How Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC Epilogue Cements the Games' Greatest Strength

Highlights

The addition of familiar characters in the new DLC content expands upon the dynamic of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's core characters, showcasing their personalities and why they are considered highlights of the games.
The interactions between Arven, Nemona, and Penny highlight their different personalities and show how opposing personalities can work well together, making them feel like long-established friends.
The strong portrayal of the Paldea crew in the games makes them feel better established in the game world, rather than just NPCs serving to move the plot forward, and allows for future titles to build on these characters' interactions.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet rounded out its Teal Mask and Indigo Disk DLC with a return to Kitakami -- this time, with a few familiar faces in tow. The main Paldea crew of Arven, Nemona, and Penny joined the player in the short, but sweet content surrounding Pecharunt, the Mythical Pokemon with an affinity for poisonous mochi. While the epilogue's narrative was a bit silly, resulting in the townspeople of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Kitakami falling prey to Pecharunt's poisonous influence by dancing and challenging the player in battle, the content expanded a bit upon the dynamic of the titles' core characters, showcasing why many fans consider them to be one of the strongest highlights of the games.

Though Pokemon Scarlet and Violet separated its open-world structure into three distinct routes that the player could tackle, these storylines ultimately converged through the expedition into Area Zero, allowing Arven, Nemona, and Penny to play a role in the games' finale. The resulting segment allowed for some banter between the three, helping to showcase their different personalities while endearing them more to the player. Scarlet and Violet's epilogue continued this dynamic, giving a sense of how these characters interact with each other in a brief but compelling way; from Arven's innocent jealousy to Nemona's never-ending quest for battling, the Paldea crew highlights how opposing personalities can work so well with each other.

How to Get Pecharunt in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (& Can it be Shiny?)

Pecharunt is a new mythical Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet's DLC Epilogue.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Shine in Their Core Cast of Characters

Scarlet and Violet's Arven Continues to Be Endearing

Scarlet and Violet's Arven is largely considered to be the best of the titles' characters. Given the events of the main game and the neglect he faces from Sada/Turo, much of Arven's backstory is rooted in tragedy; even so, the bond he shares with Mabosstiff and his desire to heal through cooking makes him an admirably positive character. The comments he makes throughout the Mochi Mayhem epilogue cement the strength of his personality, reminding the player of his positive disposition. From remarking on how kind the player's mother is to noting that Penny's dad cares for her after she vents her frustrations from a long phone call with him, the way in which he interacts with the crew is an endearing look into his character while being a subtle reminder of his upbringing.

With such disparate personalities between them, Nemona and Penny also manage to bring a compelling presence to the group. From Nemona battling everyone in sight to Penny's lax attitude and obsession with tech, the two provide an air of comedy that works to heighten the team's dynamic. With Kieran added to the bunch, it's interesting to see how the group interacts with him, as well; Arven is quick to innocent jealousy as he remarks that he's the player's best friend, while Penny sympathizes with him as a common introvert and Nemona is quick to test his strength as a former Champion. Though the Pecharunt shenanigans happen pretty quickly, resulting in the player and Kieran having to bring the Paldea crew back to their senses, the group's dynamic manages to make them feel like long-established friends who understand each other well after the events of Area Zero.

Scarlet and Violet's NPCs Are Given Room to Interact With One Another

Because of this, bringing the core characters of Scarlet and Violet back together for this Mythical event sets a good precedent for future titles to follow, with smaller, story-based segments like Mochi Mayhem allowing for strong versatility in expanding upon pre-established characters. Making the Paldea crew so central to the exploration surrounding Area Zero in the base story was a great way to build banter between the three, helping them to feel like characters with actual stakes, both in their interactions with each other and the player. While the player is undoubtedly the central component in these interactions, the way in which Scarlet and Violet portray the group makes it so that they feel better established with the games' world, rather than just NPCs serving to move the plot forward. This helps their moments in the epilogue to feel well-deserved.

As Paldea's region closes out, it will be interesting to see how future titles handle rival dynamics. Allowing for more contained story moments to build on characters' interactions, like in the case of exploring with the player for a short amount of time, seems like it would be a clever path to follow based on the success of Area Zero's expedition and the Mochi Mayhem epilogue. A focus on banter that moves beyond the player's influence, letting conversation take place outside of exposition, is a good reason as to why the Paldea crew feels successful in how they're portrayed, as it gives its NPCs ample room to establish and show off their personalities.