The first part of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's new DLC, The Teal Mask, has just launched, and one exciting new feature is the ability to unlock the Sinnoh starters. However, it will require progressing through the DLC a bit and unfortunately, players will not have the luxury of choice regarding their specific Sinnoh starter Pokémon.

After unlocking The Teal Mask DLC in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, players will have the freedom to explore and catch some newly added Pokémon, but the Sinnoh starters will not be catchable, despite the fact that they are available in the DLC. Instead, players must focus on progressing through the story until they have been formally welcomed.

How To Unlock The Sinnoh Starters

After being welcomed, an objective will be received that involves taking pictures at several signs around the area with Kieran. After receiving this objective, players will have the freedom to explore and catch any Pokémon found wandering around in the region. As stated, however, the Sinnoh starters will unfortunately not be walking around and are actually not included in The Teal Mask's Kitakami Pokedex.

Instead, players will need to head east from the welcome center, past the little shop, and across the bridge. After crossing the bridge, there should be a couple of trees on the right-hand side, walk over to them, and you should see Jacq hanging out.

Approach Jacq who will invite you to a picnic where he will gift an egg. This egg contains one of the three available Sinnoh starters, Pipilup, Turtwig, or Chimchar. Unfortunately, there is no way to know which starter is in the egg until it hatches, and the result is completely random for every player.

There is no way to choose or influence which starter will hatch, so in order to obtain the rest of the Sinnoh starters, they will either need to be traded in via Pokémon HOME or traded via the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Trade system with another player.

Piplup hatching from an egg in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Teal Mask DLC

The method for hatching the egg is the same as the base game. When the picnic concludes, the egg will either be in the party or in a box. Simply move it to the party, in any slot, and begin walking. Eventually, the egg will hatch once players have gone the required distance needed to hatch the egg.

The best way to do this ively is just to have the egg in the party while catching other Pokémon in the Teal Mask DLC or working through the story. Eventually, the egg will hatch and players will receive their very own Sinnoh starter in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.