The release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus has the potential to allow the Pokémon series to explore its own history. The announcement of the open world RPG came at the Pokémon Presents showcase following the confirmation of the Pokémon Generation 4 remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Tying both games together is their chosen location, as they all take place within the Sinnoh region, yet Pokémon Legends: Arceus focuses on the Sinnoh region of days long gone.
The story of Pokémon Legends: Arceus places players in the past during a time before Pokémon training became a common practice within the Sinnoh region. Players will be able to explore the mostly-uncharted region in this era in an effort to create and complete the first Sinnoh Pokédex, placing fans of the franchise in the center of an historic time in the lore of the series. The importance of Arceus to the overall story of the upcoming title has yet to be disclosed, but its Pokédex entries places it squarely at the beginning of the Pokémon World as players know it.
By exploring some of its long-standing lore, Pokémon Legends opens the door for future games in the potential spin-off series. Pokémon’s history lends itself to a litany of stories to tell through Pokémon Legends. The World of Pokémon has always been dense with history, not just concerning the Pokémon themselves but also the people that populate each region. With the origins of the Sinnoh region’s Pokédex being explored in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, more of Pokémon’s lore can be given the spotlight.
What Future Pokémon Legends Games Could Explore
The Kanto region in Generation 1 was home to the first trio of Fossil Pokémon in the series, with indications in the Pokédex that the revived versions are facsimiles of their original forms. A Pokémon Legends title focused in the Kanto region could give fans a chance to see the origins of the Kanto creatures, including the original forms of the Fossil Pokémon. Aerodactyl’s Mega Evolution provides a glimpse at the original version of the prehistoric Pokémon, and a Pokémon Legends title set in ancient Kanto could answer questions regarding the origins of the Fossils.
The Johto region also contains its own legends that could be explored in a Pokémon Legends title. Generation 2’s Legendary Birds have existed for hundreds of years prior to players setting foot in New Bark Town. The legends surrounding the birds, along with the trio of Legendary beasts, are explained through the Generation 2 titles as well as their remakes in Generation 4. However, a Pokémon Legends game set in the Johto region would allow fans of the series to see firsthand the events that led to the destruction of the Bell Tower and the manifestation of the Legendary beasts.
Sword and Shield‘s Galar region may be the newest region in the franchise, but it’s also ripe with its own stories and history. The introduction of Calyrex in The Crown Tundra expansion adds a new layer of history behind the world of the Galar region, one which now exists alongside the history of Zacian and Zamazenta as the Galar region’s guardians. When taken into consideration alongside the involvement of Eternatus in the incident known as the Darkest Day, exploring the past of the Galar region to visit these historic events would be an amazing opportunity for the Pokémon Legends series.
Pokémon’s rich history leaves many stories to be explored in a potential future installment of the Pokémon Legends series, should The Pokemon Company choose to pursue expanding on the title as a spin-off franchise all of its own. Every generation of Pokémon titles contains its own myths, and many stories have been told through the course of the franchise. While the story of the Sinnoh region’s beginnings are being given the spotlight in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, there are still stories to be told and explored by fans of the franchise. Turning the open world RPG into its own spin-off series might be just the key to the future of Pokémon’s past.
