particles originate from Necrozma and Eternatus, respectively.