After the reveal of DLC titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, fans have been left to speculate that the festival-like inspiration of The Teal Mask could potentially see the return of Pokemon Contests. While they were introduced in Ruby and Sapphire as an alternative to battling, Pokemon Contests didn't seem to gain enough traction with players and so, by Gen 6, the feature was virtually non-existent. Beyond obliged appearances in Gen 3 and 4 remakes with Pokemon Super Contests and Pokemon Showcase serving as an X and Y parallel in the anime, Pokemon Contests have long since been absent from mainline games.
However, due to the new Pokemon and artwork revealed so far for Scarlet and Violet's upcoming DLC, players have already connected The Teal Mask to Japanese mythology as it seemingly takes influence from the festival known as Momotaro Matsuri. But while the story and setting of The Teal Mask will likely explore this inspiration and how it connects to the bigger picture in Scarlet and Violet, the festival setting seems to be primed to reintroduce Pokemon Contests to the series. In fact, reviving a side game within an optional DLC could be the perfect opportunity to test the waters for a new and improved Pokemon Contest comeback.
Pokemon Contests Deserve A Place Somewhere
Among the reasons why Pokemon Contests likely didn't thrive within the series could be due to how they were incorporated into Pokemon's gameplay and stories, as while collecting Pokemon gym badges and battling were essential to completing the game competing in contests was not. But the sentiments behind Pokemon Contests are valid, and Game Freak has always remained steadfast in its aim to create games that appeal to every player regardless of their age, experience, or interests. Pokemon Contests offered a fun and novel alternative to rinse-and-repeat battling that had just as much complexity and strategy hidden beneath it for players to explore.
But while their reintroduction might have struggled in games prior to Gen 9, it's possible that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's approach to an open world and multiple storylines could be the missing piece that Pokemon Contests needed to make their return. By making an optional storyline with a series of Pokemon Contests that increased in difficulty like Gyms, it offers players the choice of competing and a stronger sense of progression earlier games couldn't provide. Additionally, while this might have seemed out of place for the base game in Scarlet and Violet, the already optional nature of the DLC is the perfect format to reintroduce Pokemon Contests.
How The Teal Mask Might Capitalize on Pokemon Contests
Unlike the second part of Scarlet and Violet's DLC, referred to as The Indigo Disk, it seems that The Teal Mask will be more explicitly tied to its exploration of Pokemon traditions and folklore. Not least because this is what official statements from Pokemon advise, but also because the artwork so far showcased for the upcoming area of Kitakami, the outfit players will get to wear, and even the Pokemon themselves all point to this. If The Teal Mask does base itself on Momotaro Matsuri, then the festival's association with dancing, singing, and donning masks to ward off oni could become the groundwork for revived Pokemon Contests.
For example, much like Scarlet and Violet's three main storylines, so too could The Teal Mask introduce its own stories to explore, one of which being inviting the player to compete in contests throughout the festival as per their traditions. This could be a means of then connecting the DLC's overarching narrative to its mascot Legendary Pokemon Ogerpon, as its design appears similar to a festival costume and is almost certainly how the DLC's first part got its namesake. By competing in contests, for example, players could gradually become exposed to or have encounters with Ogerpon as it is lured in by their costumes and performances.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
