Pokémon Legends: Arceus is introducing a new Pokémon named Basculegion, which has one of the darkest origin stories in the history of the franchise. Ghosts are very much a thing in the Pokémon world, even outside of Ghost-type Pokémon, as the spirits of dead humans are encountered throughout the series, with the most recent being the young girl in Hammerlocke in Pokémon Sword & Shield, who asks the player to deliver a love letter.
The nature of death in the Pokémon series was addressed as early as Lavender Town in Pokémon Red & Blue, but it's rare that a Pokémon actually dies on-screen. The Pokédex is another story, as it's full of all kinds of terrifying tales of Pokémon killing people, humans eating Pokémon for lunch, and Pokémon hunting each other in the wild. A new Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus eschews this tradition, by directly mentioning death in its initial trailer.
The recent Pokémon Presents showcase featured new information about the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The trailer for the game introduced Hisuian regional forms that existed in the ancient Sinnoh region, as well as regional evolutions. Basculin will receive a regional evolution in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, with a Pokémon that has a grim backstory.
Basculegion Is Haunted By The Souls Of Dead Basculin
Basculin evolves into Basculegion in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which seems to be a reference (unique to the English localization) to the Bible, where Jesus banished a group of demons who collectively referred to themselves as Legion. This name is apt because Basculegion gains its powers from the souls of the dead. According to Pokémon Presents, Basculegion is possessed by the spirits of Basculin from its school, which perished along the way. This is why Basculegion is a Water/Ghost-type Pokémon, as it's empowered by the spirits of the dead. Basculegion uses the might of its fallen comrades to aid it in battle, strengthening its new Ghost-type Pokémon.
The dark backstory for Basculegion doesn't appear to bother the protagonist of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, as they're showing riding it in the trailer. It seems that Basculegion will be one of the HM equivalents in the game. A haunted Pokémon that is possessed by the spirits of its dead friends might seem like a grim idea, but if using it means not having to waste a slot on Surf, then it's a welcome addition to the party. It's unclear why Basculin lost the ability to evolve into Basculegion, but it's possible that the transition from Hisui to Sinnoh left the waterways of the land a lot safer, so not as many Basculin perished when traveling between areas, leading to Basculegion being a forgotten Pokémon.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus will be released for Nintendo Switch on January 28, 2022.