Since its inception, the Pokemon franchise has enticed fans with Legendary and Mythical Pokemon that create an expansive lore. Pokemon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow set a standard with the Legendaries Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo, all available in-game; as well as the Mythical Pokemon Mew, only available through event distributions despite a classic urban legend about a wayward truck. Pokemon Legends: Arceus will tell a story surrounding one of Generation 4's most notable Mythical Pokemon.
Arceus, known as the Alpha Pokemon, is considered the universe's progenitor deity, having emerged from an Egg and shaped everything out of nothing according to legend. Its original event item, the Azure Flute, was never distributed, leaving Arceus unavailable in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum by normal means. Though it was given more attention in games like Pokemon Conquest and the anime film Arceus and the Jewel of Life, the Mythical deity also seems to have missed its time to shine in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl by nature of Legends: Arceus existing. It's unfortunate Game Freak may also be lessening the impact for most of Sinnoh's remaining Mythical Pokemon.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's Missing Mythicals
A new trailer for Pokemon Legends: Arceus unveiled its Diamond and Pearl clans, as well as the Ginkgo mercantile guild. The Pokemon Company and Game Freak also went more into detail about the "Special Bonuses" available to fans. The Mythical Pokemon Darkrai will be available as part of a "research request" in Jubilife Village for anyone whose Switch has Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl save data. Those players will also be able to wear unique outfits styled after modern-day Team Galactic uniforms, despite these games being set in the far past when Sinnoh was known as Hisui.
This Darkrai and Team Galactic bundle is just one of three Special Bonuses announced for Pokemon Legends: Arceus thus far. Anyone who has played Pokemon Sword or Shield will also get a research request opening access to Shaymin alongside a Shaymin-themed kimono set. Meanwhile, Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! will grant access to masks based on their respective box Pokemon.
While these bonuses are nice for Pokemon fans, making use of the franchise's expansive presence on Switch, they seem to confirm Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will not put much focus on events that made the original DS games' Mythical Pokemon so special. If Arceus, Darkrai, and Shaymin are all being used to build up hype for Legends: Arceus, that leaves Manaphy the only original Mythical represented in the Sinnoh region remakes thus far (with Mew and Jirachi added in). Even then, Manaphy's Egg is available through Mystery Gift rather than being a Pokemon Ranger tie-in.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus Can 'Modernize' Sinnoh's Mythical Events
It does seem developer ILCA incorporated the original DS games' Mythical events into its remakes - even if they have yet to be officially released. A Surf glitch allows players to catch Shaymin early in Flower Paradise, and the originally Platinum-exclusive character who offers Shaymin's Gracidea flower is in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. This is a smart move considering not everyone is going to buy Legends: Arceus, and thus it would be silly to keep all these Mythical Pokemon out of their original titles.
Yet, the Special Bonuses in Pokemon Legends: Arceus seem to be more than simple giveaways ala the series' propensity to hand out special monsters using Mystery Gift. If a Pokemon like Shaymin is available as part of a DLC event in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, there wouldn't be much point in also using it as a bonus for Legends: Arceus with no fanfare. Perhaps this means Game Freak has big plans for the Mythical Pokemon in its upcoming title that might hamper the impact of the remake's events.
Shaymin and Darkrai will only be available in Legends: Arceus' postgame for those who have the required tie-in games. The game's website does not specify what the research requests will look like, but it does say players will only "have a chance" to add these Mythical Pokemon onto their teams. It seems safe to assume this implies players will battle and capture Shaymin and Darkrai, rather than receiving them over the Internet like Sword and Shield's Zarude. If so, hopefully there's some mission attached rather than them simply appearing somewhere in Hisui at random.
These missions could be new takes on the original Diamond and Pearl events, now in the semi-open world style of Legends: Arceus. Darkrai was originally obtained with the Member Card opening access to a Canalave City inn, where players encounter the Dark-type in a nightmare after waking up the boat captain's son using Cresselia's Lunar Feather. Shaymin was originally obtained with Oak's Letter, which brought the Kanto region professor to Sinnoh where he teaches players how to access Flower Paraside.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus opening Newmoon Island and Flower Paraside in remixed ways would be fun to see. Perhaps a resident of Jubilife Village is struck unconscious with nightmares, and an ancestor of Professor Oak comes to meet with Hisui's Professor Laventon. After Pokemon Sun and Moon introduced Samson Oak, it wouldn't be farfetched to continue exploring the Oak family lineage. Going this route would take some of the wind out of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl's sails, as them introducing their Mythical events around or after Legends: Arceus' launch would not get nearly as much attention. Still, it would be nice to not see Shaymin and Darkrai only locked behind additional paywalls.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus releases on January 28, 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
