Starter Pokémon may be tricky to find in Scarlet and Violet’s The Indigo Disk DLC

Pokémon fans across all generations have plenty to look forward to in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s The Indigo Disk DLC with the return of all previous starter Pokémon—but it seems they will be tricky to catch.

The second DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will see players travel to Blueberry Academy’s Terrarium, where several different environments can be explored, and it’s here that all your favorite starters will be there to find.

However, those hoping to quickly add these partner Pokémon to their collection may be disappointed as it appears you’re going to have your work cut out to get your hands on Charmander, Chikorita, and the rest of the gang.

In a preview for The Indigo Disk, PhillyBeatzU revealed that nobody at the event encountered a starter Pokémon in their hour-long journey and a Nintendo rep teased that players will have to figure out how to get them to appear.

It’s likely that getting these Pokémon to appear will be tied to story progression, perhaps even making you wait until after you’ve beaten the new Elite Four, though at this stage it’s anyone’s guess what the developers have up their sleeve.

Making starter Pokémon difficult to obtain is nothing new to the franchise, however, with Pokémon Legends: Arceus requiring you to beat the main story before the starters you didn’t select at the beginning start to appear, while the mainline Pokémon games have always required trading.

Of course, not all the starter Pokémon appearing will be new to the game, as Scarlet and Violet have already seen the likes of Charmander and Cyndaquil added through Tera Raid events that allow you to catch their fully-evolved forms, though they’re not considered to be part of the Pokédex.

That will likely change with The Indigo Disk, however, which will add even more Pokémon to collect, including all the starters, on top of the 400 already in the base game and the 100 added in The Teal Mask.