In addition to directly expanding the world of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the contents of the upcoming DLC The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero may also hint towards future titles in the Pokémon franchise. Both The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk have already been confirmed to take place in new locations outside Paldea, featuring a mixture of new and returning Pokémon. However, one theory states that there may be a deeper significance behind the choices made for this content, which could hint toward as-yet unannounced Pokémon games.
It is well-established that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Pokédex will soon grow much bigger with the introduction of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. More than 230 species, including some newcomers to the franchise, will be arriving in Paldea and beyond. The new species will provide many hours of entertainment in tracking them down and capturing them, as well as offering the possibility of new battle strategies for players. The final list of new Pokédex entries has undoubtedly been closely curated, making the inclusion of every Pokémon a calculated decision.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Pokédex Could Foreshadow Future Games
An intriguing theory from Reddit user StraightOuttaKanto suggests that the known additions to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Pokédex could actually be a hint towards the future of the franchise. Although it is clear that the Pokédex expansion will be split into two, to accompany the two parts of the DLC, there could be more to this divide than simple numbers. In actuality, these groups of Pokémon hold a strong thematic connection through their native regions, something which could also foreshadow future games. The Teal Mask, for example, will feature many Pokémon originating from regions inspired by Japan, including Johto - a likely setting for any new generation of Let’s Go! games.
The Teal Mask is confirmed to include Chingling, Shiftry, Milotic, Yanma, Vikavolt, and Ninetales. Of these, only the Alola-native Vikavolt comes from a region not inspired by Japan, and even then the Hawaiian islands are geographically closer to Japan than the countries that inspired other regions. However, the connection to Japan does not stop there. Kitakami, the setting for The Teal Mask, appears to be in the middle of a traditional Japanese festival in promotional art. This introduces the presence of a strong cultural parallel alongside the connection of its inhabitant Pokémon, further indicating that Kitakami is another area of the Pokémon world that is inspired by Japan.
Let’s Go, Pikachu and Eevee! are based on Pokémon Yellow and the Kanto region, which utilize simplified capture mechanics. This makes the titles perfect introductions to the Pokémon franchise for newcomers, and any new generation of Let’s Go! titles would logically be set in Johto. This would follow the precedent set by the remake titles slowly progressing through the franchise’s Generations, beginning with FireRed and LeafGreen before progressing to HeartGold and SoulSilver. Another possibility is a new Legends game, building on the success of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. And although the evidence for this may seem circumstantial, The Indigo Disk actually parallels previous titles as well, which greatly strengthens the theory.
The Indigo Disk Connects To Another Region Which Is Due New Games
While The Teal Mask’s Pokédex additions are strongly associated with Japan, The Indigo Disk’s own Pokémon carry a very different connotation. Alcremie, Zebstrika, Whimsicott, Metagross, Dewgong, and Espurr are a seemingly eclectic mix, but an interesting majority emerges here as well. There is a clear prevalence of Pokémon from regions inspired by Western countries; two are from Unova, based on New York City, while Kalos (France) and Galar (the UK) are also represented. Considering the parallels present in The Teal Mask, this implies that The Indigo Disk’s Blueberry Academy has an association with one of these three regions; an assertion which, again, has further evidence in favor of its accuracy.
Due to the Paldea region being based on Spain, both Naranja and Uva Academy are named for their emblematic fruits in Spanish. More specifically, Naranja translates to Orange, and Uva to Grape. However, their sister school Blueberry Academy is explicitly named using the English word for the fruit, which strengthens the connection to the West. Moreover, Blueberries are native to North America; as a result, although Blueberry Academy is only known to be located somewhere in the ocean, it seems to have a strong association with North America, and by extension, Unova.
Additionally, StraightOuttaKanto notes that Blueberry Academy seems to be associated with not only the color blue, but also red and white through the student uniforms; the colors of the flags of the UK, America, and France. In the context of the Blueberry association, it seems most likely that this design choice is intended to evoke the national colors of the USA. And similar to Kitakami’s allusions to Japan and Johto being a possible indicator of new Pokémon titles, the strong allusions to Unova in The Indigo Disk could well be a subtle sign that remakes of Pokémon Black and White are on the horizon.
Legendary Paradox Pokémon Also Support The Pokédex Tie-In Theory
Another detail of note is that the parallels to Johto and Unova are not limited to future DLC. The Tera Raid-exclusive Paradox Pokémon Walking Wake and Iron Leaf also contribute to this pattern. Pokémon Scarlet’s Walking Wake is an ancient version of Suicune, which is native to Johto. Likewise, the futuristic Iron Leaf of Pokémon Violet is based on the Unova region’s Virizion. The fact that these two regions not only have strong ties to The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, but also to previously-released content only lends further credence to the theory that they will be the focus of future titles.
The sheer volume of comparisons between Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s upcoming DLC and some of the most likely Pokémon games to currently be in development makes it very hard to dismiss them as simple coincidences. Although there has been no official announcement, Pokémon Black and White remakes are all but guaranteed to be on their way, although many fans will undoubtedly hope that any such remakes will avoid the mistakes of Pokémon BDSP. A return to Johto, which has not been in the spotlight since 2009’s HeartGold and SoulSilver, is similarly likely in one form or another, especially with these allusions taken into consideration.
Of course, this would not be the first time that Pokémon games have contained subtle nods towards future titles. For example, a Sword and Shield easter egg references Scarlet and Violet through Naranja and Uva Academy’s emblematic fruits being found together in a wallpaper pattern. Even in Scarlet and Violet themselves, fans have picked out details that may continue the pattern; an image of a distinctive rock formation in the Academy's art classroom seems to invoke Aurtralia’s Uluru, also known as Ayer’s Rock, which could be taken as a hint that the arid country is inspiring the next new Pokémon region.
It is inevitable that additional remakes and spin-off titles will join the Pokémon franchise in the near future. The success of previous such titles has long since made their production a logical move for The Pokémon Company. The future additions to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Pokédex appear to both acknowledge and encourage such a conclusion, as do other details surrounding the games’ DLC. Because of this, it seems increasingly likely new games set in Johto and Unova specifically are very close to being officially announced.
Source: StraightOuttaKanto/Reddit