Highlights

  • The upcoming Indigo Disk DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will allow players to catch every single first-partner Pokemon from past games, which is a positive change.
  • However, there are some Pokemon that will be cut from the DLC, including Furfrou, Pansage, Simisage, Pansear, and more, which could have been included given the current direction of the series.
  • On the other hand, Pokemon such as Incineroar and Smeargle, which have been problematic in competitive battles, will be featured in the DLC, raising concerns about game balance.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Indigo Disk DLC is on the way, and while it's not confirmed to be the last expansion for Gen 9 games, it is seemingly wrapping things up with a story that takes the base games' and The Teal Mask's full circle. The Indigo Disk DLC is breaking a starter tradition by allowing players to catch every single first-partner Pokemon from past games in the different biomes of the Blueberry Academy, and although this is overall a good change in the right direction, it also comes with some issues. In fact, ever since Pokemon Gen 8 games came out, the National Dex issues have followed, and now some evolutionary lines will be cut once again with Gen 9's second DLC.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's The Indigo Disk will have the ungrateful job of being the grim reaper to some evolutionary lines that won't find their way into Gen 9 games (unless more expansions are released, that is). This is understandable given the current direction of the series, but there have been datamines, rumors, and leaks pointing that the second expansion for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will once again not include some creatures that have yet to be featured in Switch games - but others that could have used a cut are still present.

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Why Game Freak Should Have Included Different Pokemon in The Indigo Disk

pokemon-scarlet-violet-indigo-disk-new-paradoxPokemon That Won't be on the Switch After The Indigo Disk

The Indigo Disk's Blueberry Academy will allow players to catch multiple new and returning Pokemon, but according to datamines, some critters that have never been in Switch games so far have been cut. With rumors about the Switch 2 console coming out next year, and with only Gen 5 remakes possibly still releasing on the Switch, if at all, these Pokemon should have been included in The Indigo Disk. Based on datamined information, these pocket monsters won't appear in Gen 9's second DLC:

  • Furfrou
  • Pansage
  • Simisage
  • Pansear
  • Simisear
  • Panpour
  • Simipour
  • Patrat
  • Watchog
  • Minior

Pokemon That Could Have Been Cut From The Indigo Disk

On the other hand, there are several Pokemon that are either officially confirmed to come back with The Indigo Disk or at least rumored for it, be it through datamining or insider sources. For example, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC will feature Incineroar and Smeargle, two Pokemon that have long been problematic in competitive battles, especially with the former single-handedly dominating the meta of Gen 8.

Incineroar has access to Intimidate as its Ability, which on its own is already a rather powerful tool with little counterplay due to its on-entrance activation. On top of that, the Fire/Dark-type Pokemon also has Parting Shot to pivot out of combat, reduce the target's Attack further, and reserve its trainer the chance to send it back to activate Intimidate once more. With decent stats and moves for damage, it's a menace to be reckoned with, and skipping Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's generation wouldn't have been too bad. The same can be said about Smeargle, which can learn any move in the game, causing problematic interactions all the time.

Then, Whimsicott would have been either best as a base-game addition or removed entirely in favor of other Pokemon, as it remains one of the best Tailwind users in the series. Another example is Venusaur, which has seen a lot of use in Gen 8, and another good pick to remove would have been Metagross, which has often been a polarizing creature to have access to. With every past starter coming back, it feels unfair that some Pokemon won't return in Gen 9 games, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Indigo Disk should have been a good moment to change the narrative.