21 Things Pokemon Legends Arceus Doesn't Tell You - IGN

Focus ResetSkip to contentFind in guideTask SearchChecklistsInteractive MapTable of Contents

Task Search

Checklists Guides Markers VideosSort and FilterNo Results

Checklists

New ChecklistAll ListsMy ChecklistsAllPokedexAlpha PokemonShiny PokemonMain MissionsSide QuestsUnown PokemonWispsOld VersesPokedexPokedexAlpha PokemonAlpha PokemonShiny PokemonShiny PokemonMain MissionsMain MissionsSide QuestsSide QuestsUnown PokemonUnown PokemonWispsWispsOld VersesOld VersesAll ListsMy ChecklistsHow creative can you get with your first free checklist?Create a free accountAll Interactive Maps and Locations21 Things Pokemon Legends Arceus Doesn't Tell YouBy Nadine Dornieden, Kenneth Seward Jr., Matthew Adler, +25 moreUpdated: Feb 7, 2022 11:26pm UTC

From little “quality of life” things — like simple ways to change your Pokemons’ nicknames or how to swap a Pokemon’s moveset at will — to more useful tips — like earning extra research points or the best ways to handle Frenzied and Alpha Pokemon — and even walking around in a first-person view, this page contains some of the most noteworthy things that you may not realize are possible in Pokemon Legends: Arceus!

Pokemon Legends Arceus is the biggest Pokemon game ever, both in the scope of its new huge open areas and the sheer number of tasks to complete. That said, there are a bunch of things that, while pretty important, Arceus doesn’t necessarily tutorialize super well, so to that end here are 21 tips that Pokemon Legends: Arceus doesn’t tell you.

Don’t Miss:

• Biggest Changes in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
• New Pokemon
• Starter Pokemon

Pokemon Legends: Arceus Tips

These are tips that answer common questions about unexplained items, rare Pokemon, and more.

How to Nickname Pokemon

You can nickname your Pokemon in the Pokemon menu! You aren’t prompted when you catch them, though, so you’ll have to take the time to do it yourself.

Evolutions Aren’t Automatic

You'll get a little notification when a Pokemon is ready to evolve, but you have to trigger the evolution yourself in the Satchel menu - this makes evolving Pokemon that require friendship, like certain Eevee evolutions, much easier. Once it’s friendly enough, you can evolve it - regardless of whether it just leveled up or not. Keep in mind many Pokemon have unique evolution requirements, including many of the evolutions required to get New Pokemon. See How to Evolve Scyther and How to Evolve Stantler as a start!

How to Catch and Evolve Eevee

Eevee can be caught very early on in the Obsidian Fieldlands and can evolve into eight different Pokemon - some are determined over small details. See the Eevee page to learn why your Eevee is evolving into a Sylveon instead of an Espeon or Umbreon.

How to Swap Your Pokemon’s Moveset Anytime

Whenever your pokemon learns a new move, you need to manually open its Change Moves menu to swap it in if it didn’t have room for it. What’s great is that while your pokemon can only have four active moves, it doesn’t permanently forget the others, so you can swap them back in if a new one doesn’t work out anytime outside of battle!

How to Break Cracked Rocks

Sometimes you'll find large rocks or boulders with cracks in them that may block your way. You can break them simply by throwing a Pokemon next to it - they'll destroy it for you!

Item Management Matters in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Inventory Management is a thing, now. Technically the game does tell you that you can visit your stash, but it conveniently leaves out just how important that is. You should definitely stop at a chest before or after each hunt…erm..mission… to make sure you have everything you need and enough room in your pack for anything you may find out in the world.

Red Arrows Mean Bonus Research Levels!

Red arrows next to research tasks in the Pokedex indicate you’ll get double Research Levels. Completing one task earns you one research level, but these tasks will give you two so be on the lookout for when they pop up!

Effort Levels and Grit Items Determine Your Pokemon’s Stats

The numbers in circles next to a Pokemon’s stats are “Effort Levels”, and Pokemon can already have Effort Levels as soon as you catch them. These, and Natures, are what determine each individual Pokemon’s stats - the higher the Effort Level, the bigger the boost. Only Grit items can be used to increase them further. See How Stats Work - EVs, IVs, and Effort Levels and How to Farm Grit for more information.

Multiple Pokemon Can Attack You at Once!

If multiple Pokemon aggro you at once, you can enter a battle with one, and the others will join - but be warned that this can be really dangerous! Though we’ve been in a battle with a total of five Pokemon - one Alpha and four normal Pokemon - four have actively ganged up on us, and those are some pretty tough odds.

Alpha Pokemon Are Tough

You can encounter Pokemon with glowing red eyes, called Alpha Pokemon, very early on, and they can mess you up. If you do manage to knock one out or catch it, it will respawn if you leave to Jubilife Village and come back. Though, the Alpha that may spawn sometimes depends on the time of day and weather!

You Can Escape Battles by Literally Running Away

You can move around in battle freely, and you can even just physically run away from battles with wild Pokemon if you change your mind! It doesn’t work if you’re going up against a Boss or another Trainer, though.

Frenzied Pokemon Can Be Defeated Without Battling

You don’t have to send your Pokemon to fight with Frenzied Pokemon, which are basically the boss battles of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. You can just throw balm at them until it’s over - but this does get increasingly more difficult to do the further along you are, as your windows to hit them grow smaller.

You Need to Faint to Get a Game Over

If you do end up battling with them and all your Pokemon faint, you can still chuck balm at it to win the battle. You won’t black out and wake up in town just because your Pokemon fainted. You - your character - physically needs to be hit by attacks to lose a fight - so remember to practice dodging!

How to Get Merit Points

If you do faint, or fall from high enough, you’ll leave behind a bag - if you’re playing online, there’s a chance someone will find it for you. If they do, you’ll get your stuff back. You should go out of your way to find bags (which you can do if you're offline too) - you’ll get merit points which you can trade for rare evolutionary items,

<meta />

which otherwise can only be found in Space-time Distortions.

Status Effects Can Be Examined During Battles

To see what a status effect or state actually does, and how long it will last, press + while in a battle - you can look at both your own and your opponent’s Pokemon. You might be surprised by what you see.

Carried Charms Disappear from Your Satchel Once They’re Used

Charm Lady Lucille in Jubilife Village sells charms. Put them in your Satchel for their effect to apply - but keep in mind they’re a one-time use item. The Status Effect charm will save you from a status effect - once - and the same goes for the others as well.

Requests Need to Be Re-Marked on Your Map

You have to reactivate a Request side mission in your Missions & Requests Menu for it to show up on your map again - even if you’ve already fulfilled the requirements to turn it in.

Fainted Pokemon Don't Get XP

Fainted Pokemon don’t earn experience points, so don’t be surprised when your Quilava doesn’t level up after getting knocked out..

Pokemon Can Work Without Your Supervision

You don’t have to watch the animation of your pokemon gathering materials for you. Just send it and forget it. Multiple things in one place you want to gather? Switch pokemon to skip the animation of the first pokemon thrown and send out multiple pokemon to gather several resources at once!. You can immediately get on to a ride Pokemon after throwing a pokemon to gather material.

Some Items Can be Collected While You’re Riding a Mount

Some items, like veggies or mushrooms, you can pick up yourself even from the back of ride pokemon. These items, when not mounted, can be picked up both by yourself or by Pokemon.

How to Turn On Motion Controls

There are motion controls! Turn them on in the settings and you’ll be able to aim your Poke Ball and other thrown items with the gyroscope instead of the analog stick.

Your Pokemon Can Hang Out with You

You can call your Pokemon out of their Pokeballs in the field to just hang out with them if you want. Aim their Pokeball close to you until you see a little icon of a Pikachu head, then fire, and they’ll pop out so you can talk to them and get cute pics

There’s a First-person Camera View

Speaking of, if no wild Pokemon are too close, you can enter first-person view by holding ZL. This will also automatically disable the HUD so you can take rad photos of whatever you please.

How to Toggle Off the HUD

You can also change the settings so you can toggle the HUD on and off by pressing in on the R-stick at any time, so you can get clean screenshots of yourself with your Pokemon!

What to Do With Shards?

In Space-time Distortions, you'll find Blue, Green, and Red shards lying on the ground. They have a purpose! At the Craftworks in Jubilife Village, you can purchase Crafting Recipes - including one for a Star Piece. You need one Stardust and one of each kind of shard. The recipe is 10,000$, but each Star Piece sells for an impressive 5,000$!

These are just some little details we discovered that Pokemon Legends: Arceus doesn't completely reveal to you. Feel free to share your favorite discovery in the comments. Check out the rest of our wiki guide for even more interesting details, tips, and secrets about Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

Up Next: Pokedex (List of Pokemon)

PreviousAbout IGN's Pokemon Legends: Arceus Guide WritersNextPokedex (List of Pokemon)

Top Guide Sections

• Pokedex (List of Pokemon)
• Side Quests - List of Requests
• All Unown Locations
• All Wisp Locations - Eerie Apparitions in the Night

Was this guide helpful?

Leave feedback

In This Guide

Pokemon Legends: ArceusGame FreakInitial Release: Jan 28, 2022Learn moreGo to comments