Pokémon Legends: Arceus is set in an era that’s never been explored in the series before, and acts as a prequel of sorts. Your main goal in the game is to document Pokémon and compile the first Pokédex. Because of this, there’s much more work that goes into registering the entry for a Pokémon than ever before.
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Simply catching the Pokémon like in other games won’t be enough to fill out its Pokédex entry. Instead, once you’ve seen the Pokémon you’ll be given a list of Research Tasks that need to be completed, each with its own tier requirements.
The number of tasks and what they actually entail will vary from Pokémon to Pokémon, though a few tasks are commonly shared, such as catching a set number or seeing it evolve if it’s able to do so. One of the early Pokémon you’ll be able to catch in the game’s first area will be Buizel. Because Buizel is a Water-type Pokémon, its tasks include defeating it with Electric-type moves, as well as seeing it use its Aqua Jet move.
Togepi, on the other hand, has different task requirements than Buizel. For example, you’ll need to see it use its Draining Kiss move, give it food, and evolve it.
Pressing down on the D-Pad will allow you to pull out your Pokédex and manually go through its entries to check your progress, and pressing it while focusing on a Pokémon by holding down ZL will take you to its page immediately.
