Pokemon Legends: Arceus offers a lot of new features and content, so there is plenty for players to learn — even long-term Pokemon fans will have to get to grip with the basics, as quite a bit has changed with this latest addition to the series.
When it comes to catching Pokemon, you don't necessarily have to battle them first now, and there's also a few different ways to get the drop on a Pokemon to help increase your odds. We're going to go over everything you need to know here.
How To Find And Catch Pokemon
You can find Pokemon running around the world in clear view, ready and waiting to be caught. Certain Pokemon appear at different times of the day or during different weather, so it's always worth exploring your surroundings more than once.
Some Pokemon will also hide in trees or rocks, causing them to shake. Sending a Pokemon to gather from the resource will cause the hidden Pokemon to appear.
You can hold down ZR to aim your Poke Balls/Items and release it to throw at your target. Of course, you might need to throw more than one to be successful! Some Pokemon must be battled first, so you can press X to switch to your Pokemon team and aim your own Pokemon to throw at your target to initiate a battle.
Holding down ZL will cause you to focus in on the Wild Pokemon. The more arrows that appear above a Pokemon's head, the easier it is to catch, while an X mark will appear above the head of any Pokemon who are attacking you to show they cannot be caught by just throwing a Poke Ball at them.
The way in which Pokemon react to you will change depending on what type of Pokemon they are.
- Aggressive Pokemon will run and attack you when they see you. For these Pokemon, you'll want to throw out one of your own Pokemon and attack them until they are weak enough to then capture with a Poke Ball.
- Skittish Pokemon will run away when they see you, but you can crouch down (Press B) and hide in long grass and sneak up on them to throw a Poke Ball their way before they spot you.
Use Items To Catch Pokemon
As you progress through the game, you'll unlock more and more items that you can use to help you catch, attack, or avoid Pokemon. You'll also unlock recipes for better Poke Balls, but be aware of your range when throwing, for example, Heavy Balls cannot be thrown as far as normal Poke Balls, but have a higher chance of catching a Pokemon.
Make sure you check out any items or recipes you collect during your travels, as different types of items can give you various benefits in the field.
- Items that stun and create an opening, such as Ball of Mud or Spoiled Apricorn. Hit a Pokemon with one of these for it to take effect.
- Items that draw the attention of Pokemon, such as certain types of berries and food, can be thrown near Pokemon to distract them. This allows you to throw a Poke Ball to catch them while they aren't looking.
- Items that attract specific types of Pokemon, such as Dazzling Honey or Springy Mushrooms, will attract nearby Pokemon of a certain type, depending on the item used.
- Items that avoid Pokemon, such as Smoke Bombs or Flash Bangs, can be thrown to reduce visibility so you can sneak by, or will scare wild Pokemon away.
Pokemon will always run to food that is thrown near them, but they will only eat it if it is one of their preferred foods, which is needed for Research Tasks.
