Pokemonfans are eagerly awaiting more trailers and information onPokemon ScarletandViolet, the Generation 9 games that will become the next hub of the series for a few years. One of the most anticipated things about Gen 9 is whatever the main gimmick for these games will be, such as whetherPokemon ScarletandVioletwill bring back Mega Evolutions; a fan-favorite feature from Gen 6. Regardless,Pokemon Legends: Arceusstill is a fantastic game to play while waiting for the next set of mainline titles, and it also introduced interesting concepts and gimmicks.
While little is known about what elements fromPokemon Legends: Arceusmay or may not return in futurePokemongames, it’s worth delving deeper into this game’s approach with Alpha and Noble Pokemon - which might have a possible connection to Totem Pokemon. Alphas and Nobles are entirely new concepts for the series that are deeply tied to the lore of the Hisui region, and the same thing holds true forPokemon SunandMoon’s Totem Pokemon. There are multiple similarities between these unique critters, and Pokemon Legends: Arceusmight have built upon the successful elements of Totem Pokemon.
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Alpha and Noble Pokemon Could Come From Totem Pokemon
Totem Pokemon are tied to Alola in terms of lore and purpose, seeing how they were used for Trials of the Island Challenges, where players had to undergo a set of ordeals to prove their worth. Trials had a twofold value inPokemon SunandMoon, because they both removed the staple of the Gym Challenge and provided a unique reward in the form ofZ-Moves. However, to complete a Trial, players had to defeat a massive-sized Totem Pokemon, which was an empowered version of an Alolan monster that could even call for help in battle.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Alphas are bigger Pokemon that can be encountered in the wild, and they are valuable encounters regardless of whether players defeat them in battle or catch them. On the other hand, Noble Pokemon are critters said to be the descendants of the hero of legend’s Pokemon. These are essentially sacred Pokemon that have each been assigned aWardento tend after them. Half of them eventually become the players' mounts to help explore all of Hisui through the land, sea, and air.
As far as battles go, Totem Pokemon are more akin to Alphas, as they are empowered by their aura and are more threatening than other Pokemon of the same species. Totem Pokemon are also larger than typical monsters, with increased height and weight much like Alphas. Unlike Alphas, however, Totem Pokemon are there to guard something and protect the land, which issomething thatPokemon Legends: Arceusdoes with its Nobles. This is interesting because it’s as if the function of Totem Pokemon were split in the development ofPokemon Legends: Arceus,eventually given to two very different types of critters.
However, when Totem Pokemon were transferred toPokemon SwordandShieldusingPokemon Homecompatibility, they were turned into regular-sized critters that didn’t maintain their original characteristics fromPokemon SunandMoon. It’s unknown whether this will remain the case in Generation 9, as anything could happen to Alpha Pokemon fromPokemon Legends: Arceus, but the latter does a good job at making height and weight differences visible. These concepts shouldn’t be completely abandoned in Gen 9, and players should have ways of catching critters from any given species that show really prominent differences between one another.
