Which games introduced Generation IX to the Pokémon video game series?

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet introduced Generation IX to the Pokémon video game series.

The pair was released for Nintendo Switch on 18 November 2022. The games take place in Paldea, a region inspired largely by the Iberian Peninsula, and they introduced new Pokémon, characters, storylines, and the Terastal phenomenon.

Scarlet and Violet are notable for presenting a largely open-world structure and three major story routes. Players can pursue the Victory Road, Path of Legends, and Starfall Street routes in a flexible order, rather than following one strictly linear path.

The games are sometimes confused with Pokémon Sword and Shield, which began Generation VIII, or Pokémon X and Y, which began Generation VI. Scarlet and Violet were announced on 27 February 2022, exactly 26 years after the Japanese debut of the first Pokémon games.