What is Raid Power in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

If you’ve dabbled in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, no matter how far you’ve progressed through the story, you’ve probably seen or heard the term ‘Raid Power’ pop up at least once.

It’s one of the many boosts that eating a specific combination of ingredients in a sandwich can bestow on trainers.

But unlike others such as Catching Power, Exp. Point Power, and Item Drop Power, its meaning isn’t obvious. Does it make you hit harder or take less damage in raids? Not quite.

Raid Power in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, explained

Despite its name, Raid Power is a sandwich boost that increases the number of rewards dropped from Tera Raid battles rather than making a Pokémon stronger and more powerful.

Raid Reward Power would have been a more fitting name, but Game Freak decided to run with Raid Power instead. It’s an interesting choice, to say the least.

But we’re stuck with it in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, for now.

Either way, now that you know the meaning, you’ll know exactly why and when to use it. For example, it will come in handy when farming raid-exclusive items like Herba Mystica or Exp. Candies. Tera Raid Rewards are varied at the best of times, so a little boost can go a long way.

Just make sure you come prepared after using one, as you’ll only get the most out of the Raid Power boost by catching or defeating the Pokémon in the Raid rather than wiping.

Related: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Nuzlocke challenge, explained from Destructoid