Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s DLC Met One Long Overdue Demand

Across the Pokemon franchise’s 20-year-long run, longtime players of the mainline games and spin-offs have had their fair share of battles. Just as we’ve watched our Pokemon partners evolve over the course of our journeys, so too have we seen new battle tactics introduced alongside new attacks, items, and generational gimmicks, like Mega Evolution and Terastalization.

These additions have done a lot to level the playing field and revolutionize the way we battle. Although there are more Pokemon and tools at our disposal than ever before, the action has progressively toned down since a trend of easy wins began with Pokemon X & Y and Gen VI.

Since then, Pokemon fans haven’t been quiet about their discontent with “hand-holding,” practically begging developer Game Freak for a challenge. While early 2022’s Legends: Arceus shook things up with a grueling trip through ancient Sinnoh, it went largely unnoticed in the shadow of the franchise’s traditional dual releases.

Fast forward to the launch of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet in the fall of the same year, it seemed we were right back where we started. Efforts were made to toughen trainers up by sending them off into a new open world, without a game plan or a strict order in which to take on Gyms. But let’s face it; strategy isn’t exactly necessary to best even the most formidable of Paldea’s top trainers — a pattern that was expected to continue in Scarlet & Violet’s two-part DLC. To the surprise of many, we were instead met with some of the toughest battles we’d endured in years.

Scarlet & Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC Prioritized Strategy Over Easy Wins

I wouldn’t be the first to say Scarlet & Violet’s ultra-easy gameplay was a huge letdown. Despite incorporating plenty of features to spice up our new adventure, the mainline titles failed to challenge players, especially those of us who know the ins and outs of Pokemon battles. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC answered the call to heat things up throughout its two-part release, with Part 1: The Teal Mask dropping in September 2023 and Part 2: The Indigo Disk three months later.

The Teal Mask introduced the Kitakami region, the destination of your academy’s field trip. Here, we met Kieran, Carmine, and a handful of new legendary Pokemon, which offered up decently difficult battles throughout the expansion’s first half. However, it wasn’t until we set foot on Blueberry Academy grounds in Part 2: The Indigo Disk that trainers’ skills would truly be put to the test.

Double battles are all the rage at the Unova-based school. Accompanied by teams of high-level Pokemon, the students are deft with held items and tricky moves to throw you off your game. This makes for a riveting back-and-forth between equally prepared opponents — and a one-sided lesson learned for those who can’t cut it. But perhaps the greatest challenge you face in the region is your fight to take the BB League Champion title from your now-frenemy, Kieran.

Pushed to outdo you after you’ve caught Ogerpon, the once-timid trainer and his team have toughened up quite a bit. Your endgame battle reflects his newfound strength, but the remaining members of the BB League are no joke, either. I’d have walked away from my battle against the steely Amarys defeated if my Meowscarada hadn’t toughed out two super-effective Ice Beam attacks in a row. Looking back, I haven’t felt that humbled since Whitney rolled my team flat in HeartGold, and I hope to employ better strategies in future entries.

There May Be Hope Yet for a Future Free of Hand-Holding

It’s too early to say whether Scarlet & Violet’s successors will uphold the level of difficulty presented in The Indigo Disk. If I were to guess, though, I’d say there’s a good possibility the franchise’s next chapter will be action-packed.

With Black & White remakes still on hold and Legends: Z-A in the works, it makes sense to look to Gen IX’s DLC for an idea of what’s to come. Generally speaking, Scarlet & Violet were heavily met with criticism. Bugs and performance issues were smoothed out with time, but the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero expansion is what saved this generation from its disappointing debut, and it’s all thanks to the thrill of great battles. All things considered, one thing’s for sure: Gen X has the potential to break new ground.

There’s still ample room for improvement, don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see character customization expanded, the addition of difficulty settings, and the return of dynamic attack animations on the battlefield. But with a solid DLC pack in our hands and a break from the pattern of yearly Pokemon releases, it’s likely that Game Freak and the Pokemon Company are putting in the work to exceed current expectations.

If your adventure in Paldea is still going strong, head over to our Pokemon Scarlet & Violet guides hub for tips, Tera Raid updates, and more.