The Teal Mask, the first part of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, is imminent, so now is the time to look at the new features that the expansion brings to the games. The Teal Mask is available from September 13th, while the second part, The Indigo Disc, will be released in the winter of 2023.
New Regions
No Pokémon DLC is complete without new areas to explore. In The Teal Mask, players will go on a field trip to Kitakami, and in The Indigo Disc, you will exchange to Blueberry Academy, the sister school of Naranja Academy in Pokémon Scarlet and Uva Academy in Pokémon Violet.
Kitakami
Kitakami is a region with rich history. A large mountain towers over the land, and the population lives at the foot of this mountain. It’s a peaceful land full of rice fields and apple orchards—a completely different experience than Paldea.
Your journey to Kitakami coincides with the festival that the village inhabitants regularly organize. Thus, the streets are full of street vendors and stalls. It is up to you to unravel the mysteries behind the folktales.
Blueberry Academy
The Blueberry Academy is the sister school of your school, where you travel as an exchange student. Unlike your school, which has a long history, Blueberry Academy is a relatively young school. Here, the emphasis of the lessons is on battling with Pokémon.
The special thing about this school is that most of it is underwater. Underwater, four different biomes are full of Pokémon. Here, you can also challenge the BB League, a Pokémon League with its own Elite Four.
Battle Features
With The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, several new battle-related features come to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, including a nineteenth Tera Type and new moves.
Nineteenth Tera Type
In The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, a new Tera Type has been discovered. This nineteenth Tera Type seems different from the other eighteen, but little is known about it. It’s your honor to discover the truth behind the nineteenth Tera Type.
New Moves
With the expansion of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, a number of new moves are introduced. These include Thunderclap and Tachyon Cutter, which are the signature moves of Raging Bolt and Iron Crown, respectively. Other new moves are Psychic Noise and Upper Hand.
Psychic Noise is a Psychic-type move with an effect in addition to dealing damage. The target cannot regain HP for several turns through moves, Abilities, or items after this attack. Upper Hand is a Fighting-type move that goes first if the target makes a priority move. The opponent will then flinch. If the target doesn’t make a priority move, Upper Hand fails.
Photography
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you can take photos. The expansion pays attention to this feature. Now, you can use the Roto-Stick selfie stick and follow a photo quest with Perrin.
Roto-Stick
With the Roto-Stick, you can take selfies from further away. The wider angle that this yields is great for capturing amazing moments with your friends or Pokémon. It is now possible to tell your Pokémon to stay put for a photo. Thus, you can calmly search for the ideal angle for your photos. If you have taken a photo with friends, you can now share it with all participants of a Union Circle session.
Journey with Perrin
During your adventure through Kitakami, you will meet Perrin. She is a young woman looking to capture a certain Pokémon. Along with Perrin, you will enter the Timeless Woods, where you take pictures of the wild Pokémon in search of the mysterious Pokémon.
Ogre Oustin’ Minigame and Mochi
In Kitakami, you can participate in Ogre Oustin’. This is an ancient tradition where you collect Berries by popping Ogre Balloons. These Berries are collected on the Berry Tables.
As a reward for completing this minigame, you can receive Mochi. With this, you can increase or even reset your Pokémon’s EVs with the Fresh-Start Mochi.
You can play Ogre Oustin’ with up to three other players. This can be online or via a local wireless connection. By working together, you can more easily complete the harder levels.
League Club
In the Blueberry Academy, you can join the League Club. You can fully customize the clubhouse to your taste. Here, you can adjust the style in which you throw a Pokéball, and you can invite trainers from Paldea to become your special teacher. You will get to know these trainers better, and you can also challenge them again to a battle. If you beat them, you even have the opportunity to trade a Pokémon with them.
Elite Trials
To challenge the Elite Four of the aforementioned BB League, you first need to complete their Elite Trial. One of these Trials is the Flying Time Trial of Amarys. Here, your Legendary Pokémon Koraidon or Miraidon is given the power to fly. This is only temporary, but perhaps there is a way to unlock this secret power permanently…
The first part of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, The Teal Mask, is available from September 13th for Nintendo Switch.
