Pokemon Legends: Arceushas been out for barely a month and players have already analyzed it from top to bottom and found all the little secrets and surprises Game Freak tucked away. There are plenty of references to past games inArceus, or characters that connect to other parts ofPokemonlore scattered throughout Hisui.
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Long-time fans were quick to pick up on many of these, but some were so well-hidden just a few experts realized the references at play. With 25 years of history to play with,Pokemongames are good at tying everything together in the sneakiest ways.
10Trainer’s Starting Clothes
One of the first sights that greet players inPokemon Legendsis, in fact, a reference to previous games. To convey that the protagonists are being taken out of time, they are shown wearing modern clothes, including some shorts and a loose-fitting t-shirt.
The male and female trainers wear different shirts, but both arecustom clothing optionsavailable in previous games. The male trainer’s shirt is purchasable inX & Y, and the female trainer’s inSword & Shield. We know both trainers hail from the modern-day Sinnoh region, so it implies these shirts are made by global brands.
9Stark Mountain
Although the topography is significantly different from the modern-day Sinnoh region, it’s fair to identify Firespit Island in the Cobalt Coastlands as the familiar location that would come to be known as Stark Mountain inDiamond,Pearl,&Platinum.
Whilst it may seem too close to the region to truly be Stark Mountain, the lore solidifies this has the true location, thanks toHeatran residing there. The events in the original Generation 4 games see Heatran lurking in the depths of Stark Mountain when it awakens, so it doesn’t take much to draw the two together.
8Laventon’s Origins
Many players noticed quite early on inPokemonLegends: Arceusthat Professor Laventon is not native to Hisui like many of the other residents in Jubilife Village. Fans were quick to place him, though, as there are various clues. Firstly, his dialect is similar to that of old-fashioned English, using expressions like “jolly good”; additionally, in non-English versions of the game, he sometimes speaks small phrases in English.
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Additionally, the writing Laventon uses on his chalkboard is different from the style of writing seen elsewhere inLegends, suggesting he uses a different alphabet. The alphabet in question has been seen elsewhere in the franchise, specifically inSword & Shield. The final clue is in Raichu’s Pokedex entry, which references Copperajah, a Pokemon Laventon says is from his homeland. Currently, the only known region Copperajah calls home is Galar.
7Floaro Gardens
Another location that will be familiar to long-time fans is the area in the northwest of the Obsidian Fieldlands known as Floaro Gardens. When players first go there, it will be a burnt-out husk. Some tragedy befell the land there, and the flowers are all wilted and dead.
However, if players complete the quest for Shaymin, the area will become restored bythe Mythical Pokemon’spresence, growing a wide variety of colorful flowers. The name may have already given players a clue, but Shaymin’s association with the area confirms this to be Floaroma Meadow, around which Floaroma Town would eventually be built.
6The Sea’s Legend
One ofPokemonLegend: Arceus’smost puzzling questsis called The Sea’s Legend, which asks players to track down a book of the same name. Players will quickly realize that no such book exists in the game, and they will instead have to investigateBrilliant Diamond & Shining Pearlto find the answer.
In the Canalave Library, there is a book that wasn’t present inDiamond & Pearl, which tells the tale of a Buizel, Mantyke, and “Qwilfish with huge spikes”, now known to be Hisuian Qwilfish’s evolution, Overqwil. They travel through “the ocean gate” at sunset and a prince greets them. This is, in fact, direct instructions for how to complete the quest and encounter Manaphy.
5All Those Ancestors
As it turns out, just about every character of note inDiamond & Pearlhas ancestors hidden away somewhere in the Hisui region. SeveralPokemon Legends: Arceuscharacters have identicalhairstylesto many NPCs in the modern games, and it’s well-known that, as far as video games are concerned, hairstyles are a genetic feature.
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The three bandits – Coin, Clover, and Charm – are ancestors to Galactic Commander Saturn, Gym Leader Candice, and Elite Four Member Bertha respectively. Then there’s Commander Kamado, who is related to Professor Rowan, Diamond Clan Warden Mai, who is related to Marley, and that’s just the tip of the ancestral iceberg.
4Azure Flute
After the credits have rolled onPokemon Legends: Arceus, there are somelengthy post-game questsfor players to enjoy. In an effort to chase down all the Arceus Plates, the player and Volo will travel the region and capture lots of Legendary Pokemon. Volo will then reveal his true, nefarious nature and battle the player.
Once the player has defeated his six Pokemon, and Giratina, twice, all the plates will have been gathered. At this point, the player’s Celestica Flute will transform into the Azure Flute. This is a reference to an event forDiamond & Pearlthat was never released. In it, players would receive the Azure Flute, and play it at Spear Pillar in order to enter the Hall of Origin and battle Arceus, much like they do inLegends.
3Kamado’s Armor
One of the most subtleEaster eggs inPokemonLegends: Arceusis hidden in plain sight. Kamado, an ancestor to Professor Rowan, changes out of his regular attire and into a suit of armor at the story’s climax. This looks to be a unique design, but it’s actually a palette-swapped version of someone else’s armor.
In the Kalos region, a member of the Elite Four, Wilkstrom, uses Steel-type Pokemon and wears a suit of armor that, save for the color, is identical to Kamado’s. Kamado says that he traveled to the Hisui region many years prior to the events ofLegends, and this armor design suggests that perhaps he was born in Kalos. However,this mystery is left open-ended.
2Musical References
Pokemon Legends: Arceus’s soundtrack is different from anything the franchise has used before. It doesn’t play with very complicated melodies or instruments, instead getting as much mileage as possible out of basic string and wind instruments.
While the original tracks are all great, as players explore the region, they will begin to recognize certain melodies fromDiamond & Pearl. Jubilife City, Eterna Forest, and the Lake themes all have new versions in there, and that’s just the beginning. The battle themes are equally amazing, including Volo’s battle theme, which is a pumped-up version of Cynthia’s epic piano encounter theme.
1Maxie & Archie Portraits
Arguably the smallest detail that players have spotted lies hidden in a few tents out in the wild. In the northern region of the Crimson Mirelands, players will come across the settlement for the Diamond Clan. It is a modest area, with just a circle of tents set up out in the wild for them to live.
Enter one of these tents, and players may find a portrait on the wall of a man with a striking resemblance to Maxie ofRuby & Sapphire’s Team Magma. Similarly, in another tent, there is a portrait of a man who looks a lot like Team Aqua’s Archie. Next to both of those portraits is another one, with a man who looks like the Unova region’s former champion, Alder.
