In the latest installment of the Pokémon franchise, players can benefit from free-roaming exploration of the Hisui region and newly introduced catching mechanics. As they embark on a time travel journey in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, they will come across many Pokémon species and steadily move toward Pokédex completion. However, the box, "legendary," will not grace the players with its presence before the end credits roll.
Arceus had its grand debut in the fourth generation of Pokémon games but was not recognized by Nintendo until it appeared in a movie in 2009. The fact that Game Freak made it officially catchable only a couple of times did not help its standing as an elusive Mythical Pokémon whose intermittent appearances were tied to exclusive events or downloadable content. Although the latest installment allows the players to catch Arceus in the base game for the first time in the history of the Pokémon franchise, it is still difficult to obtain and requires a lot of time and effort.
How To Unlock The Arceus Story Mission In Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Players should focus on finishing the main campaign if they wish to encounter Arceus further down the line. By doing so, they will unlock post-game story missions while adding new Legendary Pokémon to their team. They will also be tasked to look for remaining elemental plates across several quests and ultimately test their mettle against Volo in Mission number 26. After defeating Volo and Giratina, players will acquire the Spooky Plate and watch their Celestica Flute transform into the fabled Azure Flute.
While the Azure Flute has the power to summon Arceus, it will not do so the first time around. Instead, players will get a message on their Arc Phone instructing them to "Seek out all Pokémon." Fortunately, catching Darkrai, Manaphy, Phione and Shaymin is not required, as they have special unlock conditions. Similarly, advancing Pokédex entries to Research Level 10 is not a prerequisite to unlocking Mission number 27.
As soon as the players catch the remainder of the Pokémon species, they should return to Professor Laventon to present him with an updated Pokédex. This will grant them the opportunity to proceed with the story mission titled "The Deified Pokémon," in which they will face off against Arceus. The players then have to reach Sinnoh Temple at Mount Coronet and play the Azure Flute to open a pathway to Arceus. After they scale the white staircase extending into the sky, The Original One will surprise them with its presence.
How To Defeat Arceus In Pokémon Legends: Arceus
The battle against level 75 Arceus is reminiscent of those against Noble Pokémon. As such, players will receive some Mysterious Balms to gradually deplete the yellow overhead bar by tossing the Balms at the God Pokémon. While Arceus has several attack patterns, they may or may not repeat as the battle progresses.
When the players begin to shower Arceus with Mysterious Balms, they will sometimes come across openings that can hasten the battle sequence. If they manage to hit the Mythical Pokémon enough times while it charges one of its ranged attacks, the players can send in one of their companions to initiate a Pokémon battle. Otherwise, they should continually dish out the Balms while avoiding red circles on the ground, dodging incoming laser attacks and seeking the comfort of the empty space around Arceus when the whole floor turns pink. If Arceus uses its cloning technique, players can quickly identify the real God Pokémon by looking for the odd one out. Hitting the correct Arceus will provide them with another opening to initiate a Pokémon battle.
Although Arceus is a Normal-type Pokémon, the Legend Plate in its possession allows it to change its type at will during a Pokémon battle. This change also affects the type of its signature move, Judgment, and will put the players at a disadvantage because Arceus' attacks will be super effective against their Pokémon. Since Arceus targets the opponent's weakness with every consecutive attack, it can easily obliterate the players' entire party within a few turns. Therefore, players must organize their fighter team accordingly and take advantage of Strong Style if they hope to defeat Arceus quickly. Once they do, however, the God Pokémon will give the players a piece of itself and gladly join their team.