“That’s something that’s very easy to lose.” That’s how the Nintendo representative sitting next to me described my encounter with Amaris, one of Blueberry Academy’s elite four members. Naturally, I decided to test how much I could lose. I was already running a new team, but I took it a step further. I also performed some moves that I knew had a type disadvantage to see how harsh the reactions were. They weren’t kidding. Her Ace showed up, but I only defeated 4 of her 6 Pokemon and lost. Although it wasn’t the result I was hoping for, I was impressed with how challenging the fight was and how Amaris’ team and her determination got the “elites” into the elite four. I may have lost, but as any skilled trainer will tell you, there are always comebacks, and I’m looking forward to it when the Indigo Disc drops.
Indigo Disc is the second DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Unlike The Teal Mask, it cannot be played until you complete the base game. This is Endgame DLC. To access you must complete both Scarlet and Violet’s main story and Teal Mask. Once you’re done, you’ll move on to an entirely new area: Blueberry Academy, a sister school to Naranja Academy. There you’ll reunite with old friends, meet and battle exciting new trainers. Oh, and there are also some new (and old) Pokemon to catch. It’s all very Pokemon in the best sense of the word.
My time at Indigo Disc may have ended with a battle with Amaris, but it started with a trip to Blueberry Academy’s terrarium. Terrariums are huge facilities that recreate several different environments, from tropical beaches to frozen tundra. Naturally, terrariums are home to Pokémon unique to their environment. One of the attractions is the sheer number of Pokemon here. All the starters from the previous generation will be here, making it a great opportunity to fill out your Pokédex and see how these Pokémon behave in the wild. They don’t just come from Poké Balls provided by your friendly professor. Did anyone know?
Of course, a terrarium is more than just a place to catch Pokemon, but you can also spend a ton of time doing it if you’re so inclined. Indigo Disc not only adds some new evolutions like Arcuradon, which evolves from Duraludon, and new Paradox Pokémon like Raging Bolt and Iron Crown. There will also be a large number of returning Pokémon returning, which goes far beyond the return of old starters. I can’t give you an exact number without being exiled to Area Zero, but suffice it to say that there are a lot of them and it will take a while to catch them all.
Still, I think the real attraction for many people is the terrarium itself. It’s really huge, packed with detail and we had a great time exploring it. As of this writing, I can’t talk about some of the most interesting details, but there’s a lot of information here and I’d love to spend some time exploring the terrarium when I get the chance.
Of course, Blueberry Academy isn’t all fun and games. Since this is a school, there are classes you can take, and from what I’ve seen, they seem to be pretty hands-on. The one I stopped by was held in a terrarium, and the mission was to catch an Alola Pokemon and bring it home. I managed to get Alola’s Exeggutor before leaving everyone else with their homework. Oops.
And, of course, there are fights. Blueberry Academy focuses on double battles, adding an extra layer to your tactical and team-building decisions, so be prepared to throw two Poké Balls whenever you encounter an enemy trainer. Probably. I only played a few games with The Indigo Disk, but each one was a memorable battle that challenged team management, matchup types, and move choices.
Once we were somewhat comfortable, it was time for the Elite Four. Similar to the base game’s Gym Leaders, you must complete tasks known as Elite Trials before you can actually challenge individual members of the Elite Four and fight them in Pokemon vs. Pokemon combat. In Amaris’ case, that means racing either Corydon or Myridon through a series of aerial rings that are very reminiscent of his one in Spyro the Dragon’s obstacle course. Oh, and did I mention that Koraidon and Miraidon can now fly? They will now be able to fly, which they can use to successfully navigate the terrarium. Amaris’s Elite Trials weren’t all that difficult, but they were a nice change of pace from traditional Pokemon gameplay and gave me something fun to do before facing off against members of the Elite Four.
Although I didn’t win the battle with Amaris, I was even more excited to return to Indigo Disc. With over 230 new and returning Pokémon to see, catch, and exciting environments to explore, as well as powerful trainers to battle against, Indigo Disk seems to have all the post-game content Pokémon fans could want. Personally, I couldn’t wait, so I started up Pokémon Scarlet as soon as I got home. I have to train because I have a rematch.