An unassuming character featured in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s Indigo Disk DLC is officially the strongest trainer ever to appear in the series. Indigo Disk is the second part of Scarlet and Violet‘s expansion, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. Following The Teal Mask, it has players visiting Blueberry Academy as an exchange student, where they’ll battle a variety of trainers from all around the world. There’s also a wide variety of new Pokémon to catch in Indigo Disk, along with new regions to explore and new mysteries to uncover.
Previously, the title of strongest trainer in the Pokémon series belonged to Cynthia, an archeologist and Pokémon League Champion who appears in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. With a well-trained and varied team, Cynthia makes for an excellent endgame challenge in her original appearances, and she’s even stronger in the remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Her reign has gone unchallenged for several generations, but one Indigo Disk character has finally given her a run for her money.
One New Legendary Pokémon In Indigo Disk DLC Was Hiding All Along
It seems like one of the new Legendary Pokémon in the Indigo Disk has been hiding in the base games, Scarlet and Violet, for over a year.
Kieran Is Officially Pokémon’s Strongest Trainer Ever
As calculated by @CentroLeaks on X (formerly Twitter), Indigo Disk‘s Kieran is the strongest trainer ever to appear in the Pokémon series by average Pokémon level. It’s not a huge margin: Kieran’s average team level comes in at 85.83, barely edging out Cynthia’s average of 85.5 in BDSP. In the context of Indigo Disk, Kieran is the protagonist’s classmate at Blueberry Academy. He serves as their rival during the DLC, repeatedly battling them throughout the course of the plot. In his final appearance, his team has an average level of 85.83, the highest any NPC Pokémon trainer’s team has reached in the entirety of the series.
Pokémon Indigo Disk: Kieran’s Team Vs. Cynthia’s
It’s easier to understand just what makes Kieran’s team the strongest by juxtaposing it directly with Cynthia’s. The two teams are compared side-by-side in the table below.
Kieran’s Team (Indigo Disk) | Cynthia’s Team (BDSP) |
|---|---|
Politoed (level 85) | Spiritomb (level 84) |
Dragonite (level 85) | Porygon-Z (level 85) |
Grimmsnarl (level 86) | Togekiss (level 86) |
Porygon-Z (level 86) | Lucario (level 86) |
Incineroar (level 86) | Milotic (level 84) |
Hydrapple (level 87) | Garchomp (level 88) |
AVG: 85.83 | AVG: 85.5 |
Cynthia does have one Pokémon of a higher level than anyone on Kieran’s team. Her Garchomp is level 88, while Kieran’s highest-level Pokémon is a level 87 Hydrapple. However, on average, Kieran’s team is of a higher level. What makes the most difference here is that Kieran’s two lowest-level Pokémon are at 85, while Cynthia has two Pokémon at level 84.
Of course, average team level is only one measure of trainer strength. While Kieran’s higher average level is impressive, it’s not the end-all. Cynthia still has a Pokémon League Championship, an achievement Kieran can’t claim just yet. For the time being, Kieran makes a worthy rival in the Indigo Disk DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- Franchise:
- Array
- Platform(s):
- Array
- Released:
- 2022-11-18
- Developer(s):
- Array
- Publisher(s):
- Array
- Genre(s):
- Array
- Multiplayer:
- Array
- ESRB:
- E
- Summary:
- Pokémon returns in its next installment series: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Set in a fictional town near Mediterranean Spain, gamers will explore Paldea, catching new and classic Pokémon. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is the first ever open-world game in the series and features new Pokémon that can transform into vehicles. Pokémon staples like gym battles are still present, but co-op exploration and Terastallize battles are also introduced.
- How Long To Beat:
- 31 Hours
- Prequel:
- Array
- Mode:
- Single Player, Multiplayer
