Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC is set to go live on Dec. 14, 2023, finally giving eager Trainers another adventure to play through. However, before jumping into the Indigo Disk, there are several things that players will want to consider doing beforehand, some of which are mandatory.
We’ve rounded up the most important items to check off on your to-do list, so take a look below to ensure you’re fully prepared when launch day rolls around.
Beat the Base Game
That’s right Trainers, to jump into the Indigo Disk DLC, you will first need to have completed the base Scarlet & Violet game the entire way through. This shouldn’t be a big deal to many, but for the few of you who are yet to work your way through the Elite Four, battle one of the remaining Titan Pokemon, or tie up loose ends with the pesky Team Star crew, you’ll need to ensure you’ve wrapped everything up by Dec. 14.
Complete the Teal Mask DLC
Much like beating the base game, players will need to ensure they’ve also completed the Teal Mask DLC, which launched previous to the Indigo Disk. This adventure lets players explore the Kitakami Region and investigate the secrets of four Legendary Pokemon among festival celebrations, bringing an enjoyable little tale.
Unfortunately, you’ll need to complete this one too as a prerequisite to playing the Indigo Disk, but don’t worry — completing all of the main tasks from start to finish should only take a few (2-4) hours.
Decide on a Team You Want to Use
Again players are faced with that tough choice — carrying over their team of hulking fully evolved giants to wreck their way through the DLC as quickly and easily as possible, or starting fresh with a team of newbie low-leveled ‘Mons to impose more of a challenge.
Personally, I’d recommend the latter if you’re in no rush, as this gives you the chance to utilize other forgotten Pokemon that may never usually find a spot on your team, as well as giving you the chance to get more out of the DLC by exploring and working your way through at a slower pace.
Stock Your Bag with Plenty of Pokeballs
It’s that time again, Trainers; another new DLC to explore, another collection of returning Pokemon to catch, possibly even with one or two newbies sprinkled in, such as the mysterious Terepegos. To make your life significantly easier once release day rolls around, it’s smart to start stocking up your bag with as many Pokeballs as possible in advance.
This way, you won’t have to worry about making numerous pit stops to buy more along the way, you can simply run around and catch Pokemon to your heart’s content.
Prepare a Shiny-Hunting Pokemon (False Swipe)
Again, with the collecting of returning Pokemon dropping into the game through the Teal Mask DLC, shiny hunters have a variety of new targets to select from for their hunts. If you’re looking to do some serious shiny hunting in the Indigo Disk, then it can be handy to prepare a False Swipe Pokemon in advance.
This means that if you discover a shiny through a wild encounter, you can use the False Swipe move to deplete the shiny’s HP down to 1, without ever KO’ing it — making it much easier to successfully catch. Don’t forget to save right before beginning the battle, too!
Hit Tera Raids for EXP Candies
EXP Candies are extremely useful for quickly leveling up a Pokemon from low to high level in a mere few seconds. To help you complete the Indigo Disk Pokedex, evolving Pokemon as quickly as possible will likely be key. For this reason, taking a day or two to hit Tera Raids one after the other to farm EXP Candy before launch day will give you the upper hand.
This technique will also provide you with many more resources and items to use on your new adventure, too, so it’s a worthwhile strategy if you plan to do a lot of level grinding and evolving.
Identify Priority Catching & Shiny Hunting Targets
With a bunch of Pokemon returning, many players are hoping to obtain shiny variants of some of their beloved childhood ‘Mons, or even just their favorite choices to have in their team for battles. Making a list of Pokemon that you wish to capture first, as well as any shiny variants that you want to get your hands on can be extremely useful.
Websites such as Serebii keep updated data regarding the confirmed returning Pokemon, which can be used to plan, and forums found on sites such as r/PokemonTrades on Reddit offer trades daily, giving Trainers a platform to help each other obtain their favorite ‘Mons.
Re-organize PC Boxes
With more Pokemon returning into the game, PC boxes continue to be a tight squeeze when it comes to collecting ’em all! For this reason, it may be time to do some re-organization before the Indigo Disk arrives.
Organizing Pokemon in boxes by Type, battle potential, ‘Dex number, or even Region/Generation can be extremely useful, enabling you to find and place your beloved ‘Mons with ease. Alternatively, you can also move some of your Pokemon over to Pokemon HOME to make room for any newbies you pick up on your new Indigo Disk adventure.
Complete the Paldea & Kitakami Pokedex
With Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, both the base game and the Teal Mask DLC had their own separate Pokedexes. Because of this, it can be estimated that the Indigo Disk will also bring a new Pokedex to the table for players to complete.
Before jumping into this new ‘Dex, it can be a good idea to try and complete the other two in advance. This way, you won’t get mixed up about which Pokemon you still need for each variant, and can focus solely on catching ’em all as you explore new locations in the Indigo Disk.
Make Plans With Friends & Other Trainers
Lastly, the great thing about Pokemon Scarlet & Violet is that the multiplayer function enables you to run around the Region with friends and race to complete tasks, trade or battle with each other, and watch from the sidelines as one of you catches a new Pokemon.
Playing through the DLC with friends can be a surprisingly fun time, and it also makes it easier to complete the ‘Dex when there are multiple sets of hands working on their copies; simply trade and trade back to mark off any missing ‘Mons. Oh, and any Trade evolutions needed are also a complete breeze, too.
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