Summary
The latestPokemon ScarletandViolettrailer has given players a better perspective on what to expect for the upcoming DLC The Teal Mask, though based on what was learned about its new character Kieran, there will be a deeper connection to Ogerpon. While both Kieran and Ogerpon were revealed some time ago among other new details about The Teal Mask, it had been the new Legendary Pokemon that pulled focus with speculation fromOgerpon’s potential typingto how it’s involved with the DLC’s broader story. But with the trailer showcasing some of Kieran’s characterization and revealing more of Ogerpon, this focus has now shifted.
After the initial reveal ofOkidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti, many players had already figured out thatPokemonwas drawing inspiration from the Japanese folklore of Momotaro which went on to shape theories surrounding Ogerpon and The Teal Mask’s story. As such, many expected that Ogerpon would be taking the folklore’s role of the demon chief with the game’s story paralleling its general narrative. However, as the trailer appears to now frame Kieran as the player’s increasingly jealous rival, a glimpse of Ogerpon’s “mask” falling down combined with its humanoid and costume-like design could hint that The Teal Mask’s antagonist might be hiding something.
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The Teal Mask’s Trailer Hints at Kieran-Ogerpon Connection
Thanks to the recent in-depth look and trailer forScarletandViolet’s The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk, players now know a great deal more about various characters and how they will factor into their respective parts of the DLC. In terms of The Teal Mask, certain characters now have clearly defined roles with Briar overseeing the Academy exchange to Kitakami and Perrin acting as the player’s guide into the expanded in-game photography mechanics. But other characters have retained their intrigue, such as why Carmine is frosty towards other regions' trainers and if it’s significant that bothCarmine and Kieran appear in both DLC parts.
However, throughout the trailer, there is a great deal of emphasis placed on the player’s and Kieran’s relationship, such as dialogue teasing Kieran’s envy towards the player or him eavesdropping on both the player and Carmine. Not only that but these sections are also coupled with the player encountering Ogerpon, so with no other character being coded as antagonistic towards the player it seems that these two are connected and will act asThe Teal Mask’s archetype villain. This could mean that either Kieran is either the trainer of or is responsible for summoning Ogerpon as per Kitakami’s folklore and its Festival of Masks.
Ogerpon Might Be Masking a Hidden Identity
But by closely examining Ogerpon’s design and with new information revealed fromPokemonScarletandViolet’s DLC trailer, Kieran and Ogerpon might actually be one and the same. As Ogerpon’s overall design is based on Japan’s “Devil’s Sword Dance” which sees its participants donning demon-like masks, the trailer shows that Ogerpon’s face might be a literal mask as its newly revealed Tera Form exaggerates this and its also seen separated from the Pokemon’s body. It’s possible that the Pokemon is actually the mask itself and only takes the form seen so far when someone like Kieran puts it on.
This wouldn’t be the first timePokemonhas pushed boundaries on Pokemon hybridization, from Gen 5’s Kyurem fusions to Gen 6’s Lusamine and Nihilego.ScarletandVioletmight be reviving this concept where Ogerpon’s mask compels Kieran to wear it, as this would explain why the mask is seen separately and Ogerpon looks like a person in a festival costume. Ultimately, this does mean that current theories around The Teal Mask will need to be reevaluated, such as if Ogerpon is unobtainable, if the mask is a product of Area Zero’s influence, and how it might nowconnect toScarletandViolet’s base game.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare available now for Nintendo Switch.
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