After the reveal of DLC titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero forPokemon ScarletandViolet, fans have been left to speculate that the festival-like inspiration of The Teal Mask could potentially see the return of Pokemon Contests. While they were introduced inRubyandSapphireas an alternative to battling, Pokemon Contests didn’t seem to gain enough traction with players and so, by Gen 6, the feature was virtually non-existent. Beyond obliged appearances inGen 3 and 4 remakes with Pokemon Super Contestsand Pokemon Showcase serving as anXandYparallel in the anime, Pokemon Contests have long since been absent from mainline games.
However, due to the new Pokemon and artwork revealed so far forScarletandViolet’supcoming DLC, players have already connectedThe Teal Mask to Japanese mythologyas it seemingly takes influence from the festival known as Momotaro Matsuri. But while the story and setting of The Teal Mask will likely explore this inspiration and how it connects to the bigger picture inScarletandViolet, the festival setting seems to be primed to reintroduce Pokemon Contests to the series. In fact, reviving a side game within an optional DLC could be the perfect opportunity to test the waters for a new and improved Pokemon Contest comeback.
RELATED:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Teal Mask DLC Can Revitalize One of Black and White’s Underwhelming Features
Pokemon Contests Deserve A Place Somewhere
Among the reasons why Pokemon Contests likely didn’t thrive within the series could be due to how they were incorporated intoPokemon’s gameplay and stories, as whilecollecting Pokemon gym badgesand battling were essential to completing the game competing in contests was not. But the sentiments behind Pokemon Contests are valid, and Game Freak has always remained steadfast in its aim to create games that appeal to every player regardless of their age, experience, or interests. Pokemon Contests offered a fun and novel alternative to rinse-and-repeat battling that had just as much complexity and strategy hidden beneath it for players to explore.
But while their reintroduction might have struggled in games prior to Gen 9, it’s possible thatPokemon ScarletandViolet’sapproach to an open world and multiple storylines could be the missing piece that Pokemon Contests needed to make their return. By making an optional storyline with a series of Pokemon Contests that increased in difficulty like Gyms, it offers players the choice of competing and a stronger sense of progression earlier games couldn’t provide. Additionally, while this might have seemed out of place for the base game inScarletandViolet, the already optional nature of the DLC is the perfect format to reintroduce Pokemon Contests.
How The Teal Mask Might Capitalize on Pokemon Contests
Unlike the second part ofScarletandViolet’sDLC, referred to as The Indigo Disk, it seems that The Teal Mask will be more explicitly tied to its exploration ofPokemontraditions and folklore. Not least because this is what official statements fromPokemonadvise, but also because the artwork so far showcased for the upcoming area of Kitakami, the outfit players will get to wear, and even the Pokemon themselves all point to this. If The Teal Mask does base itself on Momotaro Matsuri, then the festival’s association with dancing, singing, and donning masks to ward off oni could become the groundwork for revived Pokemon Contests.
For example, much likeScarletandViolet’sthree main storylines, so too could The Teal Mask introduce its own stories to explore, one of which being inviting the player to compete in contests throughout the festival as per their traditions. This could be a means of then connecting the DLC’s overarching narrative to its mascotLegendary Pokemon Ogerpon, as its design appears similar to a festival costume and is almost certainly how the DLC’s first part got its namesake. By competing in contests, for example, players could gradually become exposed to or have encounters with Ogerpon as it is lured in by their costumes and performances.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare available now for Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC May Have Sealed the Fate of an Old Gen 2 Feature
