Pokémon Legends: Arceus allows players to get and use a new form of currency called Merit Points, something players can earn by interacting with others online. Part of the fun in Pokémon games is the ability to connect with others whether for a battle or trading, but, there have been multiple games in the franchise that allow players to connect with one another without doing either. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Merit Points are an entirely new way to encourage players to connect online and help one another in their adventures.
As players look to complete the Pokémon Legends: Arceus story, there will undoubtedly be times when they have received too much damage and faint. Traditionally in Pokémon games, players would lose a certain amount of Poké Dollars after all their Pokémon are down, but a team that completely faints won't force the player to black out in Legends: Arceus. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, when players themselves take too much damage, they end up losing a couple dozen items that remain in a satchel wherever they fainted.
Damage to the player character in Pokémon Legends: Arceus can come from a few different sources, including attacks from wild Pokémon, falls from high spots, and even drowning. Aggressive Pokémon, like Alphas in Legends: Arceus, will instantly attack players, and the more powerful ones can make players black out quickly. However, when players find the satchels of others who faint, they can turn in the reward from the Lost and Found menu to earn anywhere from 50 to 100 Merit Points. Additionally, players can also find satchels offline, as Pokémon Legends: Arceus presents lost satchels as an NPC feature as well.
Where To Spend Merit Points In Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Once players have gathered enough Merit Points, they can spend them on many items in Pokémon Legends: Arceus at the Jubilife Village Trading Post. Most of the items available are evolutionary items, but, if players really wanted to, they could even spend their Merit Points on Poké Balls or Rare Candies. However, the better items to spend Merit Points on are some of the rare evolution stones such as the Ice Stone or Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Dawn Stone.
Since held items are not a mechanic in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, players will need to use items like the Protector, Metal Coat, Electirizer, and more as though they were evolutionary stones. Every evolutionary item is available from the Trading Post, which means players will have to build a large stockpile of Merit Points in Pokémon Legends: Arceus if they want to evolve some of their favorite Pocket Monsters.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is available for Nintendo Switch.