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You'll know them by their glowing red eyes. You'll see them from afar thanks to their uptick in size. You linger too close, they see you, and surprise; either you've blacked out or you've sent a poor Pokemon to their doom with your sweet trainer's lies.
The purpose of this guide is not to inundate you with bad rhymes, though if that should occur along the way, you're welcome, and we're sorry. The real reason you're here is to find out what to do about these frightening Alpha Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, ancient Hisui's colossal curb-stompers. Many have fallen to their might, but you want to be different. You want to harness their power for your own.
Or you just want a little payback after that incident with a raging Bibarel. Whatever the case may be, here's where to find every Alpha — and how to beat them.
Battling and Capturing Alpha Pokemon
Despite their blatant strength, Alpha Pokemon aren't Noble Pokemon — they're not battled with balms and jumps and dodges. Players encounter Alpha Pokemon on the field, and these encounters largely follow the same format as an ordinary creature. One of the few major differences is the fact that Alpha Pokemon never flee; their disposition is always going to be some degree of aggressive.
Before you even begin to think about fighting an Alpha Pokemon, tap ZL to check its level. From the earliest hours of your Pokemon Legends: Arceus adventure, you will be coming upon Alphas that are dozens of levels higher than your team. Challenging such fierce foes will almost invariably result in your defeat.
Tips for Catching Alphas
If you're planning on catching an Alpha, and you totally should for reasons we'll soon get into, carefully consider your gear. It's unwise to fight Alphas when your goal is to catch them instead. Even if your team has comparable or higher stats, why risk things going awry? There are a few basic staples you should bring along with you whenever possible.
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Heavy Ball | These can only be thrown a short distance, but they have a terrific catch rate on unsuspecting Pokemon. If you can use grass for cover and wait for the perfect moment, you stand a decent shot of success. |
| Smoke Bomb | Often overlooked, Smoke Bombs shroud the player character, preventing Pokemon (including Alphas) from seeing what you're up to. Think of this as temporary "replacement grass" and use it when Alphas are far from cover. |
| Favorite Food | Here's where completing all those Research Tasks of yours comes in handy. If you're familiar with a species' favorite food, the Alphas share the tastes of their smaller kin, making for an excellent distraction. |
Since Alpha Pokemon share their Pokedex page with regular members of their species, the only reason to fight them (rather than catching them) is for the sweet amount of experience points your party will surely enjoy. Just bear in mind, experience points are fairly easy to accrue in Legends: Arceus; also, if you end up overwhelmed and most of your party's knocked out by battle's end, it largely goes to waste.
A popular method of ensuring success in catching is to toss a Heavy Ball and immediately reset if the Alpha pops out of it. The way that save data works in this installment, the unaware Alpha Pokemon will be right in front of you all over again upon loading. (As an aside, you can do this with shiny Pokemon as well. We may or may not have nuked a shiny Zubat once without saving first, to our sincere despair.)
Alpha Advantages
Touring Hisui with a Parasect the size of a tree is fun in its own right, but there are other reasons to catch these monstrosities whenever you can.
Effort Values
Alpha Pokemon have access to a wider range of Effort Level goodness upon catching. Not to be confused with Effort Values from other games in the series — though not far off, being Legends: Arceus' own spin on the idea — Effort Levels dictate the stat increases a Pokemon gains upon leveling up. Pokemon still retain their base stats, so it's unwise to try to use this system to turn a Snorlax into a special sweeper or what-have-you, but pumping up Effort Levels for specific stats will ensure your pals excel at their naturally gifted roles.
You can increase a Pokemon's Effort Levels through Grit items. These include Grit Sand, Grit Gravel, Grit Pebbles, and Grit Rocks. But since Alpha Pokemon are packing nice Effort Level boosts by default, they've got a nice advantage over their peers.
Tutor Moves
Zisu, who lingers over at the arena in Jubilife Village, can teach your Pokemon certain moves for a price. Money can be scarce in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, especially during the early- and mid-game hours. Wouldn't it be nicer to catch an Alpha Pokemon, seeing as there is a chance they will already know one of Zisu's tutor moves?
Legends: Arceus has a somewhat diminished total move pool compared to the more "generation-defining" titles like Sword & Shield. There's still some decent variety, but the cut is noticeable enough to make Zisu's services a must-have... unless you've gotten your gloves on some prime Alphas, that is.
All Known Alpha Pokemon Locations
The following tables contain information on every Alpha Pokemon we've found throughout Hisui, separated by region and listed per regional location. We'll update this if more are found, though if you happen to be reading this a couple of months or more past Arceus: Legends' launch date, odds are golden this has everything.
Obsidian Fieldlands Alpha Pokemon
| Species and Level | Location Information |
|---|---|
| Level 16 Bibarel | Tidewater Dam |
| Level 40 Rapidash | Horseshoe Plains |
| Level 40 Luxio | Floaro Gardens |
| Level 30 Parasect | Nature's Pantry |
| Level 30 Graveler | Grueling Grove |
| Level 30 Kricketune | Nature's Pantry |
| Level 31 Floatzel | Worn Bridge |
| Level 32 Staravia | Windswept Ruin |
| Level 40 Lopunny | The Heartwood |
| Level 33 Magikarp | Oreburrow Tunnel |
| Level 35 Golbat | Oreburrow Tunnel |
| Level 42 Scyther | Grandtree Arena |
| Level 45 Snorlax | Lake Verity |
| Level 42 Stantler | Deertrack Heights |
| Level 45 Heracross | Grueling Grove |
| Level 60 Gyarados | Lake Verity |
| Level 62 Blissey | Obsidian Falls |
| Level 60 Alakazam | Sandgem Flats |
| Level 65 Infernape | Ramanas Island |
Crimson Mirelands Alpha Pokemon
| Species and Level | Location Information |
|---|---|
| Level 40 Carnivine | Cottonsedge Praerie |
| Level 40 Pachirisu | Gapejaw Bog |
| Level 45 Skuntank | Scarlet Bog |
| Level 45 Tangrowth | Scarlet Bog |
| Level 45 Rhyhorn | Solaceon Ruins |
| Level 41 Ursaring | Ursa's Ring |
| Level 46 Hippowdon | Sludge Mound |
| Level 47 Toxicroak | Holm of Trials |
| Level 48 Haunter | Droning Meadow |
| Level 50 Onix | Cloudpool Ridge |
| Level 50 Roserade | Cloudpool Ridge |
| Level 52 Raichu | Golden Lowlands |
| Level 50 (Hisuian) Sliggoo | Holm of Trials |
| Level 55 Ursaring | Gapejaw Bog |
| Level 52 Lickilicky | Shrouded Ruins |
| Level 58 Yanmega | Droning Meadow |
| Level 55 Honchkrow | Cloudpool Ridge |
| Level 61 Vespiquen | Cottonsedge Praerie |
| Level 62 Whiscash | Lake Valor |
| Level 65 Torterra | Holm of Trials |
Cobalt Coastlands Alpha Pokemon
| Species and Level | Location Information |
|---|---|
| Level 40 Machoke | Castaway Shore |
| Level 45 Purugly | Veilstone Cape |
| Level 45 Drapion | Gingko Landing |
| Level 50 Tentacruel | Lunker's Lair |
| Level 50 Golduck | Bathers' Lagoon |
| Level 50 Ambipom | Hideaway Bay |
| Level 50 Walrein | Gingko Landing |
| Level 46 Octillery | Castaway Shore |
| Level 58 Gyarados | Sand's Reach |
| Level 56 Mothim | Spring Pass |
| Level 61 Gastrodon | Seagrass Haven |
| Level 61 Ninetales | Firespit Island |
| Level 60 Lumineon | Seagrass Haven |
| Level 65 Dusknoir | Deadwood Haunt |
| Level 69 Empoleon | Islespy Shore |
Coronet Highlands Alpha Pokemon
| Species and Level | Location Information |
|---|---|
| Level 55 Luxray | Sacred Plaza |
| Level 55 Mothim | Wayward Wood |
| Level 55 Bronzong | Clamberclaw Cliffs |
| Level 56 Gabite | Clamberclaw Cliffs |
| Level 60 Golem | Bolderoll Ravine |
| Level 60 Crobat | Wayward Cave |
| Level 60 Steelix | Celestica Trail |
| Level 61 Mismagius | Stonetooth Row |
| Level 62 Clefable | Fabled Spring |
| Level 69 Electivire | Cloudcap Pass |
| Level 73 Probopass | Primeval Grotto |
| Level 74 Rhyperior | Sacred Plaza |
| Level 70 (Hisuian) Goodra | Ancient Quarry |
| Level 77 Gliscor | Primeval Grotto |
Alabaster Icelands Alpha Pokemon
| Species and Level | Location Information |
|---|---|
| Level 62 Swinub | Avalugg's Legacy |
| Level 62 Glalie | Bonechill Wastes |
| Level 65 Piloswine | Avalugg's Legacy |
| Level 65 Electabuzz | Icebound Falls |
| Level 61 (Hisuian) Sneasel | Avalugg's Legacy |
| Level 65 Chimecho | Lake Acuity |
| Level 68 Mamoswine | Avalugg's Legacy |
| Level 68 Abomasnow | Avalugg's Legacy |
| Level 70 Gardevoir | Heart's Crag |
| Level 70 Gallade | Snowpoint Temple |
| Level 70 Machamp | Arena's Approach |
| Level 70 Lucario | Icebound Falls |
| Level 72 Froslass | Avalanche Slopes |
| Level 85 Garchomp | Avalanche Slopes |
Do Alpha Pokemon Respawn?
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is yes, but it'll take a while.
Alpha Pokemon tend to spawn at a slower rate than the rest of Hisui's inhabitants. This makes a measure of sense, since in other franchises we'd probably be calling them "mark hunts" "or regional sub-bosses" or, you know, whatever. They're the resident big bads of any given area, Noble Pokemon notwithstanding.
So, if you've missed your shot at catching one just swing on by again at a later time and see if they've returned. Alpha Pokemon aren't always around to begin with, which means you may need to familiarize yourself with the routes to their exact locations and check in periodically while you're off fulfilling Research Tasks and Requests nearby. Just keep checking, and soon enough you'll find your red-eyed monster.
