On Pokémon Day, a special Pokémon Presents video presentation was streamed online to fans around the world. This day is the annual fan-focused, pop-culture holiday that celebrates the launch of the original Pokémon video games on 27 February 1996.
During the presentation, The Pokémon Company group announced new experiences coming to the globally popular entertainment franchise in 2023. Highlights included the reveal of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, new DLC for the blockbuster Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games; Pokémon Concierge, a new stop-motion Netflix series; Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic, a premium Pokémon TCG set; a much-anticipated update about Pokémon Sleep; the Pokémon GO Plus + device; newly discovered Pokémon; multiple in-game events for current titles and more.
Additionally, in celebration of Pokémon’s global fanbase, The Pokémon Company International revealed a digital mosaic in the style of the iconic Poké Ball. The mosaic is composed of photos and videos submitted by fans showcasing their passion for Pokémon as part of a full-year brand campaign inviting them to “Pokémon Together.”
“Pokémon Day is the most exciting day of the year for Trainers, and we’re honoured to ‘Celebrate Pokémon Together’ with them by revealing what’s next for the ever-evolving franchise,” said The Pokémon Company International president Kenji Okubo. “As we invite fans to ‘Pokémon Together’ in 2023, these new experiences across the brand reflect the growing world of Pokémon and the many ways it continues to connect and bring joy to people of all ages around the world.”
Details for all the initiatives revealed in the Pokémon Presents are below:
Global sales of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet for the Nintendo Switch family of systems surpassed 10 million combined units in the first three days after their worldwide launch on 18 November 2022—the highest global sales for any software on any Nintendo platform in that same timeframe. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will take fans deeper into the world of Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet with two different adventures—Part 1: The Teal Mask, launching in fall 2023, and Part 2: The Indigo Disk, releasing at a later date. Fans can purchase The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero on Nintendo eShop.
“We are so grateful that millions of Trainers around the world have chosen to explore the expansive Paldea region,” said The Pokémon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara. “In The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, fans will take a trip to the land of Kitakami where they will meet new Pokémon and interesting characters. I sincerely hope that Trainers who embark on this new journey find the same excitement and joy they experienced when they encountered their first Pokémon.”
Players can use their current saved data from Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet to continue their adventure in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. In this new downloadable content, players will be leaving the Paldea region, the setting of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. In Part 1: The Teal Mask, a school trip will take players to the land of Kitakami, where they will be joining an outdoors study program held jointly between their academy and another school. In Part 2: The Indigo Disk, players will be traveling to Blueberry Academy, a sister school of their own academy, as exchange students. While this tale is split into two parts, they link together to tell a connected story.
In both the parts, players will be able to encounter over 230 familiar Pokémon that have been found living in other regions but had not appeared in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. This includes Pokémon that players will be able to bring to their games via Pokémon HOME or those received in trades. Players will also encounter new Legendary Pokémon – Ogerpon in Part 1, and Terapagos in Part 2. In Part 1: The Teal Mask, three Pokémon named Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti also appear. They are beloved by the people of the village as heroes that protected the land of Kitakami in the past and stone statues were made in their likeness to express the people’s gratitude.
Players who purchase The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero by Tuesday, 31 October 2023, will be given a serial code for a special gift: a Hisuian Zoroark with three special features. This Hisuian Zoroark knows the move Happy Hour, which it cannot learn through normal gameplay, along with Tera Blast, Bitter Malice, and Nasty Plot. It has the Charismatic Mark and it has Dark as its Tera Type. The serial code will be valid until Thursday, 29 February 2024.