New leaks show the beginning story for hard mode
Before hard mode, it will start with the puppet master appearing from the past to celebrate his victory. But he realizes that he lost. So he decides to go back in time to make it harder to try to secure his victory. But he left a hourglass time traveller in the present, so Noot urges you to use it, but you must have 35 pets, with at least 15 evolved pets.
The bosses will also be a part of the difficulties too, so you can replay bosses like Gerald and the Old One!
Prodigy probably wants to make it more fun, and anyways the Puppet Master probably doesn’t know where you were
The time Traveller is used by the wizard to go back to find the Puppet Master and hopefully stop him. But remember, this is the past Puppet Master, so we will still probably get the Dragon Isle storyline with the Present Puppet Master