Summary
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC has left fans with a lot to explore, continuing in its emphasis on the Terastal Phenomenon. While its story focus skews toward Kieran and the struggles of the BB League under his leadership as Champion, the DLC rounds out its narrative with a return toPaldea’s Area Zero, allowing players to discover the Legendary Terapagos. This expedition is prompted by the Blueberry Academy’s Briar, who, despite having the perfect framework of a villain character, skirts the line of antagonism in a way that feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.
The Teal Mask introducedPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Briar, where her obsession with the Terastal Phenomenon was first made apparent. It’s clear that she was being set up for a prominent role in the Indigo Disk, with the few lines of dialogue she held in Kitakami pointing towards her potential status as a villain. Some fans speculated this based on her conversation with Jacq; Briar’s questions about getting League approval to explore the Great Crater insinuated that her request might have been left in limbo for a reason. This was a bit of a red herring, however, as Briar ends up getting full approval from Geeta, and is even allowed to take the player, along with Kieran and Carmine, with her on the treasure hunt for Terapagos.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Briar Could Have Been More Than Meets the Eye
The Terastal Energy of the Terarium
Briar’s importance tothe Indigo Disk’s Blueberry Academyis not understated, as she is credited as being the one to manufacture the Terarium’s core. The core’s fuel source, deriving from the waters of Kitakami’s Crystal Pool and Paldea’s soil, is what allows the Academy’s four distinct biomes to thrive. The fact that Terastal energy can not only subsist outside Paldea, but allow for Terastallization to occur for those in other regions - the Academy being in Unova, and Kitakami speculated to be in Johto - is seen in a positive light, though the weight of exploiting such energy is never explored. The use of Terastal energy is only ever a boon for the Academy, without considering any negative side effects of Briar taking from the resource for the school’s own gain.
Similarly, following the battle with Terapagos,Briar continues to alter the Terarium’s core, allowing for the appearance of Stellar Types around the Academy’s biomes. Despite her obsession with seeing Terapagos' true power resulting in a near cave-in, putting both herself and her students in danger, the aftermath of their expedition into Area Zero’s depths is largely a net positive. Briar gets to continue her research, despite some slight reprimanding from Carmine over the situation, and she isn’t portrayed in much of an antagonistic light. As a result, her obsession doesn’t feel explored to its full potential, as it seems Briar’s character would have been better served as a villain.
The Focus on the Indigo Disk’s BB League
Of course, having Briar play the part of a true villain would likely have required a stronger story presence inthe Indigo Disk, and given the DLC’s emphasis on the BB League and Kieran’s character arc, it can be argued that this would take away from other focuses. The ethics of using Terastal energy might have also complicated the availability of the Terarium and the Terastal mechanic for the player, though this would have been interesting to explore given the mysterious nature of the phenomenon. Because Briar is able to give power to the Terarium’s biomes with a relatively small amount of Terastal energy in its core, the thought of her character seeking to encourage this even further, with the potential to drain Kitakami’s Crystal Pool dry, would have been an interesting notion.
AsBriar expresses her desire to see the Terastal Phenomenonacross all the regions, the idea of making her character both a destructive and misguided force could have put her on the same level as past villains like Lysandre. As it stands, she’s mostly portrayed in a sympathetic light, and her obsession errs more on the side of comedic value, especially in how Carmine reacts to the situation. Doubling down on her actions in the belief that the world could benefit from more Terastal energy would have been an interesting avenue to take things, providing Indigo Disk players with a true antagonist whose well-intended but questionable motives could have created implications for future titles, like the rumored Unova remakes. Given the DLC’s constraints on story scope, however, Briar still manages to be a compelling character among its cast.
