Part two of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s DLC is almost here. The following points are a mix of suggestions and requirements to tackle before starting The Indigo Disk in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Finish The Teal Mask and the Scarlet & Violet Main Story
Usually, Pokemon game DLC chapters can be accessed anytime during the game. This is the case for both The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra in Sword and Shield, and it also applies to Scarlet and Violet’s very own Teal Mask. The Indigo Disk is a different story, however: you must complete both The Teal Mask and the main game before you can access The Indigo Disk content.
Take the opportunity to finish up the main story, which includes:
- Victory Road: defeat all Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, the Champion, and Nemona.
- Path of Legends: defeat all Titan Pokemon and Arven.
- Starfall Street: defeat the bosses in each Team Star crew, Clavell, and Penny.
- Area Zero: defeat the boss at the end.
Don’t forget to finish The Teal Mask’s storyline, too. Alongside occasional battles against Kieran and Carmine, the primary activities required to progress the story to its finale are:
- Take photographs at each of the signposts.
- Locate and defeat each of the Loyal Three.
- Defeat Ogerpon.
You’ll know you’ve reached the end when a cutscene of Kieran finishes with the words “To be continued” displayed. The Indigo Disk is meant to be both post-game content as well as a continuation of The Teal Mask’s story, so ensure you’ve wrapped up both storylines before trying to enter Blueberry Academy.
Complete the Paldea and Kitakami Pokedexes
Filling the entire Pokedex has always been a worthwhile endeavor on its own, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet sweeten the deal by offering additional milestone rewards along the way to 100% completion.
For completing the Paldea Pokedex, you’ll receive:
| Pokedex Milestone Reward | Paldea Pokedex Completion |
| Stardust x3 | 10 Pokemon |
| Great Ball x10 | 20 Pokemon |
| Thunder Stone x1 | 30 Pokemon |
| Ultra Ball x10 | 40 Pokemon |
| Exp. Candy S x5 | 50 Pokemon |
| Fire Stone x1 | 60 Pokemon |
| Net Ball x10 | 70 Pokemon |
| Water Stone x1 | 80 Pokemon |
| Nest Ball x10 | 90 Pokemon |
| Stardust x3 | 100 Pokemon |
| Exp. Candy M x3 | 110 Pokemon |
| Quick Ball x10 | 120 Pokemon |
| Dusk Stone x1 | 130 Pokemon |
| Dusk Ball x10 | 140 Pokemon |
| Shiny Stone x1 | 150 Pokemon |
| Exp. Candy M x3 | 160 Pokemon |
| Dive Ball x10 | 170 Pokemon |
| Stardust x10 | 180 Pokemon |
| Luxury Ball x10 | 190 Pokemon |
| Exp. Candy M x5 | 200 Pokemon |
| Moon Stone x1 | 210 Pokemon |
| Timer Ball x10 | 220 Pokemon |
| Star Piece x3 | 230 Pokemon |
| Fast Ball x1 | 240 Pokemon |
| Star Piece x3 | 250 Pokemon |
| Friend Ball x1 | 260 Pokemon |
| Dawn Stone x1 | 270 Pokemon |
| Level Ball x1 | 280 Pokemon |
| Exp. Candy L x3 | 290 Pokemon |
| Lure Ball x1 | 300 Pokemon |
| Comet Shard x3 | 310 Pokemon |
| Heavy Ball x1 | 320 Pokemon |
| Exp. Candy L x3 | 330 Pokemon |
| Moon Ball x1 | 340 Pokemon |
| Exp. Candy L x5 | 350 Pokemon |
| Dream Ball x1 | 360 Pokemon |
| Nugget x1 | 370 Pokemon |
| Nugget x2 | 380 Pokemon |
| Big Nugget x3 | 390 Pokemon |
| Beast Ball x1 | 400 Pokemon |
In addition, Jacq will give you extra goodies when you speak to him at the Academy, depending on how far along your Pokedex is. The rewards Jacq gives you are:
| Reward from Jacq | Pokedex Completion |
| TM057 False Swipe x5 | 30 Pokemon |
| Ultra Ball x20 | 100 Pokemon |
| Quick Ball x20 | 200 Pokemon |
| Shiny Charm | 400 Pokemon |
The Shiny Charm is an especially fantastic Key Item that increases the chance of encountering a shiny, alternate-colored Pokemon. Having it in your arsenal will make finding Pokemon in The Indigo Disk even more worthwhile as their odds of being shiny are increased.
The rewards for completing the Kitakami Pokedex are:
| Pokedex Milestone Reward | Kitakami Pokedex Completion |
| PP Up x1 | 90 Pokemon |
| Bottle Cap x1 | 100 Pokemon |
| Razor Fang x1 | 110 Pokemon |
| Love Ball x1 | 120 Pokemon |
| Star Piece x5 | 130 Pokemon |
| Prism Scale x1 | 140 Pokemon |
| Comet Shard x3 | 150 Pokemon |
| Friend Ball x1 | 160 Pokemon |
| Reaper Cloth x1 | 170 Pokemon |
| Heavy Ball x1 | 180 Pokemon |
| PP Max x1 | 190 Pokemon |
| Moon Ball x1 | 200 Pokemon |
Jacq will also give you the Glimmering Charm after completing the Kitakami Pokedex. Talk to him on Reveler’s Road after getting all 200 entries for this helpful item that increases the Tera Shards you get from winning Tera Raid battles. The Indigo Disk will include its own slew of Tera Raids, making the Glimmering Charm a useful item to have ahead of time.
Not only will you have these special Poke Balls and other items ready for use in The Indigo Disk, but you’ll also be speeding up the process of completing The Indigo Disk’s Pokedex. Certain Pokemon are part of multiple Pokedexes, so by completing the Paldea and Kitakami Pokedexes, you’ll already be a fair amount of the way done with The Indigo Disk’s ‘dex before you even begin.
Stock Up on Poke Balls (and Sell Your Treasure Items While You’re at It)
This is one of the easiest steps to tackle before starting The Indigo Disk, but it’s no less important. Stock up on Poke Balls before making your way to Blueberry Academy so you’ll be prepared for any and all Pokemon you want to catch there. Complete the Paldea and Kitakami Pokedexes to get as many special Poke Balls as possible, and fill your bag with more common Poke Balls to help you easily catch new Pokemon and complete the new Pokedex.
The Poke Ball types you can buy at any Poke Mart include:
| Common Poke Ball | Purchase Price |
| Poke Ball | 200 |
| Great Ball | 600 |
| Ultra Ball | 800 |
| Heal Ball | 300 |
| Nest Ball | 1000 |
| Net Ball | 1000 |
| Repeat Ball | 1000 |
| Quick Ball | 1000 |
| Timer Ball | 1000 |
| Dusk Ball | 1000 |
| Dive Ball | 1000 |
| Luxury Ball | 3000 |
The following table lists special Poke Balls and how you can obtain them:
| Special Poke Ball | How to Obtain |
| Level Ball | – Reward for getting 280 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex – Very rare reward for competing the Academy Ace Tournament – Very rarely up for auction at the Porto Marinada Auction |
| Moon Ball | – Reward for getting 340 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex – Reward for getting 200 Pokemon in the Kitakami Pokedex – Very rare reward for competing the Academy Ace Tournament – Very rarely up for auction at the Porto Marinada Auction |
| Friend Ball | – Reward for getting 260 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex – Reward for getting 160 Pokemon in the Kitakami Pokedex – Very rare reward for competing the Academy Ace Tournament – Very rarely up for auction at the Porto Marinada Auction |
| Lure Ball | – Reward for getting 300 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex – Very rare reward for competing the Academy Ace Tournament – Very rarely up for auction at the Porto Marinada Auction |
| Love Ball | – Reward for getting 120 Pokemon in the Kitakami Pokedex – Very rare reward for competing the Academy Ace Tournament – Very rarely up for auction at the Porto Marinada Auction |
| Heavy Ball | – Reward for getting 320 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex – Reward for getting 180 Pokemon in the Kitakami Pokedex – Very rare reward for competing the Academy Ace Tournament – Very rarely up for auction at the Porto Marinada Auction |
| Fast Ball | – Reward for getting 240 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex – Very rare reward for competing the Academy Ace Tournament – Very rarely up for auction at the Porto Marinada Auction |
| Dream Ball | – Reward for getting 360 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex – Very rare reward for competing the Academy Ace Tournament – Very rarely up for auction at the Porto Marinada Auction |
| Beast Ball | – Reward for getting 400 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex – Very rare reward for competing the Academy Ace Tournament |
Be aware that it’s incredibly rare for a special Poke Ball to appear in the Porto Marinada Auctions. When they do, be prepared to shell out tons of cash: they generally go for 365,000 to 450,000 Poke Dollars.
To help prepare for these rare appearances and to afford the rest of the Poke Balls you’ll want to buy, take the time to sell your treasure items at any Poke Mart. These items tend to gather quickly in your inventory from completing Raid Battles and picking up items around the region. This will also make sure you have some extra cash left over for any special items that The Indigo Disk may introduce that are also worth buying.
Prepare a Strong Team and Dabble in EV Training if You Haven’t Already
The battles in Blueberry Academy will be some of the toughest Scarlet and Violet have to offer. If you’ve been sticking with the same team throughout Paldea and Kitakami, your Pokemon will likely be around Level 80 or higher, perhaps even around 100 if you’ve been participating in many Tera Raid battles. Whether you stick with the same team as before or switch up some—or all—of the Pokemon you use, prepare your team for The Indigo Disk by giving your chosen Pokemon Mints to improve their Natures, and by EV training them.
Tweaking your Pokemon’s Natures and EV training isn’t necessary for single-player content, but it helps ensure your Pokemon are as strong as possible before tackling The Indigo Disk. Nature Mints can be purchased for 20,000 Poke Dollars each at the Chansey Supply stores at Mesagoza, Levincia, Cascarrafa, and Montenevera after you obtain at least six Badges. If your Pokemon has a Nature that is lowering one of its best stats, consider using a Mint to improve its stats.
The following table does not list all Mints. Instead, it lists the Mints with ideal stat increase and decrease combinations, along with the kind of Pokemon such Mints will be most helpful for:
| Nature Mint | Stat Increased | Stat Decreased | Ideal Kind of Pokemon |
| Adamant Mint | + Attack | – Special Attack | For Pokemon with high Attack and decent Speed that will focus on physical offense |
| Bold Mint | + Defense | – Attack | For Pokemon with high Defense and less Attack than Special Attack that will focus on tanking hits |
| Brave Mint | + Attack | – Speed | For Pokemon with low Speed and high Attack that will focus on physical offense |
| Calm Mint | + Special Defense | – Attack | For Pokemon with high Special Defense and more Special Attack than Attack that will focus on tanking hits |
| Careful Mint | + Special Defense | – Special Attack | For Pokemon with high Special Defense and more Attack than Special Attack that will focus on tanking hits |
| Impish Mint | + Defense | – Special Attack | For Pokemon with high Defense and more Attack than Special Attack that will focus on tanking hits |
| Jolly Mint | + Speed | – Special Attack | For Pokemon with high Speed and more Attack than Special Attack that will focus on physical offense |
| Modest Mint | + Special Attack | – Attack | For Pokemon with high Special Attack and decent Speed that will focus on special offense |
| Quiet Mint | + Special Attack | – Speed | For Pokemon with low Speed and high Special Attack that will focus on special offense |
| Relaxed Mint | + Defense | – Speed | For Pokemon with low Speed and high Defense that will focus on tanking hits |
| Sassy Mint | + Special Defense | – Speed | For Pokemon with low Speed and high Special Defense that will focus on tanking hits |
| Timid Mint | + Speed | – Attack | For Pokemon with high Speed and more Special Attack than Attack that will focus on special offense |
The Basics of EV Training
Effort Values, or EVs, are invisible stats that affect your Pokemon’s main stats. Each Pokemon has an EV yield, or a specific number of EVs that your team receives when the Pokemon is defeated. For example, Lechonk has an EV yield of 1 HP, meaning every time you defeat a Lechonk, be it in the wild or in a Trainer’s team, your entire team each receives 1 HP EV. For every four points in a single stat your Pokemon has, that stat goes up by 1. Each individual Pokemon can have a maximum of 510 EV points total, and each stat can only have up to 252 EVs, or a total of 63 extra points added to the stat.
If you’ve been using your team all throughout Paldea and Kitakami, your Pokemon will already have EVs, and they likely won’t target specific stats. Use a Fresh Start Mochi item, which can be obtained from the Ogre Oustin’ mini-game, to remove all of your Pokemon’s EVs. Check out our guide on Ogre Oustin’ for more tips on completing the mini-game and the other rewards you can receive from it.
Before battling Pokemon to increase their EVs, you can also use Vitamin and Mochi items to increase a Pokemon’s EVs in a certain stat by 10. There is no limit to the number of Vitamin or Mochi you can use on a Pokemon, as long as they still haven’t reached a stat’s limit of 252 EVs.
Like the Fresh Start Mochi, EV-increasing Mochi items can be obtained from the Ogre Oustin’ mini-game. Vitamins can be purchased from any Chansey Supply store for 10,000 Poke Dollars each. The following table shows all Vitamins and Mochi items, and the stat they increase by 10 EVs.
| EVs Increased by 10 | Vitamin | Mochi |
| HP | HP Up | Health Mochi |
| Attack | Protein | Muscle Mochi |
| Defense | Iron | Resist Mochi |
| Special Attack | Calcium | Genius Mochi |
| Special Defense | Zinc | Clever Mochi |
| Speed | Carbos | Swift Mochi |
Complete the Academy Ace Tournament at Least Once
After completing the main story of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, you’ll be able to challenge each of the Gym Leaders at their local Gyms with improved teams. Defeat them to unlock the Academy Ace Tournament. This tournament-style challenge pits you against random teachers and rivals, and winning offers fantastic rewards, including the special Poke Balls listed above.
In addition to offering some great rewards, completing the Academy Ace Tournament for the first time is how you unlock 6-star Tera Raid Battles. If you’ve been holding off on commencing the Academy Ace Tournament, take the opportunity to do so before starting The Indigo Disk so you can have 6-star Tera Raids unlocked. Although your opponents are normally random in the Academy Ace Tournament, the first tournament will always have the following opponents:
- Arven.
- Jacq.
- Dendra.
- Geeta.
Once you’ve prepared yourself and your Pokemon team, check out our preview of The Indigo Disk for more information on what to expect at Blueberry Academy.
