The Indigo Disk - Blog Posts

Terapagos' Hidden Power

Terapagos is the newest legendary Pokemon, introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC, the second part of the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. While the story of Scarlet and Violet isn’t over yet as we’re getting an epilogue in January, there’s a scene in the DLC that I absolutely have to talk about as the lore implications are nuts. Obviously there are gonna be spoilers for Indigo Disk, so if you haven’t played yet then you should probably click off this post now.

After capturing Terapagos in the Underdepths of Area Zero, you can gain access to a hidden interaction at Kitakami’s Crystal Pool, noteworthy for its… well, crystal formations of Terastal energy. Upon approaching the pool, Terapagos exits its Pokeball and calls forth a cloud of mist and, seemingly, Professor Sada/Turo before retreating back into its ball. This naturally prompts a discussion between the confused professor and the player, but it’s a brief discussion as after a few minutes the cloud of mist closes back in and takes the professor with it. While I won’t be going too in depth into the conversation with the professor, I will be going into how I think Terapagos is involved with it and revealing a potential hidden layer of mystery and intrigue to this new Pokemon.

Sada’s/Turo’s Arrival

So naturally, the arrival of Sada and Turo is what needs to be covered first as it’s what reveals new aspects of Terapagos to us. First, many would be led to assume that this is actually Professor Sada/Turo as this conversation takes place at the Crystal Pool, a location that’s said to allow people to speak to the dead. However, I believe this to be untrue. Early on in the conversation, Sada/Turo come to the conclusion that they must’ve been transported to the future by some unknown force.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ-SiGwyCKA)

This wouldn’t exactly make sense, though. After all, the implication about the Crystal Pool is that those you meet there are dead, so why would this be any different? Even the Milotic you battle with Carmine is coded to have the Tera Typing of Ghost to further allude to this fact. The time machine can’t be at fault either as AI Sada/Turo explicitly states that those who travel through time cannot return to the present, which we see Sada/Turo do. But what if what’s happening here isn’t time travel?

Milotic

As stated previously, the Milotic you battle with Carmine to obtain the Crystal Cluster needed to fix the Teal Mask is coded to have the Tera Type of Ghost. This isn’t a hugely known fact though, as it’s only really viewable if you look into the game’s code (or look at Bulbapedia like I did). Obviously since I’m bringing it up, I think it has some relevance here. I find it odd that despite giving this Milotic a Tera Type different from its original type, it never actually undergoes Terastalization. I mean, why not? Wouldn’t that get the idea of “meeting the dead” across a lot better? Not to mention, we’ve seen the ghost of a Pokemon before in the form of the Marowak from Pokemon Tower. Well…

I don’t think that Milotic is dead at all. In fact, I don’t think it was even alive before you first approached the Crystal Pool with Carmine. “This guy must be an idiot, what could he possibly be talking about?”. First, rude, my feelings :(. Second, I actually do have some evidence to back this claim up, and it all lies in…

The Scarlet/Violet Book

Trust me, I’m gonna tie this all together, just stick with me here. If you read the copy of the Scarlet/Violet book in the Academy, you’ll find a section titled “Monsters of Area Zero”. It’s the section of the book that goes over the first discovery of Great Tusk/Iron Treads, as shown in the photo provided below.

(Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/PokemonScarletViolet/comments/zi7ef7/mysteries_of_the_scarletviolet_book_unlocked/)

So why’s this important? It’s simple, really. Quoting Arven:

“Wait, hold on... Isn't my mom's/dad's time machine the whole reason the ancient/future Pokémon ended up here in the first place? This book is from way before she/he made the time machine, but it mentions ancient/future Pokémon. Isn't that kinda...weird?”

Why yes, Arven, it IS weird! This entry basically confirms that the time machine isn’t what’s creating the Paradox Pokemon. Something else within Area Zero is creating these Pokemon from the “past” or “future” based on which game you play. I think the same thing is happening at the Crystal Lake with Milotic and Sada/Turo. That wasn’t a Milotic, and that isn’t Sada/Turo, they’re recreations of a Milotic and the professor made with Terastal energy. And who molded these recreations?

Terapagos and the “Time Machine”

Time to tie this all together with a neat bow. Yeah, there’s obviously a reason that Terapagos’ presence is required for this interaction to happen. It made the Sada/Turo that the player interacts with at the Crystal Pool, just like how it made the Paradox Pokemon originating in Area Zero. Yeah, I’m going as far as to say it also created the Paradox Pokemon. The “time machine” was powered by Terastal energy, the same energy used to create the Milotic, the phantom professor, and presumably our Koraidon/Miraidon. The idea might strike some as odd, as if it’s not a time machine, when what is it?

While it’s hard to say what it is for certain, we can make some inferences on its true identity. Like I said, the whole machine is powered by Terastal energy, which I’m theorizing has the power to create entirely new organisms. The most difficult part to intuit is what it creates organisms from, but I think I have a pretty solid idea: imagination.  Think about the first Pokemon that was pulled through the machine. Koraidon or Miraidon, depending on the version of the game you’re playing. These Pokemon are meant to represent past and future versions of Cylizar, as stated by their dex entries:

Koraidon’s Violet Dex Entry: “This Pokémon resembles Cyclizar, but it is far burlier and more ferocious. Nothing is known about its ecology or other features.”Miraidon’s Scarlet Dex Entry: “Much remains unknown about this creature. It resembles Cyclizar, but it is far more ruthless and powerful.”

And what Pokemon was Heath, someone who you could say Sada/Turo idolized, prominently shown with in the Scarlet/Violet book, a volume which the professor admits is precious to them in their conversation with you at the Crystal Pool? Why, Cyclizar, of course!

(Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/PokemonScarletViolet/comments/zi7ef7/mysteries_of_the_scarletviolet_book_unlocked/)

I just can’t see this being a coincidence whatsoever, the choice to give Heath a Cyclizar while making both box legendaries past and future forms of it just feels so intentional. The Paradox Pokemon having been created during the original expedition makes sense as well. Before they had ever seen a Paradox Pokemon, they had been researching the regular Pokemon they were finding in Area Zero, and given that they were scientists it’s natural to assume they were most likely theory crafting what other kinds of Pokemon could live down there. It was only after a couple days of descending into Area Zero that the team encountered their first Paradox Pokemon. This could even explain why the Milotic at the Crystal Pool had a unique Ghost Tera Type; meeting the dead at the Crystal Pool is a common folktale in Kitakami, and the Crystal Pool is full of crystals of Terastal energy, just like Area Zero.

So, let’s wrap that neat little bow on all this. Terastal energy is clearly some form of creation energy, as it’s been shown to create not only the Paradox Pokemon, but also Milotic and even a duplicate professor. We’ve only ever seen this form of creation occur in two places: Area Zero and the Crystal Pool. Terapagos is stated to be the source of the Terastal phenomenon in it’s Scarlet Pokedex entry…: “Terapagos protects itself using its power to transform energy into hard crystals. This Pokémon is the source of the Terastal phenomenon.”

…and the interaction with the professor at the Crystal Pool does not happen without the player catching Terapagos. The “time machine” is really a machine that brings Pokemon from your imagination to life, and the Crystal Pool shows you terastal energy copies of those who have passed away rather than genuine ghosts. With all that in mind…

Terapagos’ Hidden Power

The true power of Terapagos, the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, is the power of creation. Be it replications of deceased individuals and books they held dear, or entirely new Pokemon that have never existed before, Terapagos can pull ideas from the minds of individuals and, using Terastal energy, will them into reality.

Screw it, I drew Ship art just couldn't stop myself. Not a fan of just calling it Meloetta x Ogerpon so I personally just called the Ship "Forest Melody"

Friends :)

I've also got an cute Video of them both but Tumblr doesn't allow me to post it, shame.

Meloetta x Ogerpon when? /j

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR LIGIT ALL OF SCARLET AND VIOLET

<<~🌼~>>

Ok. So I’m like dead set on Birar being the main villain of Indigo Disk, but I wanted to elaborate a bit on my theory:

Briar is a descendant of Heath, who was a writer and historian. The other professor (I’ll be using Turo for this so it’s easier to write) isn’t even a professor at all- he’s an author, admiring Heath’s work long after his death. Later in life, Turo meets Sada, who also admires Heath, and Briar, who wishes to continue her grandfather’s research by going down to Area Zero again to find Terapagos. Turo and Sada fall in love during the expedition, but they also find the Paradox Pokemon, along with Miraidon and Koraidon, which the team takes in and keeps in their lab located in Area Zero.

Later, Sada gets pregnant with her and Turo’s son, Arven. They take a break and move into the greenhouse next to the lighthouse in Cabo Poco, much to Briar’s dismay. She tries to convince Sada and Turo to come back and bring Arven with them after his birth, to which the parents turn down the offer. Within the time that Arven grows up, Briar becomes a teacher at Blueberry Academy, and decides to visit one day. Sada and Briar get into an argument about the expedition, but Briar manages to convince Sada to continue the expedition with pity points.

Turo reluctantly brings Arven along into Area Zero due to Briar’s request and gets the boy a Maschiff (“So it would be easier to watch him”) as a present. Briar’s insistent nagging of Sada to continue for the good of Paldea makes Sada start neglecting her son, and he befriends Koraidon as a result. Miraidon becomes friendly with Koraidon as well, but Briar is only concerned about finding Terapagos so she can receive the power of the Terastal phenomenon. Fueled by this, she keeps Sada away from those Briar perceive as “threats” to the expedition, namely Turo and Arven.

Turo, concerned about his fiancé's well-being, tries to convince her to come back home and take a break, leading to an argument between them that makes Sada realize her misdeeds. She tells Briar that she and her family will no longer be participating in the expedition, only for another argument between the two women to unfold. Briar, snapping, realizes that the only way Sada will stay is if Turo and Arven are gone.

Soon after Maschiff evolves into Mabosstiff, Briar causes a security breach after intentionally hurting Miraidon to make Koraidon rage. Sada pushes Turo out of the way, and Mabosstiff saves Arven, only for Sada to get killed on contact and for Mabosstiff to get almost killed. Briar tries to convince Turo to stay, but he refuses, breaking off of the expedition and bringing Koraidon and Miraidon with him, seeing that the two Pokemon are his responsibility now. Briar goes back to Blueberry Academy, now not being able to go down to find Terapagos without a permit.

Turo goes into a spiraling depression, creating an AI version of Sada that later realizes its purpose and hides in Area Zero. Turo spirals, leaving Arven and Koraidon in the lighthouse and retreating to the greenhouse with Miraidon, telling his son to never leave the lighthouse until his return with the Scarlet Book while Turo himself takes the Violet Book with him. Turo spends his days trying to pinpoint the location of AI Sada… Until a familiar face greets him.

The familiar face tells him about how she’d seen Arven leave the lighthouse and give Koraidon to some kid trainer who didn’t know what they were doing, and that Turo’s son, the trainer, and two other kids were going into Area Zero. Turo, taking advantage of this, activates a duplicate Miraidon that is extremely hostile towards the group to slow them down, only for AI Sada to stop it. Turo, now knowing AI Sada’s location, takes control of it, hoping that by beating the kids, she’ll return to him. The trainer that Arven had given Koraidon to beat her, which makes Turo lose control of her. AI Sada retreats into the past via a time machine, and Turo sobs into his hands…

… Before he feels a sharp object tear into his chest. He flops over the desk, blood staining his ragged clothes, leaving only Briar standing before him, having had enough of his failure. Now that Sada and Turo were out of the way, she only needed to get their son out of the way… And with the transfer project of Naranja and Blueberry Academy that Cyrano had specifically planned out for her, she would simply use Arven’s little friends to lure him in.

“… And that’s where you come in,” Briar says, her gaze looming over the boy, who stands with his back to her. “I hope you’ll prove your worth, unlike that useless man. Don’t disappoint me, Kieran.”

Anyways thanks for coming to my Ted Talk