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Catching a Pokemon is always fun, but there’s nothing quite like encountering and collecting a powerful legendary monster, and there is no shortage of these inPokemon Legends: Arceus. Some of these Legendary Pokemon are tied toPokemon Legends: Arceus' main story and all of these Pokemonmust be capturedin order to meet Arceus.
Related:Pokémon Legends: Arceus: Where To Find Water Stones
There are, however,two Pokemon that do not counttowards the game’s completion:DarkraiandShaymin. These two mythical Pokemon are tied to side quests that can be unlocked by having save data from other Pokemon games on your Switch. Despite Darkrai and Shaymin not counting towards the goal of “seeking out all Pokemon,” they will be included here as well.
Updated by Devin Amlen on December 16th, 2022:With Pokemon Legends: Arceus trending all over the globe right now, a lot of players have been searching for the legendary Pokemon in the game. To add a little help to your query, we have created a list of all legendaries available in Pokemon Legends Arceus.
Dialga & Palkia
The Temporal and Spatial Pokemon, Dialga and Palkia, are obtained at the end of the game’s main story in a climactic battle at the Temple of Sinnoh. You will encounterone of themand catch them; however, they warn you that their frenzied counterpart is approaching and may destroy the Hisui region in their rampage. You and your allies retreat so Professor Laventon can create an Origin Ball, a special crystal Pokeball. After returning to the Temple of Sinnoh, you will engage in combatagainst the other Legendary Pokemon, who have assumed their new Origin Forme. This battle plays similarly to the Noble fights, so be prepared to dodge their attacks while pelting them with special balms. Defeating them will have youautomatically catchthe Dragon in the Origin Ball, restoring peace to Hisui.
After being banished from Jubilife Village,you will need to choosebetween traveling withAdamanorIrida; this choice will influence theorder in which you capture Dialga and Palkia. Going withAdaman causes Dialga to appear first, andIrida causes Palkia to appear first. The other Dragon will appear as the final boss who is caught in the Origin Ball, sochoose wiselyif you want to catch one of them in a stylish new Pokeball; there are no other known reasons why you should choose one over the other aside from preference. After catching Dialga and Palkia, you can obtain their respective cores from Adaman and Irida, respectively. To obtain the Adamant and Lustrous cores, you must complete a sidequest where you battle the Diamond and Pearl clan leaders. Defeating them will reward you with the cores, allowing you to change Dialga and Palkia’s forms freely.
Azelf, Mesprit, & Uxie
Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie, the guardians of Hisui’s three lakes, make their return in Legends: Arceus as important figures in the later half of the main story. You will encounter each of them, butwill not be able to catch themuntil after defeating Dialga and Palkia. Afterward, you can head to their respective lakes; Azelf dwells inLake Valorin the Alabaster Icelands, Uxie lives inLake Acuityin the Crimson Mirelands, and Mesprit makes its home inLake Verityin the Obsidian Fieldlands. Entering the cavern in the middle of the lake will bring you before the tiny deities, allowing you to challenge them and catch them.
Manaphy & Phione
Manaphy appears in the post-game sidequest, “The Sea’s Legend.” To complete this sidequest, have aBuizel, Qwilfish, and Mantyke in your partyandswim underneath the overhangin the Cobalt Coastlandsin the evening. If done correctly, you should hear Manaphy. On the northern side of the cliffs, there is a cave called Seaside Hollow. Go in, and there should be Manaphy accompanied by a group of Phione. Manaphy can only be caught once, but Phione has asmall chance of reappearingin Seaside Hollow after completing the sidequest.
Cresselia appears in the post-game as a part of a sidequest involving Melli. Melli will inform you that a strange Pokemon has made its home inMoonbreak Arena, the home of the noble Electrode. Cresselia will be waiting for you in the arena, so walk up to it and challenge it. Cresselia isquite bulky, and knows Lunar Blessing, which not onlyheals Cresselia but also removes any status conditionsit may have. A lot of patience is required to catch this Legendary.
Heatran is found onFirespit Islandin the Cobalt Coastlands, where it resides in a volcanic cave at the base of the volcano. Before you’re able to challenge Heatran, however, it summonsa barrier of fire. Heatran will attempt to charge you, so make sure to dodge whilethrowing items at itto bring down its barrier.Mud Balls can be found on the floorin large numbers in case you don’t have a lot of items.
After obtaining theStone, Iron, and Icicle Plates, travel toSnowpoint Temple. You will collect these plates during your time in the post-game. There will be a large door that could not be unlocked previously; after obtaining those three plates, however, the door will open and you can descend into the chamber to challenge Regigigas.
Unfortunately for Regigigas, Regigigas retains its abysmalSlow Startability in the one Pokemon game that doesn’t have abilities. However, this does mean thatyou have five turns to try and catch Regigigasbefore it gets serious; and you do not want Regigigas to last that long. Regigigas boasts a phenomenal attack stat of 160, and is quite fast as well. If Slow Start wears off,Regigigas is capable of sweeping your teamand sending you running back to camp. Paralyzing it or making it drowsy will improve your odds of catching it, so bring a Pokemon with Hypnosis or Thunder Wave.
Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus, & Enamorus
In a surprise twist, theForces of Natureof Unova appear in Hisui for you to catch. Cogita will task you with catching Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus, after which you will be able to catch Enamorus, the new Fairy-type member of the Forces of Nature. These four Pokemon allbehave similarly, so they will be detailed here.
Each genie appears on the map; Tornadus appears in theBonechill Wastelandsof the Alabaster Icelands, Thundurus appears in the south-east of theCobalt Coastlands, Landorus atRamanas Islandin the Obsidian Fieldlands, and Enamorus in theScarlet Bogin the Crimson Mirelands. The genies will be walking around, but upon noticing you, they will erect a barrier of wind that you will need to break by throwing items at it. After a few hits, the genie’s barrier will drop and you’re able to battle them normally. Battling them is the easy part; the genies move very erratically and will summon tornadoes that will damage you if you touch them. They are also quite fast, so riding on Wyrdeer or Basculegion is advised to help keep up with them.
Giratina appears at the end of the post-game story under the command of Volo. Giratina will put you through an intense fight after beating Volo, being the first Pokemon battle to have a second phase, where Giratina assumes its Origin Forme. After beating Volo, Giratina will appear inTurnback Cavein the Cobalt Coastlands; a throwback to where Giratina could be found in the original Diamond and Pearl versions. You can then battle and catch Giratina normally. After catching it, you will obtain the Griseous Core, which can be used to swap between Giratina’s Altered and Origin formes.
After defeating Volo and catching all Pokemon (save for Darkrai and Shaymin), your Celestica Flute will transform into the fabled Azure Flute. Go to theTemple of Sinnohand approach the altar; a glowing staircase will appear that will bring you to Arceus' realm. Ready yourself, because you are in for atough fight.
Arceus challenges you in a fashion similar to the Noble Pokemon. Arceus has many attacks that cover large parts of the arena, so dodging is a must.There is little room for error, so don’t feel bad if you die multiple times. At the very least, the game will let you redo the fight from checkpoints after dealing enough damage.
During the battle, you can get the opportunity to fight Arceus in a Pokemon battle.This is not advised. Arceus wields the Legend Plate, which allows it to change its type mid-battle when using Judgment so it always deals super-effective damage. After defeating Arceus, Arceus will congratulate you on a job well done, and bestow upon you a fragment of itself for you to use, as well as the aforementioned Legend Plate.
Pat yourself on the back, because Arceus is the last Pokemon you’re able to obtain in Legends: Arceus, not including the two bonus legendaries. Arceus is wickedly powerful, able to change its type through the use of its 18 plates. The Legend Plate, in particular, allows you tochange type mid-battleby using Judgment. Should this item make it into the mainline games, the world will shudder in fear as Arceus reclaims its place at the top.
Bonus: Darkrai
For Darkrai to appear, you must have save data fromPokemon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearlon your switch. If you do, you will receive a sidequest titled “The Darksome Nightmare.” Travel to theClamberclaw Cliffsin the Coronet Highlands are night, and Darkrai will be there. Darkrai will teleport using portals on the ground, so make sure to throw your pokeballs carefully.
Bonus: Shaymin
For Shaymin to appear, you must have save data fromPokemon Sword or Shieldon your switch. If you do, you will receive a sidequest titled “A Token of Gratitude.” Travel to the Obsidian Fieldlands, and go to the north-west area calledFloaro Garden. Shaymin will be there after a brief cutscene, and can be challenged and caught.
