Ever since its January 28th, 2022 release date, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has been one of the most critically-acclaimed games in the franchise. The gameplay tackles many new mechanics to the Nintendo series, and the storyline is not like anything fans of the pocket monster game have seen before.
However, one common factor this game shares with older Pokémon games is the plethora of hidden details cleverly placed for fans to discover. Thanks to platforms like Reddit, fans are able to find these little secrets developer Game Freak has left behind, sharing the love and lore with each other to make these hidden details a little more evident.
Snitching Chimecho
Every Pokémon fan at one point or another dreams of interacting with the amazing creatures in real life, and Game Freak sort of accomplishes this dream by giving many Pokémon in the game unique interaction animations, a feature that improved the Pokémon franchise.
One more negative example of this was found by user crossingcaelum, who realized that there are snitches within the game: "A chimecho noticed me once’s and made a chime, which called an Alpha over, and it ran the other direction. Little snitch." Alpha Pokémon can knock players out, so it is highly inconvenient that a Chimecho can summon one.
Blissey & Chansey To The Rescue
Thankfully, not all Pokémon in the open-world game will try to hurt you or snitch on you, there are friendly Pokémon like Blissey and Chansey, that are known for healing other Pokémon, and will also lend a helping hand to the player.
This fact was uncovered by AnotherWynnBitesDust: "Blissey & Chansey come help you when they notice you've taken fall damage." The many cliffs in Hisui can cause great harm if the player falls. Having a Pokémon that can heal you like Blissey and Chansey is helpful, the former's healing factors being explored during one of Legends Arceus's best side quests.
North Facing Nosepass
A cherished component in any Pokémon game is the wide variety of Pokédex entries on the Pokémon. A Pokédex gives information on a Pokémon and Legends: Arceus ties Nosepass' entry into the game with an idle animation.
This detail was found by ntnl, who knew the Pokedex entry reference as soon as they saw Nosepass: "In Pokémon Legends Arceus, wild Nosepass, the compass Pokémon, will constantly remain pointing to the north, just like their Pokédex entry say, even when approached." This detail is extra special since Pokémon usually face the player when they are near.
Mr. Mime Madness
Mr. Mime is an iconic Pokémon, though potentially one of the most controversial too. However, Mr. Mime has been given many lighthearted moments and features within Legends: Arceus that offset any discomforts fans may have.
Redditor doomblade_69 noticed an annoying yet hilarious Mr. Mime feature within the game: "One of my first outbreaks was Mr. Mime and I got boxed in by four of them miming a barrier. It was hysterical." akaSunshun found another Mr. Mime hidden idle animation: "I like when they sit and they drink coffee/tea."
Porygon Pokédex Confusion
Porygon is a Pokémon that has long been a source of intrigue from the fans, mostly thanks to the creature's computer-like polygon design. Considering the fact that Legends: Arceus is in the past, it's funny to see a futuristic Pokémon in the roster.
This confusing paradox is found in Porygon's Pokedex entry, written by Professor Laventon, one of Pokémon's best professors. BlueKyuubi63 decrees: "...the Pokedex entries for the Porygon line are hilarious. It's a computer program basically so it shouldn't exist during this time period and the professors' notes on it are just extremely confused as to what and why it is."
Fossil Cavern
Throughout the Pokémon franchise, fans have loved the use of fossil Pokémon, Pokémon that can only be captured by reanimating their fossilized forms. While there are no new fossils to use and activate in Legends Arceus, fossils are not extinct from the game.
User Glacecakes located a secret spot where physical fossils can be seen in the background: "There’s a lil cavern where you can find fossils of bastidon and whatever the other ones name is I forget. Like their skeletons." Once again, these Pokémon cannot be resurrected to join your team, but it is a nice aesthetic detail to come across.
Pokédex Damage
One main plot point in Legends: Arceus is to complete the very first Pokédex ever created. This can be done by catching, battling, and doing specific tasks involving certain Pokémon.
The more the player completes their Pokedex, the more weathered and tattered it becomes. This is a logical detail, as the player is traveling through various extreme weather conditions with the pocket monster encyclopedia. Ghostaire was the one to discover this: "The pokédex gets visibly worn/damaged as you progress through the game."
Interesting Tea Set
Late in the game, players come into contact with a character named Cogita, a mysterious woman who has a vast knowledge of myths and legends in the Hisui region. At her hidden retreat, Cogita can be seen enjoying tea from a very familiar tea set.
User darthjankins69 recognized Cogita's tea set to possibly be generation 8's Sinistea and Polteageist, or at least their design. Fellow user oldselfmiss seems to agree: "For people who don't understand, it is referring to Sinistea and Polteageist." This is a clever nod to one of Sword & Shield's most beloved Pokémon, despite it being easy to miss.
Vanishing Trainer Card
A key turning point late in the game is when the main character is kicked out from the main organization, The Galaxy Team, due to speculation that your player is behind a force plaguing the Hisui region, a good way to further the lore, a detail future Pokémon games should pick up.
Upon this happening, the player's trainer card disappears until the team brings you back, a clever symbol of them officially removing you from the group. This detail was provided by Weatherdragon21: "Your "trainer card" disappears when you get kicked out of team galaxy, since it's really your membership card to them. You get it back when you rejoin."
Welcome To The Matrix
One fun aspect of any Pokemon game is all the weird and wonderful NPCs players can encounter. These NPCs can provide memorable quotes, offer beneficial trades or Pokemon, sell or give items to players, and even progress the game's plot.
In Legends: Arceus, player Sanghxa discovered an NPC that may pay homage to the hit movie The Matrix: "I stumbled upon a guy who was named "???" and asked me if I wanted to chose the right or left hand. I chose one and got a blue shard. I feel like this could be a Matrix easter egg but haven't seen any mention of that guy anywhere."