The first half of the two part “Pokémon Scarlet and Violet” DLC “The Teal Mask” was released Sep 12, 2023 and is only purchasable via the e-shop at the price of $34.99. This is not the the first time that Game Freak has released a two part DLC for a main series game, but they are still fairly new to the idea as their first time doing so was with their previous main series games “Pokémon Sword and Shield”. “The Teal Mask” will give you access to “The Land of Kitakami” where you will be able to play through a brand new story, a couple of side quests and have free roam access where you will be able to catch new and returning Pokémon. Pokémon releasing dlc is a controversial topic as many fans believe they shouldn’t charge you for content that could have just been added to the base game and they aren’t sure if it’s even worth buying. I will be giving a proper review of the DLC to answer any questions you may have.

In order to play the DLC it is not required for you to have completed the main storyline but you do have to play up until you start the school’s treasure hunt. I do however recommend that you complete a good amount of the story before setting off to prevent the chance of you being under leveled. The Pokémon, both wild and in trainer battles are usually around level 50-60 so try to get your team to around that range before starting. 

You set off on a school field trip with some of your fellow classmates to “The Land of Kitakami” and arrive at your first place of interest Mossui Town. Here you will meet two students from the Blueberry academy, siblings Carmine and Kieran. These two will act as your companions throughout the main story which consists of visiting important landmarks where you learn more about the history of the land as well as the legendary “Loyal Three”. These were Pokémon who are believed to have fought off the evil ogre who once wreaked havoc upon the village. This was one of my favorite parts as we got to uncover the hidden truths of the land and view some beautifully animated cutscenes that added to the sense of mystery. The next major part of the story is the Festival of Masks where you unlock a new outfit called the “Festival Jinbei” and get to spend time with Carmine and Kieran while also being able to play a new mini game. At this festival you and Carmine stumble across a mysterious Pokémon named Ogerpon that will eventually need your help in order to recover its stolen masks. In Mossui Town you will also be able to meet a young photographer named Perrin who after capturing 150 Pokémon from the Kitakami pokedex will ask for your help in finding a peculiar Pokémon that only appears in the Timeless Woods. After the mission she rewards you with a Pokémon that can’t normally be found in the area.

The new characters that are introduced are very well designed, especially sister and brother Carmine and Kieran. At first Carmine is very aggressive and doesn’t seem to like you very much but as the story progresses she becomes more fond of you. The complete opposite could be said for Kieran, he starts off as a typical shy younger sibling who admires both Pokémon and you as a trainer. Towards the end of the story his relationship with you shifts from one of admiration to more of a rivalry. My complaints about them would be that their battles are way too easy. This issue stretches far beyond the DLC but considering how many times you are forced into battle with them you would expect the difficulty to increase at least a little but every time I was left feeling disappointed. The only noticeable changes were that their Pokémon would progressively evolve from battle to battle which narratively is supposed to show their growths as trainers but it honestly just meant they went up one or two levels. I was a fan of the story especially when it revolved around the “Loyal Three” as it has you visit different locations on the map in order to learn about them and eventually encounter them. The Perrin side quest was definitely a personal favorite as you got to use the under utilized camera mechanics and also find Pokémon I that might surprise you.

With the dlc you will now have access to catch 91 returning Pokémon from past generations as well as seven new Pokémon consisting of 4 legendaries and 3 regional variants. In order to keep track of these Pokémon as soon as you arrive at Kitakami you are given a Kitakami pokedex which contains 200 entries. This is always my favorite part of the DLC because one of my favorite aspects of playing Pokémon is completing the pokedex and catching ’em all. Among the returning Pokémon are fan favorites such as Snorlax, Ludicolo, Gliscor and Shiftry. You are also able to obtain Pokémon from the Hisui region such as Basculegion, Zoroark and Arcanine. However I was extra excited to see pokemon such as Leavanny and Swanna because not only are they from my favorite region Unova but this is also the first time that they are usable on the Nintendo Switch. As I mentioned before you will also be able to catch the “Loyal Three” Munkidori, Okidogi, Fezandipiti and the infamous ogre Ogrepon. The regional variants you will encounter are Sinistcha a regional variant of Polteageist and Dipplin who can be evolved by giving an Applin a Syrupy Apple. The addition of more Pokémon is great for casual fans like me but also for those who are interested in competitive battling. It is always great to see Pokémon shake up the current meta of battling.

Although the games engine still runs questionably, if you were able to get past the main story without many issues then you shouldn’t run into too many problems. Regardless I would rate “The Teal Mask” three out of five stars. It is a bit hard to give it a proper rating as I’m not sure what they might be saving for the second part as there are definitely still things I would like to be added into the game. It is already confirmed that there will be more returning Pokémon as well as more people to battle. One of my biggest wants is more character customization, the DLC does give you more options to buy from shops but it still consists of only accessories. It’s hard to believe we went from Sword and Shield that had the best customization, to Scarlet and Violet that limit you to nine preset outfits. I would also like for them to put more time and care into the soundtrack for both town themes and trainer battles. Pokémon hasn’t been putting a lot of focus into the music although they did a good job on the Area Zero theme for Scarlet and Violet I would like to see more of that attention to detail in the future. Overall I really enjoyed the first half of the DLC and I can’t wait to reunite with Carmine and Kieran in the second part “The Indigo Disc” which is set to release sometime this winter.