Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s next DLC will let trainers take flight and turn into monsters

Set largely in the Unova region originally introduced in Pokémon’s fifth-generation games, The Indigo Disk will follow players to Blueberry Academy, where they will be reunited with exchange students Carmine and Kieran, who first debuted in The Teal Mask. Along with bringing back every previous generation’s starter pokémon and a large selection of legendary monsters that were not previously available in Scarlet and Violet, The Indigo Disk will also introduce a new “Elite Four” based out of a massive underwater terrarium that’s built for exploration.

The new trailer features plenty of new looks at Blueberry Academy and all of the Paldean gym leaders who will make guest appearances as you spend more time there as an exchange student. Interestingly, it doesn’t introduce any entirely brand-new pokémon to collect, but it does put an emphasis on two new features — the Synchro Machine and new powers for your legendary ride pokémon — that seem poised to make these games feel fresh.

After players have progressed far enough into The Indigo Disk’s story, the Synchro Machine will allow them “to see the world through the eyes of their pokémon” by essentially possessing them and taking over their bodies. As your synchronized pokémon, you can battle wild monsters and explore the world around you while your human character remains stationary. Judging from the trailer, synchronization has a somewhat limited range to it, and it’s not entirely clear how catching wild ’mons might work.

By comparison, The Indigo Disk’s flying mechanic — which enables your Koraidon or Miraidon to properly fly rather than just glide for a short period — appears to be geared toward larger exploration, and its introduction will add a new dimension to Scarlet and Violet as a whole. To get everyone hyped for The Indigo Disk’s release, Nintendo’s running a couple of mystery gift giveaways and raid events that will let you add a Dialga, Palkia, Darkrai, and shiny Lucario to your roster. And there’s a free Master Ball up for grabs as well, which will probably come in handy when The Indigo Mask is available for download next week on December 14th.

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