The reveal of Pokémon Legends: Arceus in February was a very welcome surprise for many fans of the franchise. The catching and battle mechanics showcased in the trailer pair well with the game’s open world setting, creating a game comparable in style to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s because of these similarities to Breath of the Wild that Pokémon Legends: Arceus might be able to solve a franchise-long issue by allowing trainers to use their Pokémon outside of battle.
This issue is, harshly put, the issue of useless Pokémon. There are plenty of Pokémon throughout the franchise that are simply not usable in any context. For example, take the Generation VI Pokémon Dedenne. This Pokémon has lackluster stats and a shallow movepool, yet an adorable design that is sure to attract fans. However, those who use Dedenne will soon learn that it’s a drag on whatever team the creature is put on, as it just isn’t strong, even in a standard playthrough of a Pokemon game.
When placed in the context of Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ open world, the story becomes a bit different. If Dedenne could use its electrical ability to power machinery (unlikely for the Ancient Japanese setting, but it’s an example) or use its Fairy-type moves to draw wild Pokémon in for an easy capture, the Pokémon could have a use rooted in the freedom of the open world.
Now, using Pokémon outside of battle is nothing new to the Pokémon franchise. HMs have allowed trainers to use Pokémon to unlock new areas and traverse terrain since Red and Blue on the Game Boy, and were staples of the franchise for a long time afterwards. The Pokémon Ranger series took this a step further, giving Pokémon special attacks called Field Moves which allowed them to interact with the overworld in unique ways, often to solve puzzles. However, both HMs and Field Moves are only usable in specific parts of the environment, and now that both are no longer part of the series, certain Pokémon will fall by the wayside if they are not powerful or useful in battles.
With the introduction of Pokémon Legends: Arceus' open world setting, Pokémon can have more dynamic uses that aren’t limited by what HMs they can learn. Imagine using a Cubchoo to freeze an area of water before racing across it on the back of a Zebstrika, or using a Farfetch’d to cut down a tree before throwing it at enemies using a Grumpig’s psychic abilities. These are all mechanics featured in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that can be used to spotlight underutilized Pokémon in Arceus.
In Pokémon Gold and Silver, the Elite Four member Karen offers an extremely memorable quote: “Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites.” Unfortunately, winning with one’s favorites, or even finding a use for them, has become an increasingly difficult task as Pokémon games remove abilities to use Pokémon out of combat. With Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ focus on exploration, players may have the opportunity to use their favorites in a way they never could before.
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