In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, players will essentially become Pokemon researchers instead of the typical Pokemon trainer. Of course, players will still be able to catch Pokemon and raise a formidable team of monsters, but the game is structured around completing all the Pokedex entries for every Pokemon in the Hisui region --and there's quite a lot of them.
Players don't need to stop and complete Research Tasks for every single Pokemon if they don't want to but in order to progress to new areas in the story, players need to increase their Rank by collecting Research points. Because many aspects and mechanics of Pokemon Legends: Arceus aren't fully explained at times, this guide will go over some helpful tips for getting Research Points and filling out Pokedex entries.
Read a Pokemon's Research Tasks Before Encountering
When players see a Pokemon in the wild for the first time, they should read its Pokedex data before trying to catch it or battle it. Completing Research Tasks will help players fully complete the Pokemon's entry, which is needed to collect Research Points from Laventon at the Base Camp. Lock on the Pokemon once players are close enough, and then go ahead and open up the Pokedex.
There will be several Research Tasks here to complete, and players can do whichever ones they want until the Pokemon's Research reaches level 10. The tasks on the list that are marked with a red arrow will reward players with bonus points towards completing the Pokedex, so they should try to prioritize those if possible. If not, completing the other tasks works, too.
Most Pokemon Research Tasks will require players to catch the Pokemon, defeat the Pokemon in battle, watch it perform a certain move, catch it stealthily, and other things like that. Most of it is self-explanatory, but for the tasks that require players to see a Pokemon use a move, this is can be done both through Wild Pokemon and Pokemon in the player's party. So, if Pikachu, for example, needs to be seen using Thunder Shock, players can just use their own Pikachu to complete the Research Tasks.
Turn in Research Points
After players are finished on an expedition and have caught all the Pokemon that they needed, they need to return to Laventon at any of the Base Camps, and he will dish out Research Points to players based on how they did in the field. Once players Rank Up by gathering a certain number of points, they will need to head back to Jubilife Village to receive the official Rank Up star from Cyllene. They can be found on the first floor of the Galaxy Hall --players should have a destination marker showing them where to go once they're back in the village.
Each time that players speak to Cyllene after getting enough Research Points from Laventon, they will receive a new Rank. There are 10 Ranks that players can unlock in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and each one will give players the opportunity to catch stronger Pokemon and use new items. Down below, players will see all the Ranks in the game and the rewards each one brings. Players will also be gate-locked from certain areas until they hit a specific Rank, so it's imperative that players try to complete as many Research Tasks as possible.
All Ranks in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
|
Rank |
Pointed Needed for Rank |
Rewards |
|---|---|---|
|
0 |
0 |
Pokemon up to level 10 will obey trainers |
|
1 |
500 |
Pokemon up to level 20 will obey trainers / Heavy Balls can be used |
|
2 |
1800 |
Pokemon up to level 30 will obey trainers / Feather Balls can be used |
|
3 |
3500 |
Pokemon up to level 40 will obey trainers / Great Balls can be used |
|
4 |
6000 |
Pokemon up to level 50 will obey trainers / Leaden Balls can be used |
|
5 |
8500 |
Pokemon up to level 65 will obey trainers / Wing Balls can be used |
|
6 |
11000 |
Pokemon up to level 80 will obey trainers / Ultra Balls can be used |
|
7 |
15000 |
Pokemon up to level 100 will obey trainers / Gigaton Balls can be used |
|
8 |
20000 |
Jet Balls can now be used |
|
9 |
30000 |
Coming Soon |
|
10 |
60000 |
Coming Soon |
Change the Time of Day
Pokemon Legends: Arceus players that want to make the most out of their time should make sure to use the campsites to change the time of day. Not only will this help to respawn Pokemon back into the wild, but different Pokemon will appear at various times of the day. If players change the time from morning to nighttime, they can potentially find a slew of different Pokemon in the same area they were previously exploring.
Catching new Pokemon will get players extra points to Rank Up fast, and fully completing a Pokedex entry will net players an additional 100 Research Points.
Use Food Items to Lure Pokemon
Oftentimes, a Pokemon's research tasks will ask players to capture a Pokemon without being spotted or to give it food. Once players start leveling up a Pokemon's Research Level, they can check out its entry to see what types of food it prefers. Players can use these items to lure Pokemon to a certain spot, making it easier to catch without being spotted. Make sure to always have different types of food, because Pokemon have different tastes. Food items will be found all over the Hisui region and can be crafted, so players shouldn't have issues with having a Satchel full of goodies.
And when a Pokemon's back is facing the player, they can easily get bonus Research Points for getting a Back Strike, which is when a Pokemon is caught from behind.
Hopefully, these tips for completing Pokedex entries in Pokemon Legends: Arceus can help players out.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available now for the Nintendo Switch.