Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will soon be expanded with The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC which will be released in two parts. The second half, titled The Indigo Disk, will feature a new school called Blueberry Academy. This is certainly exciting, as it opens the possibility to meet new professors who can reveal more about the Pokemon world. However, there are a few potential downsides that could come with introducing this school, as it may have big implications for the larger Pokemon storyline.
The big positive is the possibility to learn more. The potential downside is that it could end up overcomplicating things. It may force players to think deeply about schools in the Pokemon world and how they are distributed across different regions. This could lead to some retconning of games before Pokemon Scarlet and Violet for things to make sense.
The Good Things That Blueberry Academy Can Bring
Because The Indigo Disk is the second half of the expansion pass, not much is known about it yet. It has been revealed that players will visit Blueberry Academy as exchange students. It is a sister school of the Naranja Academy in Pokemon Scarlet and Uva Academy in Pokemon Violet. The academies in Scarlet and Violet are useful, as players can discover more about the lore of the world around them.
For example, the books in the library contain information on Paradox Pokemon, while chatting with Ms. Raifort reveals more about the legendary Pokemon of Ruin. With a new Pokemon school containing new professors and being in an entirely different location, there could be even more mysteries uncovered. This is an exciting prospect, especially when the Terastal phenomenon has been introduced which could hold plenty more secrets.
The Potential Problems With Blueberry Academy
The first issue that comes up with Blueberry Academy is that it forces players to question exactly how education works in the Pokemon world. It has never been adequately explained, and some regions like Alola in Pokemon Sun and Moon and Paldea have schools while others don't seem to feature any. The anime has Ash and his friends encountering a few schools, but there again there is a lot of inconsistency regarding how they are represented. The existence of schooling systems that feature sister schools may necessitate the DLC to more clearly outline how Pokemon academies work.
There are also plenty of questions regarding the distribution of Pokemon schools. It appears Paldea has one academy, though it hasn't yet been revealed where the Blueberry Academy is located. If it is located in Paldea, it would make players question why Paldea has so many schools when other regions seem to have none. If it is in another region, it still leaves players wondering why they haven't seen these seemingly ubiquitous schools more frequently in past games. According to leaks and rumors, the DLC will take Pokemon players to Kalos. Though this is a captivating idea, it does raise the question of why there is no mention of it at all in Pokemon X and Y.
The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC is available for pre-order for players eager to discover more about Blueberry Academy. Before the release of The Indigo Disk, the first half of the DLC, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's The Teal Mask, will launch, and it will have players traveling to a Japan-inspired region called Kitakami. Already, a few legendary Pokemon from the region have been revealed, including Ogerpon, Okidogi, Fezandipiti, and Munkidori. With The Indigo Disk's Legendary being called Terapagos and having part of its name coming from the Galapagos Islands, the location of the Blueberry Academy matters more than ever.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.
