Pokemon Scarlet & Violet The Indigo Disk preview reveals “competitive” trainer battle changes

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk DLC takes players back to Unova with some tough challenges on the way. DLC gameplay reveals that trainer battles will feature increased difficulty in S&V’s The Indigo Disk.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk DLC is releasing on December 14, 2023, and we’re starting to get a look at some of the new features. From exploration to battling, it seems Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s next DLC is going to pack some serious punch.

New Pokemon, new areas to explore, and a new story is what players look for in DLC expansions, but Pokemon is all about battling. The early previews show that The Indigo Disk DLC is going to take players to the next battle level and bring in huge battle challenges.

Trainer battle difficulty increase in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet DLC

The Blueberry Academy of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Indigo Disk DLC seems to have its own Elite Four, and gameplay previews revealed its first challenge and battle. Like in Paldea, the members can be battled after completing a series of challenges that make players ride Koraidon or Miraidon.

In Serebii’s preview, they mention that the challenge was easy, but that it lured them into a “false sense of security when it wasn’t that tricky, but the battle itself was a different matter.”

The fight against Amarys was surprisingly difficult and forced them to make team changes. The journalist team was changed to “a new team of Level 88 Pokemon with competitive movesets and hold items,” and even like that, he was told that the battle was expected to be lost.

In the Serebii preview, The Blueberry Academy Elite Four packed “classic and brutal Double Battle strategies,” while adding that “every Pokemon on her team felt like it had the means to counter any possible weakness.”

Pokemon battles are the focus of Scarlet & Violet’s DLC

More info was revealed on the battle side of things, as it seems that Amarys is not the only difficult test in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk DLC. Most battles in the open world were double battles, and a Dexerto.com preview mentioned that “opponents have some high-level creatures at their disposal, and there’s an increased focus on double battles.”

Not only will new Pokemon be available, but the new double battle focus comes along with some new moves to try out. “The greater focus on the challenge is also apparent in some of the new moves,” added Dexerto.

Some of the new moves mentioned are Psychic Noise and Upper Hand. Two new attacks focused on this new challenge, with the first one offering some damage while canceling healing opportunities, and the latter bringing speed priority benefits.

There’s a lot in store for the upcoming Indigo Disk DLC, and Dexerto finished their preview by stating that they would love to “see anything akin to the Battle Frontier so fans can just battle to their heart’s content.”

While you wait for the release of the Indigo Disk DLC, check out every new species revealed until now for the expansion as well as details about the 19th Tera Type in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.