Summary
For beingPokemon Scarlet and VioletDLC, The Teal Mask has a surprisingly emotional plot with well-written characters and intriguing twists on top of the other content it offers. The basePokemon Scarlet and Violetgames were set up to be a hard act for The Teal Mask DLC to follow after the powerful story and character arcs presented throughout its runtime. However, two characters, in particular, are especially well-written, and although both suffer similar hardships, their individual character arcs lead them on very different paths that ultimately show that their similarities are only surface level.
The primary focus of The Teal Mask’s plot is the new Legendary Ogerpon who is the subject of a well-known tale within theland of Kitakamiwherein a group of mons known as the Loyal Three protected the land from Ogerpon’s attack at the cost of their lives. While most of the residents of Kitakami revere the Loyal Three, one new character, Kieran, sympathizes with Ogerpon instead. This sympathy seems to stem from Kieran feeling similarly misunderstood, but the direction the DLC takes with these two characters ends up deviating their arcs to the point where Kieran and Ogerpon no longer feel like counterparts.
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Kieran and Ogerpon End Up on Very Different Paths in The Teal Mask
Players are first introduced to Kieran in The Teal Mask as a shy but kindhearted boy compared to his older sister Carmine who can be fiery and full of herself. Afterbattling both Kieran and Carmineearly in the main DLC quest, it’s clear that Kieran has a lot of potential and wants to grow as a trainer to prove that he can be more than just his sister’s shadow. While exploring Kitakami and searching for the signboards with Kieran, he explains his admiration for Ogerpon and believes it to just be a misunderstood creature rather than a monster, setting up a clear parallel between the two characters.
When the player is finally introduced to Ogerpon during Kitakami’s mask festival, there are a lot of obvious comparisons to be made between Kieran and this critter. Both of them are meek individuals who hide their true selves behind a bigger facade, a mask in the case of Ogerpon andKieran behind his sister Carmine. At this point in the story, it seems like Ogerpon and Kieran would make great friends or partners, but the player and Carmine decide to keep Ogerpon’s existence hidden from Kieran, setting up Kieran to diverge from Ogerpon in his character arc.
Once the truth of the story ofOgerpon and the Loyal Threeis revealed, Carmine and the player are intent on helping Ogerpon recover its masks while keeping their activities a secret from Kieran. While this quest leads Ogerpon to come out of its shell and begin to trust the player and Carmine, Kieran instead grows resentful after overhearing their plans and learning they’ve decided to keep it a secret from him. Although Kieran still desires to help Ogerpon and eventually is filled in on the situation by Carmine, he ends up becoming more isolated from the group and regresses into a dangerous mindset.
The finale of The Teal Mask sees Kieran challenge the player to a battle for the chance tocatch Ogerpon inPokemon Scarlet and Violetand become its partner, an opportunity Kieran had been longing for the entire playthrough. While Kieran can be a tough opponent, the player ultimately defeats him, leaving him more resentful than before and further distancing himself from the player and his sister until he can become strong enough to defeat them. While Ogerpon is finally able to gain a new trainer that it trusts, Kieran becomes more distrustful and more obsessed with power, potentially setting Kieran up to be a surprise villain in The Indigo Disk.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare available for Nintendo Switch. The Teal Mask DLC is also available now.
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