Sword and Shield's taxi Pokemon was bullied out of a job in Scarlet and Violet

A stressed Corviknight looks upon a Pokemon character
(Image credit: Pokemon Company)

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet explain why a feature from Sword and Shield has changed in two Pokedex entries, and it's rather unfortunate.

As a user of the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet subreddit discovered, there's a reason Corviknight isn't a flying taxi anymore. It turns out newcomer Tinkaton is fond of battering Corviknight out of the sky with projectiles, meaning the Flying-Type Pokemon is now officially out of a job.

If you cast your mind back to Pokemon Sword and Shield, you might remember Corviknight was once a proud, employed bird. The creature would taxi the player character between landmarks and cities alike, ferrying us on our merry way without a thought of being knocked out of the sky by a missile.

Now, though, in Scarlet and Violet, that's all changed. The two Pokedex entries above don't detail why Tinkaton has a brutal grudge to bear against Corviknight, but we know the latter is so scared of flying high up into the sky and dropping passengers when attacked that it's out of a job.

But don't forget, flying taxis remain in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. In the wake of Corviknight's departure, they're instead operated by Squawkabilly, which means Tinkaton has an axe to grind with Corviknight in particular, not just any flying Pokemon. We'd like to know a little more about this tough rivalry at some point, please, Game Freak.

Head over to our extensive guide on how to unlock Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Koraidon and Miraidon abilities for info on surfing, flying, and much more. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.