Pokémon Legends: Arceus Is Once Again Polarizing Its Fans
As Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ release date approaches, leakers have been hard at work trying to find the game’s biggest secrets. A recent leak, however, has many fans worried about the next installment in the franchise.
A well-known leaker on Twitter who goes by Riddler Khu recently revealed some news about a new mechanic in Pokémon Legends: Arceus that has many fans disappointed.
According to the leak, pokémon abilities and held items are not going to be present in Legends Arceus. Both of these things are crucial parts of Pokémon battles. It’s understandable that many fans are upset about the possible feature (or in this case, lack thereof).
Summary of recent Pokémon Legends: Arceus leaks via @Riddler_Khu
– You will need to complete the Hisui Pokédex to catch Arceus, will take a long time.
– New stats system; IVs still exist but aren't used to calculate stats anymore.
– No abilities, no held items, no breeding.— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) December 26, 2021
This wouldn’t be the first time Game Freak omits these mechanics. Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee and Let’s Go Pikachu didn’t have abilities or held items either. They also didn’t have breeding, another core feature rumored to be missing in Legends Arceus. These games were more of a retelling than a staple in the series, so most fans were ok with them not having the mechanics.
As always, take this leak with a grain of salt. The developers have said nothing on the matter so far. Despite this, fans are still upset, and understandably so. These mechanics have been in the games for a very long time. Held items made their debut in generation II, which came out in 1999. Pokémon Abilities made theirs in generation III, which came out in 2002.
It’s also worth noting that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the most recent main series games that are currently out, implemented abilities and held items into their gameplay quite well.
Gym leaders and members of the Elite Four all implement held items into their battle strategies. This is something we’ve never seen NPCs do before in a pokémon game. Removing these features from Pokémon Legends: Arceus simply seems like a step in the wrong direction to many long-time fans.