Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Hid a DLC Tease Right Under Everyone's Nose

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet contained a subtle reference to its first DLC, which passed under everyone's notice for months. Last week, The Pokemon Company announced The Teal Mask, the first DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The new DLC features four Pokemon based on the Mamotaro legend, with players encountering Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti in the new region on their way to confront the Legendary Pokemon Ogerpon. Surprisingly, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet contained a reference to Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti all along, although no one noticed it until after the Pokemon were shown off by The Pokemon Company. 

In the Treasure Eatery in Medali City (most notably, the sight of the first battle against Larry, the Normal-type Gym Leader), there's a poster on one of the walls that shows the silhouettes of Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti. This poster pre-dates any updates to the game, meaning that it was a clue waiting to be discovered by players the entire time. You can check out the poster in the teaser below: 

Notably, the Medali Treasure Eatery seems to have a Japanese aesthetic to it, which matches the aesthetic of Kitakami, the new region players will be visiting in The Teal Mask. Both the eatery and an early look at the festival players will visit in Kitakami feature paper lanterns, although the Medali Treasure Eatery's paper lanterns look like PokeBalls instead of more traditional lanterns. 

The Teal Mask is the first part of two DLC expansions planned in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The second, called The Indigo Disk, will see the players travel to Blueberry Academy as exchange students. In addition to focusing on battling, the second DLC will also introduce Terapagos, the Pokemon responsible for the Terastallization phenomenon with unknown ties to the Area Zero in the middle of the Paldea region.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is available on the Nintendo Switch now. The Teal Mask will be released in Fall 2023, while The Indigo Disk will be released in Winter 2023.