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Summary
The release ofPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC brings with it over 100 returning mons not previously available in the Gen 9 games. One of the most exciting parts about the returning mons in The Indigo Disk is the availability of past starters that can be caught in the wild throughout Blueberry Academy’s Terarium. Given the popularity of many of these mons finally making their debut in Gen 9, some critters in The Indigo Disk DLC forPokemon Scarlet and Violetclearly stand out from others.
In addition to these returning mons, The Indigo Disk also features a handful of new creatures, includingnew evolutions for Duraludon and Dipplinand more Paradox Pokemon. Even with the excitement surrounding these new additions, there are still a solid number of returning mons that have stolen the spotlight for manyPokemon Scarlet and Violetplayers due to their iconic nature or the difficulty in obtaining them previously. Each critter on this list represents their entire evolutionary line and showcases how solid the overall crop of returning mons in The Indigo Disk is.
S-Tier
There are a lot of fantastic and popular mons that are worthy of being in the top tier of critters returning in The Indigo Disk. Some of the series' mosticonic mons like Venusaur and Blastoiseare finally available in Gen 9 with this DLC, along with more of their fellow starters like Feraligatr, Sceptile, Blaziken, Swampert, and more. Additionally, a lot of missing Legendaries were added in this DLC as well, including popular creatures like Johto’s Legendary Beasts, the Regi Trio, the Swords of Justice, and box art Legendaries like Reshiram, Zekrom, Solgaleo, and Lunala.
While most of the mons in this tier are there due to their popularity and notability within the franchise as a whole, there are a few that deserve the top spot due to the significance of their presence in The Indigo Disk. A few of these returning mons are important for the series, as their addition in The Indigo Disk marks the first time they have been available on the Switch. Zebstrika, Minior, and Toucannon are some of the mons who were previously unavailable on the Switch at all before this DLC, so their release from beingtrapped on the 3DSis worth celebrating.
A-Tier
The addition of these mons toPokemon Scarlet and Violetvia The Indigo Disk may not be as important as others, but they are still notable in their own right. Given thatPokemon Scarlet and Violetlacked any fossil Pokemon prior to this DLC, the addition of Gen 4’s Rampardos and Bastiodon is a welcome surprise, made possible by the artificial climate ofBlueberry Academy’s Terarium. While not as popular as some starters, it is also nice to see mons like Meganium and Emboar return as well, given the difficulty of obtaining them in other games.
The Indigo Disk also added a few mons from past games that require strange methods for evolution that fans were unsure would be able to work in the Gen 9 games.Malamar can only evolve from Inkayif the console is upside down when it levels up to level 30, so players will need to remove their Switch from the dock to pull this off. Similarly, Milcery evolves into Alcremie when holding a Sweet item while the player character spins around in a circle in-game, which was easier to perform in the critter’s debut games,Pokemon Sword and Shield, thanks to a mechanic that let players pose after spinning in a circle.
B-Tier
While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with these mons, they are a lot less exciting than most of the others added in The Indigo Disk. Some fans might be excited to see mons like Tentacruel and Vileplume return, but the fact that these mons are fairly common in previous games makes their addition toPokemon Scarlet and Violeta little underwhelming. Other mons like Cinccino and Lanturn definitely have their fans, but the critters are ultimately too weak to really be considered useful for the tough challenges players will face against theBB League’s Elite Four.
Competitive players might be interested in seeing the return of mons like Smeargle, Skarmory, and Comfey due to their past usefulness in thePokemonVGC meta. Skarmory has a history of being a physically defensive Spikes setter with a good defensive typing that grants it immunity to both Ground and Poison attacks, and Comfey can be useful as a supporter in the Double Battle format with its abilities Triage and Flower Veil. Smeargle has played a strange role in the competitive scene, as while it has very poor stats, the fact that it can learn any move via Sketch has allowed it to fill some very niche positions on teams.
C-Tier
These critters are some of the more forgettable mons added in The Indigo Disk, and their presence in the DLC is far more understated compared to many of the other mons that can be found in Blueberry Academy’s Terarium. Although players will get to faceLacey’s Plusle and Minunearly on in the DLC, they are not likely to be mons that players will want to add to their team. Dewgong and Granbull are generally pretty unpopular critters, and it can be quite jarring to find a wild Snubbull wandering around the polar biome of the Terarium.
