Everything we know so far about The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, the upcoming DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

In the Pokémon Presents video presentation that aired earlier today, The Pokémon Company announced for the first time a set of two expansions for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will release two parts in the back half of this year, with The Teal Mask launching during the northern hemisphere autumn, while The Indigo Disk will release during the northern hemisphere winter. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero is available for pre-purchase now on the Nintendo eShop.

The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will see players leaving the Paldea region behind to visit another region as part of a joint study program with Blueberry Academy, a sister institution of the player's own school in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. Though being presented in two parts, the two stories are interconnected, telling a single single story that continues the player's adventure after the events of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.

In Part 1: The Teal Mask, players will take their first steps out of the Paldea region as they join in on a school trip to a region named Kitakami. Here, players will meet a variety of new people and Pokémon while enjoying a Kitakami seasonal festival, and unraveling the mysteries behind folk tales that have been passed down in this region. This includesCarmine and Kieran, who appear to be students from Blueberry Academy, along with a group of Pokémon with clear origins in real-world Japanese folklore and the story of Momotaro. This includes three Pokémon named Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti, based on the dog, monkey, and pheasant that accompanied Momotaro in the folk talkes, who are noted as being revered as heroes by the inhabitants of Kitakami, with stone statues in their likeness erected to express the people’s gratitude. The new Legendary Pokémon Ogerpon, the titular Teal Mask of the expansion, is itself likely based off of the oni that Momotaro defeated together with his animal friends.

The Kitakami region itself is described as a place of tranquil natural expanses, rice paddies, and apple orchards, with its people living at the base of a great mountain towering over the land. While no explicit statements have been made about how this region would connect to those of past Pokémon games, this description would suggest Kitakami may be based on Japan's Iwate prefecture, which is home to the real world Kitakami City, as well as the dormant volcano Mount Iwate, also known as "Nanbu Fuji" due to its resemblance to Mount Fuji.

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Less is known at this stage about Part 2: The Indigo Disk, apart from that it will involve players travelling to Blueberry Academy as exchange students. It's not clear if Blueberry Academy is itself located in Paldea, Kitakami, or another region entirely. During this part, players will encounter the Terapagos, the titular Indigo Disk of the expansion. A sketch of a Pokémon similar to it appeared in the Scarlet Book and Violet Book in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, implying that this Pokémon is responsible for, or at least heavily related to, the Terastal phenomenon. This would seem to be supported by the Pokémon's own unusual design, with its crystal shell featuring 18 irregular pentagons on top, decorated with differently colored symbols that appear to resemble all 18 type icons.

“We are so grateful that millions of Trainers around the world have chosen to explore the expansive Paldea region. In The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, fans will take a trip to the land of Kitakami, where they will meet new Pokémon and interesting characters. I sincerely hope that Trainers who embark on this new journey find the same excitement and joy they experienced when they encountered their first Pokémon.”

Between the two expansions, over 230 familiar Pokémon from past generations will be making a return, including several Pokémon that have not been obtainable in the wild since before the Nintendo Switch era. While a full list of the Pokémon available is not yet known, promotional artwork has shown off the following species:

• Zebstrika
• Whimsicott
• Dewgong
• Alecremie
• Metagross
• Espurr
• Chingling
• Milotic
• Vikavolt
• Shiftry
• Yanma
• Ninetails

Everyone purchasing The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero before October 31st will receive a serial code that can be redeemed for a special Hisuian Zoroark in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. As of writing, this is the only way for players to obtain Hisuian Zoroark in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, however it is expected that players will be able to acquire Hisuian Zoroark through other methods in the future. This unique Hisuian Zoroark has a Dark Tera Type and the Charismatic Mark, and knows the moves Tera Blast, Bitter Malice, and Nasty Plot, in addition to the the move Happy Hour, which Hisuian Zoroark species cannot learn through normal gameplay. Players can receive this gift by connecting their Nintendo Switch system to the internet, selecting Poké Portal from the X menu in Pokémon Scarlet or Violet, and then selecting Mystery Gift, and then Get with Code/Password. Players will then need to enter their unique serial prompt at the prompt after the game has connected to the internet. The user profile on a player’s system will need to be linked to a Nintendo Account to connect to the internet, however a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required to receive code distributions. Each serial code is unique, and can only be used once to obtain a single Pokémon in a single save data. Serial code will remain valid until February 29th, 2024, after next year's Pokémon Day.

All players who purchase The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will also receive a set of four new uniforms for their character to wear in-game. The uniforms vary slightly between Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.

Media Gallery

Female Protagonist - The Teal Mask	Male Protagonist - The Teal Mask	Female Protagonist - The Indigo Disk	Male Protagonist - The Indigo Disk

Carmine	Kieran

Okidogi	Munkidori	Fezandipiti

Ogerpon	Terapagos

Pokémon Scarlet Uniform Set	Pokémon Violet Uniform Set