The Teal Mask is part 1 of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet's expansion pass: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, much like Gen 8's Isle of Armor was to Pokemon Sword/Shield. As Gen 9, many fans were expecting the Teal Mask to have stronger content - story, characters, etc - over Isle of Armor. Like every other DLC, Teal Mask has its pros and cons, but there are some things it does better than Isle of Armor.

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Whether Scarlet/Violet's Teal Mask is the better part 1 DLC is up to interpretation. However, Teal Mask appears to have a longer story and more Legendary Pokemon to catch. There are several other factors that make the Teal Mask DLC truly stand out over its predecessor.

1 A Stronger Story

Kitakami vs. Isle of Armor

One aspect of the Teal Mask that was met with praise was its story. In Kitakami, players learn about the region's history and discover that the tale passed down by the villagers is a misunderstanding. The second part of the story involves working with Ogerpon to retrieve her stolen masks from the "Loyal Three." Because of this, many trainers formed a bond with Ogerpon before they could even catch her. It also has a cliffhanger that leads into the Indigo Disk (part 2 of Scarlet/Violet's expansion pass), leaving off on a darker note than the Isle of Armor's ending.

While Isle of Armor can be accessed just as early as "Teal Mask" in Sword/Shield, there's less of a plot for trainers to follow. The story mode involves completing several trials set up by the Isle of Armor's dojo master, Mustard. Successfully completing these trials nets trainers a Legendary Fighting-type Pokemon Kubfu. To wrap up Isle of Armor's story, players need to raise their Friendship level with Kubfu, then return to Mustard to take on the Tower of Darkness or the Tower of Waters. This is the final key to evolve Kubfu into Urshifu, whose form is determined by which tower that trainers choose. Unlike Teal Mask, there isn't a cliffhanger in Isle of Armor. However, trainers can return to the Isle of Armor after the postgame for some miscellaneous tasks, which includes unlocking Urshifu's Gigantamax form.

2 A Better "Mascot" Legendary

Ogerpon vs. Urshifu

In terms of DLC stories, Ogerpon has a much stronger presence in the Teal Mask than Kubfu/Urshifu has in Isle of Armor. Both are automatic catches, but while Kubfu is given, trainers need to beat Terastallized Ogerpon 4x in a row before they can throw a Poke Ball. Her battle is also followed by a rather difficult fight (at least in the postgame) against Kieran.

What makes a Pokemon "stronger" or "better" than another is mostly subjective, and both Ogerpon and Urshifu are good examples. Most trainers found Ogerpon more useful thanks to her high Speed and Attack, but that alone doesn't take away from Urshifu's strengths.

• Ogerpon can gain a second Typing if she's equipped with the Wellspring Mask (Water-type), Cornerstone Mask (Rock-type), or Hearthflame Mask (Fire-type). Each Mask has its own Ability, but the downside to the masks is it robs Ogerpon of an item slot. She won't be able to hold any other battle item if trainers want to change her Typing. However, her signature move, Ivy Cudgel, has a high chance of landing a critical hit. This move's Typing will also change to match whichever Mask she's wearing.
• Kubfu can evolve into Single Strike Style (Fighting/Dark-type) or Rapid Strike Style (Fighting/Water-type) Urshifu. Since it's an evolution, Urshifu has the advantage of being able to hold an item regardless of its Typing. Both of the Urshifus signature moves (Wicked Blow and Surging Strikes respectively) always land critical hits with some exceptions.

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As Legendary Pokemon, their base stat total is 550, but the stat spreads are different:

Urshifu has better Defense, but not so much Special Defense. While its Defense and HP are high, it can still be easily 1HKO'd by special attackers, especially Fairy-type moves, which deal 4x damage to Single Strike Urshifu. Its 97 base speed, while high, isn't enough to outspeed swifter attackers. On the other hand, Ogerpon is a speedy attacker with her best stats being Attack and Speed. While she does have higher Special Defense than Urshifu, her low HP isn't enough to be used as a wall in-battle. However, if trainers are looking for a Pokemon that's going to attack first in battle and potentially 1HKO the opponent, Ogerpon may be the better choice.

3 Better Characters

Kieran & Carmine

At the start of Teal Mask, Carmine seems to have little patience for the Naranja/Uva Academy students - including the player character. Kieran admires the player's battling prowess, and starts off as a meek character to contrast with his much more extroverted sister. However, as the story of Teal Mask unfolds, Kieran grows distant from the player and Carmine ends up being the player's partner for the second half of the story. If playing Teal Mask in the postgame, Kieran's final battle with the player has him arrive with a team of fully evolved Pokemon that are equipped with items that wouldn't be out of place in competitive gameplay. By the conclusion of the Teal Mask, Kieran is seen in his room obsessing over his need to become stronger. It ends with him saying, "Just you wait, [trainer's name]..." Kieran's sudden switch from a shy and kind rival to someone more bitter and selfish was mostly met with praise, as some fans were glad to see another "mean rival" like Blue and Silver. His words at the end of the Teal Mask left many fans in anticipation for Part 2: The Indigo Disk.

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Isle of Armor has Klara (Sword) or Avery (Shield). They're not given nearly as much backstory as Kieran and Carmine, but they start off being cold to the player character. They even rig the stadium in their favor in their last battle against the player character. However, once they're defeated, they realize what they were doing was wrong and take their loss like a champ. Unfortunately, that's the extent of their character. Klara and Avery ultimately learn that they can't cheat their way to the top, but they're not as involved as Kieran and Carmine are in the DLC's story. When compared to Crown Tundra, part 2 of Sword/Shield's DLC, Klara and Avery fall behind Peony and Calyrex, both significant characters in the Crown Tundra's story.

4 Tougher Opponents

The Kitakami Ogre Clan

The Kitakami Ogre Clan are probably the toughest trainers that player's will find in Kitakami. They come packing with level 75+ Pokemon with half of their team equipped with battle items. They also have movesets that fully take advantage of their Pokemon's typing, and unlike the other trainers in Kitakami, their levels are not scaled to match the player's progress in Scarlet/Violet's story. They will always be at level 75+, which can be a rude awakening for anyone not expecting.

Isle of Armor doesn't have trainers outside of Klara/Avery, Mustard, and Honey. While their team's levels are scaled depending on where trainers are at in Sword/Shield's story, none of them are equipped with battle items or berries. So, despite their potential level 73+ team, they can easily be defeated and cause little problems for players that arrive with over leveled Pokemon.

5 More Legendary Pokemon

The Loyal Three

Aside from Ogerpon, trainers will also have the chance to catch the Loyal Three after completing Teal Mask's story. They'll be locked at level 70, so it's recommended to challenge them after getting all the gym badges in Paldea. Unlike Ogerpon, they are not a guaranteed catch, so trainers will have to battle these Legendary Pokemon the old-fashioned way. Having more Legendary Pokemon in the first part of the DLC just gives players something to do beyond the Teal Mask's storyline.

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Isle of Armor has Kubfu and Urshifu. Most of the Legendary Pokemon were saved for Crown Tundra, where players can get Calyrex and Spectrier/Glastrier, and the Legendary Pokemon and Ultra Beasts through Dynamax Adventures. Unfortunately, once Kubfu has evolved, there's not much else in Isle of Armor for trainers other than catching Pokemon, battling Clara/Avery or Mustard, or farming Max Mushrooms.

6 Side Quests

The Bloodmoon Ursaluna

If players speak to Perrin, the photographer with the Hisuian Growlithe, in Mossui Town, they can unlock a side quest in Teal Mask. Once trainers have 150 Pokemon registered in the Kitakami Dex, they'll be able to battle Perrin's level 60+ team consisting of a Noctowl and Leafeon. Afterwards, Perrin will recruit players to help her find the "Blood Moon Beast" in the Timeless Woods. This is how trainers can catch the Bloodmoon Ursaluna, a regional variant of the Ursalunas found in Hisui/Pokemon Legends: Arceus. While not a Legendary Pokemon, Bloodmoon Ursalua has its own signature move and unique Ability. It's also a required catch for completing the Kitakami Pokedex.

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Isle of Armor doesn't have any side quests. While it does have regional variants such as the Galarian Slowpoke, they're not tied to any side quest like the Bloodmoon Ursaluna. However, if players visit the Isle of Armor in the postgame, they'll be tasked with obtaining Max Honey to unlock Urshifu's Gigantamax Form.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available for Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Franchise

Pokemon

Platform(s)

Switch

Released

November 18, 2022

Developer(s)

Game Freak

ESRB

E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence