Obedience has been a gameplay mechanic of Pokemon since the very beginning, but it's been through some changes since Gen 1. Generally, Pokemon will obey their rookie trainers up to level 20. To increase the obedience level from 20 to 25/30, trainers need to collect gym badges. Pokemon Scarlet & Violet's obedience mechanic functions mostly the same, as an over-leveled Pokemon will sometimes refuse orders. However, there's one major difference in Scarlet/Violet that sets it apart from the previous generations.