Highlights

  • Speculation is growing about the next Pokemon game, with rumors pointing to it being set in the Unova or Johto regions.
  • The Indigo Disk DLC includes a side quest featuring a Johto reference, further fueling the theory of a Johto-based game.
  • The reward for completing Perrin's side quest in The Indigo Disk is a rare Sport Ball, which has connections to the Johto region.

Now that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Indigo Disk DLC has been released, a lot of the fan base's attention has turned towards speculation on what's next for the franchise. While rumors and hints within Pokemon Scarlet and Violet point to the next game taking players back to the Unova Region, there is also evidence to suggest that a new game set in Johto could be on the horizon. To further fuel this speculation, The Indigo Disk includes one side quest that includes a neat Johto reference which adds more support to the theory that the next Pokemon game will be set in Johto.

Between the references in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC, and the leaks and rumors surrounding the Pokemon franchise as a whole, it seems likely that the next mainline games are going to take place in a past region, either as a remake or a new Pokemon Legends game. The two top contenders for where the next games will take place are Unova and Johto, but there are even rumors of a dual Pokemon game release with both regions getting new games. While it's unclear how much of this speculation is true, the reward from Perrin's side quest in The Indigo Disk points towards the Johto side of these rumors.

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Perrin’s Side Quest Reward in the Indigo Disk Could Hint at Future Johto Game

Perrin is a major new NPC introduced in the DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet who offers players the chance to complete some of the expansion's most interesting quests. In The Teal Mask, Perrin tasks the player with helping her hunt down and capture a picture of the elusive Bloodmoon Ursaluna in a Pokemon Snap-style quest. As a reward for helping her with this task, players not only get a chance to catch the Bloodmoon Ursaluna, but she also gifts the player a Hisuian Growlithe, clearly connecting her story to Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

The photographer returns again in The Indigo Disk, this time requiring players to capture 200 critters in the DLC's Pokedex before they can begin her quest. Once they've started Perrin's side quest, players will need to find and catch two new Paradox Pokemon based on photos she's taken, Raging Bolt and Gouging Fire in Pokemon Scarlet, and Iron Crown and Iron Boulder in Pokemon Violet. After successfully catching these mons and showing them to Perrin, she will reward the player with a very rare Sport Ball, which has deep ties to the Johto Region.

Games Where a Sport Ball is Obtainable

Game

How to Obtain

Gold/Silver/Crystal

Bug Catching Contest

HeartGold/SoulSilver

Bug Catching Contest

Sword/Shield

Isle of Armor - Cram-o-matic

Scarlet/Violet

Indigo Disk - Perrin Side Quest

Players might recognize the Sport Ball as the type of Poke Ball that was originally exclusively available during bug-catching competitions in Johto's National Park. This competition allows players to compete against NPCs to try and catch the best Bug-type Pokemon before time runs out using only Sport Balls, called Park Balls in Gen 2, that are given to them at the start of the competition. Limiting these balls to the bug-catching competition prior to Gen 8 meant that there were very few possible mons players could have caught within them, making them exceptionally rare.

In the Isle of Armor DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield, Sport Balls were once again available and could be crafted using the Cram-o-matic. The Indigo Disk brings the Sport Ball back again as a reward from Perrin for completing her request, potentially drawing attention to these forgotten Poke Balls ahead of a possible new Johto game. This theory isn't too much of a stretch considering Perrin's connection to Pokemon Legends: Arceus in The Teal Mask, so her quest in The Indigo Disk could potentially hint at a future Pokemon Legends Johto game.