When Pokemon Scarlet and Violet ran out of things to do in the endgame, fans were eager for any announcements for potential DLC for the two most recent titles. The Pokemon Day presentation this year didn't disappoint in this regard, as it revealed that fans have a two-part DLC experience to look forward to with The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, due to release late into 2023.
Despite the curious title, both The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk deal with two locations that seem to have hardly anything to do with Area Zero and the Great Crater of Paldea. At first glance, only the legendary found in The Indigo Disk, Terapagos, implies some sort of connection with the mysterious location through its shimmering body and similarities to an in-game book illustration. However, there are a few things that tie Area Zero, Blueberry Academy, and Kitakami together in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet already.
Ogerpon's Mask and Terastallization
While Kitakami seems a bit out of left field for those hoping that Kalos would return, the location might serve an important purpose in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. Players will be sent on a special field trip shortly after the Treasure Hunt begins, if fans haven't made progress in the game already. They'll arrive in Kitakami just in time for a yearly traditional festival, where masks are typically sold for festive decoration rather than disguises.
Here, trainers will meet three Pokemon that are themed after a dog, monkey, and pheasant, just like in the Japanese folktale Momotaro. In this story, a human and his animal friends team up to take down a mean ogre, which might be played by Ogerpon; a legendary creature found in Kitakami. However, there's a slight implication that Ogerpon isn't at all threatening behind its "fearsome" sparkling mask. This may tie into the origins of the Terastal Phenomenon, how it affects Pokemon, and help introduce the rumored new Tera Forms that the DLC is said to bring to Scarlet and Violet.
The Secrets of Blueberry Academy
While Kitakami may hold a few secrets about Terastallization, that doesn't entirely mean it's connected to Area Zero. However, the events in The Teal Mask may act as build up to the end of the main story, and then have its truths expanded upon in The Indigo Disk. In Part 2 of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, fans will become a transfer student to the prestigious Blueberry Academy, where Pokemon battling is said to flourish.
Blueberry Academy seems to be more connected with Area Zero than Kitakami at first glance. The entire school seems to be resting on some sort of round plate underwater, almost as if it's on the back of an aquatic creature like a turtle. It almost resembles Terapagos, the Legendary creature trainers are meant to meet on their stay abroad. Due to the Pokemon's ties to Terastallization and the Scarlet or Violet books, this implies that Part 2 of the DLC will be more about Area Zero than Part 1 will be.
On the official website for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, a notice says that The Indigo Disk's content will only start after players make their way to the end of the story -- just after fans first explore Area Zero for themselves. This helps the idea that The Indigo Disk will go more into the strange phenomenon first found in the crater, which will most likely help tie up both of the storylines found at the Blueberry Academy and Kitakami.
Game Freak is most likely well aware that a fair amount of the people playing The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero right away have already completed the main story. As a result, there may be a few more interesting secrets both parts of the downloadable content are hiding about Area Zero that might get fans excited. Some players have already theorized that The Teal Mask will open a strange door in the Zero Gate when it arrives that's currently said to be broken, due to the fact that it's covered in teal markings. Luckily, trainers will get the answers to their questions sometime later this year.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are out now for Nintendo Switch. The Teal Mask will release sometime in Fall 2023. The Indigo Disk is planned for Winter 2023.
