Pokémon Day 2023 brought us the reveal of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet‘s Expansion Pass — The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero.
Following on from Pokémon Sword & Shield’s formula, the Expansion Pass will contain two pieces of new story DLC, complete with new areas — The Teal Mask, and The Indigo Disk — each with its own new legendaries and set of returning Pokémon.
We’ve got all of the details on the Expansion Pass here for you, and we’ll keep this updated as we get more information.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: The Hidden Treasure Of Area Zero DLC – Everything We Know So Far
What are The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk?
The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk are the two halves of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Expansion Pass.
Like Sword & Shield‘s The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, these two parts will release at two separate times and contain two brand new areas, new Pokémon, and a new bit of story for each part.
What are the new areas in DLC?
The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk will take place in two new areas — and not necessarily in Paldea, either.
The Teal Mask sees your character go on a school trip to the land of Kitakami, a Japanese-inspired land which sits at the base of a great mountain and is full of rice paddies and apple orchards. The official Pokémon website says:
“Your trip seems to coincide with a festival regularly held in the village in Kitakami during this season, so the village is bustling with various street vendors and stalls. You’ll meet new friends and Pokémon as you unravel the mysteries behind the folktales that have been passed down in this land.”
The Indigo Disk will have you attend the Blueberry Academy, the Naranja/Uva Academy’s sister school. The Blueberry Academy is a relatively new school, and while there, you’ll take classes and meet a whole host of new characters. There are a few standout features of this new school, according to the official Pokémon website too:
“its curriculum puts a particular emphasis on Pokémon battling. Most surprising of all is the fact that most of the school’s building is located under the ocean.”
Are there any new Pokémon in the DLC?
So far, we know of five brand new Pokémon joining the DLC — four are being introduced in The Teal Mask, and one in The Indigo Disk.
Let’s meet them all, then.
Munkidori – The Teal Mask
Munkidori is a monkey-like Pokémon that’s being introduced in The Teal Mask. It is one of the hero Pokémon of Kitakami and because of its heroic deeds, it has been immortalised in statue form.
This monkey is likely based on the monkey companion from the Japanese myth of Momotaro.
Okidogi – The Teal Mask
Okidogi is the second of the hero Pokémon of Kitakami in The Teal Mask, and this one resembles a large bipedal dog. The Pokémon is revered in Kitakami, and stands alongside the two other hero Pokémon in statue form.
Okidogi is meant to represent the dog from the Japanese Momotaro myth.
Fezandipti – The Teal Mask
Fezandipiti is an elegant pheasant Pokémon and the third hero of Kitakami, who once saved the land from evil in the past. Like the two other heroes, it is worshipped and immortalised in statue form.
As a pheasant, this Pokémon represents the pheasant hero from the Japanese myth of Momotaro.
Ogerpon – The Teal Mask
Ogerpon is the new legendary Pokémon for The Teal Mask part of the DLC. It’s a bipedal ogre-like creature that wears a mask. Behind the mask, it has glowing eyes.
That’s pretty much all we know about the Pokémon at the moment, but it may be related to the three hero Pokémon of the land of Kitakami. It’s likely based on the Oni from the Momotaro myth.
Terapagos – The Indigo Disk
Joining the roster in The Indigo Disk, Terapagos is a legendary Pokémon that looks like a turtle with a fluffy mane. The official Pokémon website has very little info on this indigo-coloured ‘mon at the moment, but what it does say about the Pokémon is that Terapagos is “resplendent in its glittering aura”.
Its shell is covered in glowing symbols that resemble the Tera type symbols seen when you examine Tera Raid crystals across Paldea. Also, Terapagos looks suspiciously similar to the shape of Paldea, with Area Zero (the crater in the middle) even matching up with the raised centre of the blue, fluffy turtle.
Will more returning Pokémon be added in the DLC?
Yep! The Pokémon Company has confirmed that “These expansions bring with them over 230 familiar Pokémon that had not appeared in Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet.”
We only know a handful of these Pokémon so far, and we’ve updated our list of Returning Pokémon with the new additions coming in both The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk.
Are there any version-exclusive Pokémon or characters in the DLC?
None have been confirmed so far, but there were a handful of version exclusives in the Sword & Shield Expansion Pass, so we expect The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will also have a few exclusive to either Scarlet or Violet, including characters. We’ll update this guide as soon as we know more.
Do I need to buy the Expansion Pass to access all of the returning Pokémon?
Nothing has been confirmed yet, but we suspect it will be the same situation as with the Pokémon Sword & Shield Expansion Pass returners.
That means that, no, you won’t necessarily have to buy the Expansion Pass to get access to these Pokémon, as long as you trade with another player who has caught the Pokémon you want in either part of the Pass.
We expect that you will also be able to bring those new returning Pokémon over from Pokémon HOME, too. Whenever that gets added.
Do I need to beat the game to access the DLC?
Nope! Well, you don’t need to beat the game to access part 1, The Teal Mask, to be more accurate.
The official Pokémon website says that “you will need to have begun your Treasure Hunt in Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet”, which essentially means you need to get to the school. This takes roughly about three hours of gameplay unless you get very sidetracked in the open world of Paldea.
The Indigo Disk, however, does require you to have beaten the main story of both the base game and The Teal Mask.
When does Pokémon Scarlet & Violet – The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero release?
We don’t have an official release date for either part of the Expansion Pass yet, but we do have release windows.
The Teal Mask will be launching in fall 2023, while The Indigo Disk will be available in winter 2023.
On the game’s UK eShop page, Nintendo states that “All content will release by April 30th, 2024”.
How much does Pokémon Scarlet & Violet – The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Expansion Pass cost?
The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero includes both The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk, and it costs £31.49 / $34.99 on the Switch eShop.
Just like with Sword & Shield, you’ll need to buy the corresponding pass which matches the game that you own, and if you own both games and want the DLC for both, you’ll have to buy the Expansion Pass for both games. In the UK, you can also buy one version of the game with the corresponding Expansion Pass for £81.48 / $94.99 on the eShop.
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Are there any pre-order bonuses?
If you purchase the Expansion Pass now, you’ll be able to access a few new items and Pokémon before Part 1 or Part 2 launches.
If you buy the DLC now, you’ll have access to a new uniform set, which includes uniforms for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The uniform colours are different depending on your version of the game, too:
Secondly, if you purchase The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero before 31st October 2023, you’ll get a Hisuian Zoroark with a Dark Tera Type. Plus, it knows a move it can’t otherwise learn.
That’s all the info we have on the new and returning Pokémon coming in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero’s two DLCs. We’ll be keeping this guide up-to-date as more details are announced. If you need to catch up before the Expansion Pass releases, make sure you check out our Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Walkthrough Guide for every Pokémon Tip you’ll ever need.
