Pokemon Legends: Arceus has many new systems and features that deserve to be talked about, as the game breaks the mold of mainline releases in the franchise, which might very well be one of the reasons for its incredible success. The Hisui region is also a fantastic way to pay homage to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's modern Sinnoh through iconic landmarks and a unique perspective offered by the feudal Japan-like setting. Like many of the regions for the mainline Pokemon games, Hisui is also packed with mysteries and references to other games, with many elements coming from Generation 5's Unova region.
Among the most interesting connections to Unova there is Ingo himself, who traveled back in time and partially lost his memories, and paintings representing Unova's Champion in the flesh - Alder. The premise of Pokemon Legends: Arceus is that the main character is sent back in time by Arceus to quell frenzied noble Pokemon, who are the descendants of the ten Pokemon that belonged to the ancient hero of legend - a roamer, like Alder. However, the ancient hero of legend is not the only one to wield more than six Pokemon in battle or as companions in the game, with another major exception coming from Pokemon Legends: Arceus' post-game battle against Volo.
Why Pokemon Games Limit Players to Teams of Six
Mainline Pokemon games have always limited players to up to six Pokemon at a time, which is an in-game rule that makes the choices behind one's team composition ones that matter. And yet, the Pokemon anime and manga do clarify on multiple occasions that this is not so much a rule that everyone should follow, but rather it's stated that a team of six Pokemon is the optimal size to form strong bonds with the creatures and give each of them enough time to shine. In no way are trainers restricted to only having six Pokemon with them at a time, and this is further shown with the anime version of Ash catching several Pokemon in every region and also having his Pikachu out at all times.
The rule of six Pokemon only applies to official tournaments within the Pokemon universe, such as the Pokemon League, the Elite Four, and battling the regional Champion. In the wilds, a trainer could hypothetically even bring twenty Pokemon with them and that would be ok, just maybe not optimal for various reasons. With this in mind, the fact that Pokemon Legends: Arceus features two prominent characters with more than six Pokemon on their team might be an indicator of what's to come.
How Pokemon Legends: Arceus Could be Hinting at a Bigger Team Size in the Future
Whether the paintings depicting Alder and all the talk about the ancient hero of legend are connected, with the Champion of Unova (former Champion, in Pokemon Black 2 and White 2) and the hero being the same person, the question about why they had ten Pokemon remains. It could be that, if the hero is indeed Alder, this is not only hinting at a Gen 5 Pokemon Legends game coming in the future, but also to the fact that Alder found his purpose in the past after the loss of his partner Pokemon prior to the events of Pokemon Black and White. The reason why Alder being the hero makes sense is that the Unovan Champion is one of the few characters that players meet in their journeys across the various regions who deeply, genuinely cares about Pokemon and also practices Pokemon battles.
There are many characters that are portrayed loving their Pokemon - and Pokemon in general - very much, to the point that they would do anything to protect them, such as Pokemon Sun and Moon's Lillie. Likewise, there are many characters who enjoy the thrill of battle and would do anything to win and become the ultimate Champion and Pokemon master, but rarely do these roles intersect. That's why Alder is different in this, especially because he knows what the loss of a Pokemon means, unlike many of the young trainers encountered in the games or the villainous teams and organizations players eventually defeat.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is all about the critters. There are no abilities, held items, or breeding to care about, and the game's primary purpose is to catch them all, complete the first Pokedex in history, and meet Arceus, the titular Legendary Pokemon. As such, it's not too much of a stretch to believe that the hero of legends learned to develop a strong bond with their ten Pokemon precisely because there are so few trainers around, and the land is wild and untamed. People in Hisui are afraid of Pokemon and often refer to them as terrifying creatures, especially main characters like Kamado and Cyllene, and the creatures may be unfamiliar with what a trainer's affection means.
The ancient hero of legends' ten Pokemon might be a hint to future games increasing the team size for players as well, and it might be more than a coincidence that Volo uses more than six Pokemon in the showdown against the players. While not much else is known about the ancient hero of legend, Volo is a character Pokemon Legends: Arceus players get to know very early on, and it's surprising to see him use a full team of six to try and defeat players, only to summon Giratina when he's beaten. But then, even after defeating Giratina, the Pokemon fully heals and reverts to its Origin Forme, becoming even more powerful and netting the equivalent of eight Pokemon to Volo's team in a single fight.
These two important characters make for a pattern that defies the classic Pokemon formula once more, and twice in a single game. Overall, while having a team of six Pokemon is a long-standing staple of the series, Pokemon Legends: Arceus might just be what tips the scale in favor of change once more.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available now for Nintendo Switch.
