Pokemon Scarlet & Violet's Indigo Disk Expansion Introduces A New Challenge: Double Battle Extravaganza

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet brought groundbreaking changes to the traditional Pokemon formula with a vast open world and the ability to capture freely roaming Pokemon. The first part of the expansion, The Teal Mask, took players away from the massive Paldea landmass and into a self-contained biome, providing a miniaturized version of the open world experience. From our initial playthrough, it appears that the second part, known as The Indigo Disk, follows a similar approach but offers more challenges for experienced Pokemon trainers.

The Teal Mask introduced us to the land of Kitakami during its Festival of Masks, where we discovered a long-hidden secret about its culture and made friends with two local residents, Carmine and Kieran. While it concluded its own Kitakami storyline, it left us on a cliffhanger, setting the stage for the second half of the expansion. In The Indigo Disk, players assume the role of a visiting student at Blueberry Academy, the school attended by Carmine.

Blueberry Academy is an impressive, high-tech establishment frequented by the most talented and brilliant trainers. Its standout feature is a colossal terrarium located in the heart of the academy. This terrarium serves as a natural habitat for a diverse array of roaming Pokemon, creating a vibrant and immersive environment. Unlike the expansive open world of Paldea, the terrarium is intentionally more concentrated, boasting quadrants that showcase distinct biomes such as snowy landscapes and canyons. To transition between these quadrants, luminous gates resembling the iconic Rainbow Road from Mario Kart are positioned. This design allows trainers in pursuit of catching all Pokemon to effortlessly explore various environments and encounter corresponding Pokemon species, without unnecessary travel or effort. For instance, the snowy region is just a short jog away from the beach, enabling seamless movement between different biomes. Furthermore, the terrarium is home to regional variants of Pokemon and is reputed to include all starter Pokemon from previous games, ensuring a well-rounded experience for trainers who still seek to capture a Bulbasaur or other starter Pokemon.

Blueberry Academy specializes in double battles, inspired by the official Pokemon League battles in the real world. This means that your trainer encounters will consist of two-vs-two battles, adding an extra layer of strategy and complexity compared to the usual battle types. Additionally, Nintendo promises that trainers from the Paldea region can be invited to battle at Blueberry Academy, potentially introducing new variations with double battles for them as well.

The trainer battles at Blueberry Academy are designed to be late-game content, therefore the Pokemon levels tend to range between 70 and 80. To further increase the difficulty, Blueberry Academy has its own Elite Four who also engage in double battles. This allows them to utilize more intricate combinations than what is typically seen in single-player Pokemon battles. For instance, in one battle I experienced, a Terrastalized Metagross was teamed up with a Reuniclus that used Trick Room, effectively transforming the slow Metagross into the fastest Pokemon on the field. Usually, Metagross' slow speed helps balance its strength, but the ability to create clever combinations like this means that you may need to carefully plan your teams and strategies, going beyond the usual reliance on type match-ups. I was able to complete the battle, although I used a pre-fabricated team for the demo and had to spend a considerable amount on Full Heals and Max Revives.

Engaging in the Pokemon Violet challenge of flying through a ring, I had the opportunity to experience a new flying mechanic. By successfully navigating through a series of rings atop my winged Koraidon, I was introduced to a flight sensation reminiscent of Star Fox rather than the usual gliding function found in the game. It appears that once this ability is unlocked, players will have the freedom to explore Blueberry's terrarium area more extensively. While the ring-passing mini-game served as a tutorial, facilitating the understanding of this concept, the prospect of real flight within the open world is undeniably alluring. It remains to be confirmed whether this feature can be integrated into Paldea.

Despite the welcome additions, Scarlet and Violet continue to exhibit the same visual glitches. The sweeping aerial shots of Blueberry Academy often appear flawed, displaying uneven textures, drops in frame-rate, and sudden pop-in effects. Although these issues are not worse than what one would expect from playing Scarlet and Violet in their original versions, it is possible that they will be addressed and potentially resolved before the game's launch. Nonetheless, these imperfections were quite distracting, and if flying freely over the environment becomes possible, it is likely that these blemishes will become even more prominent.

Apart from those concerns, The Indigo Disk appears to be a great way to conclude the inaugural mainline open-world Pokemon game. The innovative biome effectively combines various Pokemon types in a single area, while double battles introduce a refreshing level of difficulty not typically found in single-player Pokemon journeys. Overall, it seems to be an ideal complement for an experimental Pokemon game, ensuring that fans remain engaged while anticipating the future of the franchise.

Editor's P/S

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Indigo Disk Expansion Introduces A New Challenge: Double Battle Extravaganza

The Pokemon franchise has always been known for its innovative and challenging gameplay, and the upcoming Indigo Disk expansion for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is no exception. This new expansion introduces a brand-new challenge for experienced trainers: Double Battle Extravaganza. In this mode, players will face off against formidable opponents in intense two-on-two battles. This new format adds an extra layer of strategy and complexity to the traditional Pokemon battle system, as players will need to carefully consider the strengths and weaknesses of their Pokemon, as well as the potential synergies between them, in order to succeed.

The Indigo Disk expansion also introduces a new location, Blueberry Academy, which is home to some of the most talented and brilliant trainers in the Pokemon world. This prestigious academy specializes in double battles, and players will have the opportunity to test their skills against the academy's students and faculty. The trainers at Blueberry Academy are no pushovers, and players will need to be at the top of their game in order to defeat them. Overall, the Indigo Disk expansion looks to be a challenging and rewarding experience for Pokemon fans, and I can't wait to get my hands on it when it releases later this year.