pokemon legends arceus mistakes

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is such a different game from the normal pokemon experience. Here are a few beginner mistakes you should avoid making as you explore the Hisui region.

Exploring Hisui can be a fun experience, but you might experience a few headaches. One of the biggest changes in this game is that pokemon can be caught without entering battle first if you manage to sneak up on them. A red circle with a cross on top of it means the pokemon must be weakened first, though.

Switching Between Items & Pokemon

catching pokemon in pokemon legends arceus

You can throw both items and pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Switching between the items toolbar and the pokemon toolbar is a press of the X button. Just remember what you currently have active before you waste items throwing them at pokemon you intended to catch.

There are a lot of fun things you can do to help you catch pokemon that involve crafting items in the game. You can buy a recipe for sticky globs later on in Jubilife Village that helps you ‘flash catch’ pokemon. Check out this video below to see it in action.

Swap Pokemon Moves

how to change moves for pokemon legends

Unlike previous pokemon games, once a pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus learns a move, it is always available. Some players may not realize this since the game doesn’t prompt you to change pokemon moves past the first time it explains the process.

Trainers will see a notice in the left upper corner saying the pokemon can learn a new move. You’ll need to select the move manually if you want to add it to the pokemon’s moveset.

How to Close the Map

the map of pokemon arceus

Most games use the same button to open and close the map when accessing it. But not Pokemon Legends: Arceus. It’s a hard habit to break, but you press ‘-‘ to open the map and ‘B’ to close it when you’re done. If you press ‘-‘ with the map already open, the map will just zoom out. If you’re confused why the map isn’t closing when you do this – this is why. You’ll be going back and forth to reference the map a lot in your shiny pokemon hunting sessions.

Talk to NPCs

pokemon legends arceus

Jubilife Village is full of NPCs that may seem like they don’t matter. But talk to them and they may offer you a side quest to complete in exchange for rewards. You should make a habit of talking to anybody you see at least once.

When a character has something to request, they’ll have a black circle near them. Talk to them and fulfill their request to be offered rewards. A few characters have hidden dialogue options that aren’t indicated by these black circles. Sho, a child sitting near the gates of the village is one such NPC.

Be Careful with Your Battles – A Huge Beginner Mistake

pokemon legends arceus battles

One of the most important aspects of fighting pokemon in the game is picking the right time to do battle. If you’re in a new zone with highly aggressive pokemon, try to approach them strategically so you don’t overload yourself. It’s important to remember that you can capture pokemon without battling them, too. Sometimes that’s the best approach.


Ninty Gamer is reader supported. When you buy through links on our site we may earn an affiliate commission.


Read More