Let’s be real for a second. When Game Freak first announced The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, most of us just wanted to see if they’d finally fix the frame rate drops in Casseroya Lake. We wanted more Pokémon. We wanted a reason to fly around Paldea again without hitting a lag spike every three seconds. But what we actually got across The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk was something way weirder, and honestly, a lot more emotional than a simple expansion pack. It changed the way we look at the entire Gen 9 lore.
The expansion didn’t just add a few monsters to the Pokédex. It fundamentally reframed the tragedy of Professor Sada and Professor Turo. It took us from the rural, mask-wearing festivals of Kitakami to the high-tech, underwater intensity of the Blueberry Academy. It’s a lot to process.
That Kitakami Vibe and Why it Worked
Kitakami felt different. If you’ve played The Teal Mask, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It wasn't just the change of scenery from the sprawling, sometimes empty-feeling Paldea; it was the atmosphere. You’re this outsider coming into a village that feels like it has actual secrets.
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The story of Ogerpon is where things got heavy. Most Pokémon "legends" are these grand, cosmic events involving gods of space and time. This was personal. It was a story about bullying, isolation, and a massive misunderstanding that lasted generations. Honestly, seeing Ogerpon—this tiny, terrified creature—hiding behind its masks while the "Loyal Three" were revealed to be absolute jerks? That was a narrative pivot I didn't see coming. It made the The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC feel grounded in a way the base game sometimes missed.
The Loyal Three—Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti—are basically the villains of a folk tale come to life. They aren't noble. They aren't misunderstood. They’re greedy. And playing through that realization alongside Carmine and Kieran? It was some of the best character writing we’ve seen in a Pokémon game since Sun and Moon. Carmine starts off as incredibly annoying, let’s be honest. She’s loud, she’s defensive, and she’s kind of a jerk to the player. But by the end, she’s the one you want in your corner. Kieran, on the other hand? That kid’s downward spiral was painful to watch.
The Indigo Disk and the Competitive Spike
Then we moved to the Blueberry Academy. If Kitakami was the emotional appetizer, The Indigo Disk was the gameplay-heavy main course. This is where The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC got serious about how people actually play Pokémon in 2026.
Blueberry Academy is basically a love letter to the VGC (Video Game Championships) community. Almost every single battle in the Terrarium is a Double Battle. The AI actually uses strategies. They use items! They have Focus Sashes! They use Trick Room! If you went in there with a level 100 starter and expected to just spam one move, you probably got a very rude awakening from the BB League Elite Four.
Lacy, Crispin, Amarys, and Drayton aren't just pushovers. Drayton in particular—that guy is the definition of "cool but infuriating." Making you use only Pokémon caught within the Terrarium for his trial? That was a stroke of genius. It forced players to stop relying on their transfer-in legends and actually engage with the new ecosystem.
Breaking Down the Terrarium
The Terrarium itself is a marvel of technical design, even if the hardware still struggles to keep up. It’s divided into four biomes:
- The Savanna: Sun-drenched and full of Girafarig and Pride Rock vibes.
- The Coastal: Tropical, breezy, and home to some of the best water types.
- The Canyon: Vertically intense and a nightmare to navigate before you unlock flying.
- The Polar: Where you go to freeze and find those elusive ice types.
The Synchro Machine was the sleeper hit here. Being able to actually be the Pokémon? Running around as a Garchomp at 60 miles per hour or just flopping around as a Magikarp? It was a gimmick, sure, but it was the kind of fun, "why didn't they do this sooner?" gimmick that gives the game personality.
Terapagos and the Truth About Area Zero
We have to talk about the turtle. Terapagos is the literal heart of the The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC. For a long time, fans speculated about what was causing the Terastal phenomenon. Was it a meteor? Was it a virus? No, it was a prehistoric turtle with the power to manifest every single type.
The final descent into the Underdepths of Area Zero was eerie. It felt like a raid from a different game. When you finally reach the bottom and see the Stellar Form Terapagos, the stakes feel significantly higher than the typical "catch the legendary" encounter. The Stellar type itself changed the meta. Being able to have a "super-type" that boosts every move once? It’s a game-changer for raids and competitive play alike.
But the real kicker—the thing that actually makes the DLC essential—is the "True Ending" tucked away at the Crystal Pool back in Kitakami. If you bring Terapagos there after finishing the main story, you get a cutscene that ties everything together. I won't spoil the dialogue, but seeing a glimpse of the Professor again? It provides a sense of closure that the base game’s bittersweet ending lacked. It suggests that the Paradox Pokémon and the time machine weren't just random accidents; they were part of a closed loop that Terapagos made possible.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Grind
I see people complaining about the Blueberry Points (BP) all the time. "It’s too much grinding!" "I hate doing BBQ quests!"
Look, I get it. Doing "Pick up 10 items" or "Take a photo of a swimming Pokémon" for the 50th time can feel like busywork. But the BP system was designed to encourage group play. If you hop into a Union Circle with three friends, you rack up thousands of BP in minutes. It turns the game into a weirdly addictive social scavenger hunt. This is how you unlock the "Starter" Pokémon in the wild. Yes, you can finally catch Bulbasaur, Torchic, and Froakie in the wild. That alone makes the grind worth it for the purists.
The inclusion of the Mochi Mayhem epilogue was the cherry on top. It’s short, it’s bizarre (the dancing?!), and it features Pecharunt, the true mastermind behind the Loyal Three. It finally allowed the Paldea friend group—Nemona, Arven, and Penny—to interact with the Kitakami characters. Seeing Arven’s confusion at the whole situation was worth the price of admission alone.
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The Legacy of Area Zero
The The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC isn't perfect. The technical hurdles are still there. You’ll still see textures pop in and out, and the frame rate in the Polar Biome can be a bit of a tragedy. But if you look past the pixels, there’s a depth of heart here that Pokémon hasn't touched in years.
It’s a story about legacy. It’s about how we handle grief (Arven), how we handle failure (Kieran), and how we find our own identity (Ogerpon). It took a game that felt like a technical mess and gave it a soul.
Actionable Tips for New Players
If you're just starting the DLC today, don't rush. Here’s how to actually enjoy it:
- Don't over-level. If you bring your level 100 team into The Teal Mask, you will be bored out of your mind. Start a new team. Catch local Pokémon. The scaling is designed to be a challenge if you let it be.
- Talk to the NPCs. The lore isn't just in the cutscenes. The history of the "Ogre" is hidden in the signs around Mossui Town and the dialogue of the elders.
- Invest in the BBQ early. Don't wait until the end of The Indigo Disk to start farming BP. Do it as you go, especially the group quests. You’ll want those points to unlock the legendary encounters later.
- Find the Crystal Pool secret. Once you finish the main story of both parts, take Terapagos to the Crystal Pool in Kitakami. Don't skip this. It is the emotional climax of the entire generation.
The journey through Area Zero is finally complete. It was a messy, beautiful, surprising ride that proved Pokémon can still tell a complicated story when it wants to. Whether you're there for the competitive grind or the lore, there's no denying that Paldea feels a whole lot bigger now.
Now, go out there and get that shiny Ogerpon. Oh wait—it's shiny locked. Well, go catch a regular one anyway. It's worth it.