Pokemon ScarletandViolet’s two-part DLC expansion, titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, is set to take place in a set of areas far from the base game’s region. Diverging fromPaldea’s Spanish-inspired landwas a possibility that fans theorized about beforehand, though Game Freak’s final execution isn’t quite what many had in mind.
Some players feltPaldea held hints toward a DLC appearance ofPokemon XandY’s Kalosregion given the proximity between real-life Spain and France, as well as the abundance of Gen 6 Pokemon that appear throughoutScarletandViolet. The idea certainly didn’t seem farfetched, and would have fallen in-line with an old Gen 2 feature that is among the most popular in the fanbase to this day: the ability to travel across two separate regions in one title.
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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC Will Journey Beyond the Paldea Region
Pokemon Gold, Silver,andCrystal,as well as their enhanced remakesHeartGoldandSoulSilver,featured the player traveling to Kanto after journeying across Johto. It was a design decision that worked in favor ofPokemon’s initial success, tying in the familiar elements of its past titles to complement Gen 2’s novel region and Pokemon. Of course, this was back when the scale of the Pokedex was much smaller. With a limited 2D art style and fewer Pokemon designs to contend with, Kanto’s addition wasn’t as arduous a task as it might be with today’s 3D graphics and the open-world setting ofPokemon ScarletandViolet.Not to mention the fact that both Gen 1 and 2 appeared on the same piece of hardware.
With that said,Pokemon SwordandShieldbegan to feature DLC as a sort of replacement for past entries' three-game routes, allowing them to build upon the terrain of their base games with enhanced graphical fidelity.ScarletandVioletwill continue the trend via a two-part Expansion Pass letting players travel lands beyond Paldea’s open world. The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk are set to take place in Kitakami and the Blueberry Academy, respectively, neither having close ties to Paldea’s Spanish influences or real-world proximity. It’s a perplexing decision to stray so far from the region’s influences, though it makes sense in their connection toScarletandViolet’s narrative around Area Zero, a mysterious crater emphasizing the region’s Terastal phenomenon.
The absence of Kalos amongPokemon ScarletandViolet’s DLCannouncements brings up further questions about whether multiple regions will ever return to thePokemonfranchise. With the scale of recent titles, having a second region might only make sense through DLC, a case that would likely result in a scoped-down view of the lands (much like Kanto in Gen 2). Nostalgia has certainly garnered much love for Pokemon over the years, which could point toward region appearances being kept to standalone titles like remakes.
Some haven’t completely given up hope forKalos' influence acrossScarletandViolet’s DLC, with the prospect of Legendary Terapagos bearing connection toPokemon X’s Xerneas. While there may still be some narrative cues that hints toward Kalos' significance in Paldea, it’s likely a re-imagining of the region itself is being kept for a different title altogether. Whether that be a new game resemblingLegends: Arceusor a one-to-one remake ofXandY’s journey, fans will be curious to see if and when the games get brought back into the spotlight.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare available now for the Nintendo Switch.
MORE:How Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s New DLC Locations Could Tie into Area Zero
