5 early Indigo Disk tips for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trainers

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Indigo Disk DLC signals the end of the "Hidden Treasure of Area Zero" expansion. As such, it provides a heightened challenge compared to the base game and The Teal Mask DLC that came before it. The Indigo Disk is not impossible to complete, but making certain choices early on in the DLC can help trainers make the endgame and postgame much simpler.

Although there's still something similar to a tutorial phase to help Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players get up to speed on new and returning features, staying a few steps ahead should be helpful for progression. Trainers are always free to do as they like, of course, but The Indigo Disk may have a few surprises.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

---

5 early-game tips for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players tackling The Indigo Disk

1) Level up and EV train your Pokemon early on

Early leveling will serve Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players well for the endgame (Image via Game Freak)

Although The Indigo Disk doesn't have level scaling, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players aiming to take down the BB Elite Four and Blueberry Academy's champion will still want to level up/EV train their team as much as possible. Compared to opponents in the base game and The Teal Mask, endgame foes in The Indigo Disk have pretty high Pokemon levels and team synergies.

Throw in the tactical use of Held Items and well-rounded movesets, and the late-stage opponents in The Indigo Disk will be tougher than Paldea's Elite Four or the trainers in Kitakami. Any leveling or EV training done early on in this new DLC will serve players well by the time they're in the final stretch.

---

2) Teambuild for Double Battle synergies

Double Battles are a huge part of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Indigo Disk DLC (Image via Game Freak)

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans, particularly those who have rumbled in the VGC, are likely familiar with Double Battles already. However, The Indigo Disk places a particularly heavy emphasis on the format, especially when battling the BB Elite Four and Blueberry Academy Champion. For this reason, trainers are well-served by determining their two Pokemon Double Battle strategies early on.

Although VGC fans are used to these strategies at this point, catching Pokemon and utilizing moves that work off each other when two creatures are battling side by side can be invaluable in The Indigo Disk. Doing so might even help trainers learn a few things before diving into VGC Doubles.

---

3) Farm some money

Trainers can take a hint from Gimmighoul and rack up some cash early on in The Indigo Disk (Image via Game Freak)

Whether players decide to do so before starting The Indigo Disk or early on in its story, it's a good idea to farm some money before reaching the end of the DLC. With so many returning creatures in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, as well as the debut of new Paradox Pokemon, trainers will likely want to drop some cash on outfitting their newly caught creatures.

Items like Nature Mints, Bottle Caps for Hyper Training, evolution/breeding items, and more aren't cheap. The higher a trainer's bank total looks early on in The Indigo Disk, the less time they'll have to spend farming for money and bringing the story or postgame content to a halt to outfit their Pokemon.

---

4) Unlock 7-star Tera Raids

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players won't want to miss out on The Indigo Disk's 7-star Tera Raids (Image via Game Freak)

Although Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans have to complete the base game and The Teal Mask's story before starting The Indigo Disk, some trainers may have overlooked the process of unlocking 7-star Tera Raids. It's technically a missable aspect of the game, and trainers won't want to miss out on the opportunity to battle in high-level Tera Raids for the DLC and catch the powerful Pokemon within them.

For players who may have missed out on this aspect of the game, they can unlock 7-star Tera Raids with the following steps:

1. Complete the main story and participate in the Academy Ace Tournament.
2. Participate in roughly eight to 10 4- or 5-star Tera Raids either offline or online, and you should receive a call from Jacq stating that stronger raids have appeared, unlocking 7-star raids when they're spawned during events.

---

5) Farm Herba Mystica

Herba Mystica is simply a worthy resource to stockpile in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Regardless of whether players are trying to hatch their eggs quickly, find shiny variants of certain Pokemon, or are just looking for a certain Pokemon type in particular, they'll need some Herba Mystica to put in their sandwiches. Since this is the case, if Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trainers are a little short on the powerful herbs, it may be best to collect them early on in The Indigo Disk.

There's certainly no shortage of raid dens in Paldea to battle in 5-star raids or higher. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players could always do a bit of farming in the Academy Ace tournament before heading back to Blueberry Academy.

Whatever the case, trainers can never have enough Herba Mystica, and it's best to have a ton of it before hunting down new and returning Pokemon.