Pokemon Legends: Arceus — Request 39 Guide (All About Magikarp)

Magikarp is well-known in the Pokemon world as being an utterly useless Pokemon... until it evolves into Gyarados at level 20. As such an iconic Pokemon, it's only natural that the Magikarp line would appear in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Since Pokemon and humans do not coexist in the Hisui region, it's only natural that so many NPCs would know very little - if nothing at all - about Pokemon. If players need a break from Story Missions or catching Pokemon, they can pick up some sidequests to keep busy.

Request 39 is All about Magikarp, and if players haven't caught one yet, they'll need to get one for this sidequest. However, Request 39 takes it a step further by requiring players to complete Magikarp's Pokedex Entry.

As per Pokemon Legends: Arceus' gameplay, entries are not unlocked once a Pokemon has been caught. Instead, players will need to complete a set amount of Research Tasks in order to fill out the entry. Not everyone has the patience to keep Magikarp in the party for long, so here's the quickest way to complete Request 39.

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Completing Magikarp's Entry

Since Magikarp obviously can't be found on land, players will need to have Basculegion to surf across water in order to catch it. Once players have unlocked the Cobalt Coastlands, they can speak to a little girl named Ceci, who's standing near the general store.

She'll notice the Magikarp statues on top of the Galaxy Hall and ask players about Magikarp, believing it to be a very powerful Pokemon. It doesn't matter which dialogue choices are selected here since she'll want to see Magikarp's completed entry regardless. Once this Request is accepted, it's time to work on some Research Tasks.

A school of Magikarp can be found near the Worn Bridge in the Obsidian Fieldlands. With Basculegion, swim out to the Magikarp and catch them. They're not aggressive or timid Pokemon, so don't worry about having to battle or chase after them. However, catching Pokemon while surfing can be difficult - especially when trying to get a back strike catch.

Magikarp has a low catch rate, so Poke Balls should be fine. If lucky, players may run into an Alpha Magikarp, which will attack... with Splash. Out of all the Alpha Pokemon, Magikarp is harmless in battle.

Once Magikarp is caught, take a look at its Research Tasks. The red arrows indicate Bonus Research Tasks. This means once a milestone is met, players will receive two points towards their Research Level instead of one. Since Magikarp has three Bonus Research Tasks, players have a few options when completing its Pokedex entry. Here's a quick way to get to Research Level 10:

Research Task	Milestone	Points Accumulated
Number caught	1, 3, 6	6
Times you've seen it use Splash	1	2
Number you've evolved	1, 2	2

In short, players should catch six Magikarp, see Magikarp use Splash once, and then evolve two of the six Magikarp. If players do not want to waste their time evolving two Magikarp, they can instead catch 12 Magikarp and see it use Splash once.

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Show Ceci the completed Pokedex entry to get a Rare Candy as a reward.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available now on Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Complete Guide & Walkthrough