Highlights

• Catching Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus is crucial for earning money, increasing Star Ranks, and capturing stronger Pokemon.
• Building a balanced team with Must-Have Pokemon is important for success in the game.
• Some Pokemon need to be obtained before you can catch Legendaries.

There are many Pokemon within Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and players are likely going to catch whatever Pokemon that happens to cross their path. Not only is catching Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus the best way of getting money, it's the only way to get higher Star Ranks and be able to catch stronger Pokemon. Furthermore, the final Mission in the game request players to catch all Pokemon within Hisui.

Ultimately, it is each trainer's own decision what the best team in Pokemon Legends: Arceus should look like. While players will, of course, be expanding the Pokedex as they make their way through the game, several Pokemon are definite Must-Haves for a balanced party.

Updated on February 28, 2024 by Renri Seong: For each region unlocked in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, there are Pokemon that should be caught as soon as possible. This is usually to fill out the Pokedex, but other times, it's to get a more-balanced or stronger Pokemon in the party. Once players complete the main story, there are various Legendary Pokemon that become available to them in the postgame. To get said Legendary Pokemon, it's sometimes necessary to catch several Pokemon as a prerequisite. The following guide has been updated to include six Pokemon that should be caught in the Legends: Arceus' postgame.

18 Magikarp & Gyarados

Type: Water (Magikarp), Water/Flying (Gyarados)

There isn't an easy way to catch Magikarp until players have unlocked the Ride Basculegion in the Cobalt Coastlands. However, players can get an early Magikarp and evolve it into Gyarados by going to a cliff looking over Oreburrow Tunnel.

From Nature's Pantry, go to the far right to the river. On the map, this is between Tidewater Dam and Oreburrow Tunnel. There will be a ledge that players can jump down on, and two "steps" in the water. A couple of Magikarp will be swimming in the water, and they can be caught by luring them close with Oran Berries and then throwing a Poke Ball. Go as far to the edge as possible, but not too close.

Get Magikarp to level 20 and it will evolve into the powerful Gyarados. Despite its dual Water/Flying-type, Gyarados is a good Pokemon to battle against the Noble Kleavor. It has tons of HP and has access to Water Pulse and Aqua Tail, both of which are super effective against the Bug/Rock-type Kleavor.

17 Eevee

Type: Normal

Eevee is a rare spawn in the wild, but if players are lucky, they can catch one as early as the Horseshoe Plains in the starting area of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Fans of the Pokemon series will recognize Eevee for its potential to evolve into 8 different Pokemon. Catching one early in the game can be beneficial since trainers can choose between 8 different Types of Pokemon to evolve it into.

There's a high chance players won't have evolutionary stones until after they've cleared the Kleavor Mission, but if Eevee's Friendship is raised high enough, it can potentially evolve into Espeon (day), Umbreon (night), or Sylveon (Eevee must have one Fairy-type move in its moveset).

16 Ralts

Type: Psychic/Fairy

This is one of many Pokemon that aren't available in the Obsidian Fieldlands, but is still a Pokemon worth getting. Ralts is well-known for evolving into Gardevoir (Psychic/Fairy-type) or Gallade (Psychic/Fighting-type). Once players are tasked with quelling the Noble Liligant of the Crimson Mirelands, they'll be able to find and catch Ralts in the Shrouded Ruins or the Gapejaw Bog. Additionally, wild Kirlia can be spotted at the Shrouded Ruins too.

A male Kirlia can evolve into Gallade if he's given a Dawn Stone, while a male or female Kirlia can evolve into Gardevoir once they reach level 30. With the move tutor, Gardevoir and Gallade can be taught powerful moves that give them much-needed coverage against enemy Pokemon.

15 Mantyke, Qwilfish/Overqwil, Buizel

Type: Water/Flying (Mantyke), Dark/Poison (Overqwil), Water (Buizel)

* Alpha Overqwil can be caught during Azelf's Trial.

These three Pokemon are needed to complete The Sea's Legend Request. This Request will allow players to catch Phione and Manaphy, so it's required to catch these three Pokemon if players want the Water-type Mythical Pokemon.

Buizel can be caught at the start of the game in the Horseshoe Plains, but players will need to surf with Basculegion to get Qwilfish and Mantyke. Qwilfish will evolve into Overqwil once it has used the Strong-style Barb Barrage 20 times in battle. Alternatively, players can catch an Overqwil during Azelf's Trial at the end of the game.

14 Togepi

Type: Fairy

Before Generation 6, Togepi and its evolutions were Normal-type Pokemon. With the introduction of Fairy-type, Togepi's Normal-typing was swapped out for Fairy-typing instead. As a rare Pokemon, Togepi will spawn in only a few places around Hisui. Furthermore, it's rare to find more than one Togepi at a time outside of mass outbreaks. When its friendship is raised high enough, it will evolve into Togetic. To get Togekiss, the final evolution, give Togetic a Shiny Stone. If players want to avoid evolving Togepi, they can catch Togetic or Togekiss flying around in the Crimson Mirelands and Obsidian Fieldlands respectively.

While the Togepi-line loses its immunity to Ghost-type moves, its new Fairy-typing makes it strong against Fighting, Dark, and Dragon-type Pokemon. Togekiss is a Pokemon worth having on the team thanks to its high Defense, Special Attack, and Special Defense. Its Speed and HP are also average, making it somewhat tanky against opponents. Togekiss' lowest stat is Attack (base: 50), but all of Togekiss' offense-moves are Special Moves, taking full advantage of its powerful Special Attack. To combat Togekiss' Steel-type weakness, it can be taught Flamethrower or Mystical Fire at the Training Grounds.

13 Hisuian Growlithe

Type: Fire/Rock

It's likely players will first miss Hisuian Growlithe on their first trip to the Cobalt Coastlands. This Fire/Rock-type only spawns in two areas in the Cobalt Coastlands, and one of these areas can't be reached until players can call Sneasler. Since it's impossible to find Hisuian Arcanine outside mass outbreaks, players will need to catch Growlithe and use a Fire Stone to evolve it if they want Arcanine. If lucky, it's possible to run into an Alpha Hisuian Growlithe. In the case Growlithe isn't spawning, return to Jubilife Village, then go back to the Cobalt Coastlands.

The Fire/Rock-type gives Growlithe and Arcanine a 4x weakness to Water and Ground-type moves. However, Hisuian Arcanine has a base stat total of 555 with great HP, Attack, Special Attack, and Speed. Given Legends: Arceus' new combat system, it's always good to have a Pokemon that can attack first, and with Arcanine's base Speed of 90, it's likely that it'll be able to get the first hit. Arcanine can combat its Water-type weakness by learning Thunder Fang or Wild Charge.

12 Porygon

Type: Normal

Once space-time distortions start appearing, players can find rare Pokemon that don't normally exist in Hisui. After unlocking the Crimson Mirelands, players will have a chance of finding a Porygon and its evolutions within the space-time distortions. The Porygon-line are Normal-type Pokemon, but they can learn a variety of moves that give them coverage such as Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Shadow Ball. To evolve Porygon, players need to give it an Upgrade to make it into Porygon2, and then a Dubious Disc to get Porygon-Z.

The ideal thing players will want to do is evolve Porygon2 into Porygon-Z. However, Porygon2 has better Defense and Special Defense than Porygon-Z. On the other hand, Porygon-Z's 135 base Special Attack and 90 base Speed means it's likely to move before the opponent and 1HKO if it has the right moves. Players should decide whether they want a tanky Pokemon (Porygon2) or a somewhat-fast attacker (Porygon-Z).

11 Manaphy

Type: Water

If players have Overqwil, Buizel, and Mantyke, they'll be able to complete the Request: The Sea's Legend. With those three Pokemon in the party, players need to swim between the two pillars (during the evening) by Sand's Reach in order to unlock the Seaside Hollow. The Seaside Hollow is on the north side of Veilstone Cape and is marked by a "white cave icon" on the map. Upon entering Seaside Hollow, players will have to face off against Manaphy and three Phione. What makes Manaphy worth catching is that it's one of the few legendary/mythical Pokemon that can be caught before the postgame.

As a Mythical Pokemon, Manaphy has a base stat of 100 in all of its stats, totaling a base stat total of 600. Manaphy's moveset in Pokemon Legends: Arceus consist of Special Moves, so having a Modest Nature Manaphy (+Sp.Attk, -Attk) can give it the boost it needs offensively. If players want to give Manaphy coverage against Grass-type Pokemon, they can teach it Ice Beam or Icy Wind via tutoring. While Manaphy doesn't learn the move Heart Swap in Legends: Arceus, it learns Take Heart instead. This move cures Manaphy of any status ailments while simultaneously boosting its Attack and Defense.

10 Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup

Type: Grass (Turtwig), Fire (Chimchar), Water (Piplup)

The Sinnoh starters may not be part of the Hisui starters, but they can be caught in the wild. These three are worth getting because of their final evolutions: Torterra, Infernape, and Empoleon. The Sinnoh starters are solid Grass, Fire, and Water-type Pokemon that will no doubt help players in the later story of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Players won't be able to get them without the Ride Basculegion, but there's a guaranteed Chimchar for completing Request: The Mysterious Will-o-the-Wisp.

9 Lucario

Type: Fighting/Steel

Lucario's dual Fighting/Steel-type makes it a very versatile Pokemon. Its Speed is good, and its high Attack and Special Attack makes it a good physical or special attacker depending on how trainers want to use it. Lucario is the evolved form of Riolu, who also appears in the Alabaster Icelands near Icebound Falls. Trainers may find it easier to catch Riolu and evolve it, as it spawns more frequently than Lucario. Riolu evolves when it has high friendship, but only during the day.

8 Hisuian Lilligant

Type: Grass/Fighting

Those who didn't choose Rowlett for their starter in Legends: Arceus can get Petilil from the Crimson Mirelands as their primary Grass-type Pokemon. As most trainers know, Petili evolves into Lilligant when exposed to a Sun Stone. In Hisui, Lilligant takes on a new form: Hisuian Lilligant. She's the opposite of Unovian Lilligant, in that she's a physical attacker and has a high base speed stat. Ironically, she has the exact same typing as Hisuian Decidueye.

If trainers prefer a speedy Pokemon with the Grass/Fighting combination, then Hisuian Lilligant is who they should choose. Her signature move, Victory Dance, raises her Attack and Defense as well as action/turn speed. The one thing trainers will want to watch out for when using Hisuian Lilligant are Flying-type moves, as she'll suffer x4 damage to them compared to most Grass-types.

7 Munchlax & Snorlax

Type: Normal

* There's an Alpha Snorlax across the river between Aspiration Hill and Sandgem Flats.

Just like in Diamond/Pearl, Munchlax is a fairly rare Pokemon. It only spawns in one area in the Obsidian Fieldlands (Deertrack Heights), but it's never guaranteed to appear for each visit. To evolve Munchlax into Snorlax, players need to raise its Friendship. Snorlax is far from the speediest Pokemon, but it has amazing HP, Attack, and Special Defense base stats. This makes it decent to use as a wall against Pokemon that primarily use special moves.

6 Magnezone

Type: Electric/Steel

The Magnemite-line are exclusive to space-time distortions (Cobalt Coastlands) much like the Porygon-line. Fortunately, they're fairly common spawns, and if players are lucky, they may be able to catch Magneton or Magnezone. Fully evolved Magnezone comes packing with high Defense, Special Attack, and moderate Special Defense. While there are other Electric-types, Magnezone should be considered when constructing the best team in Legends: Arceus.

5 Gliscor

Type: Ground/Flying

Gligar is that Pokemon that trainers won't see much of in the beginning of Legends: Arceus, but will frequently appear in higher-leveled areas. Gligar and Gliscor's Ground/Flying-typing means they can't be damaged by Electric-type moves, which is something most Flying-types are weak against. Despite being a Ground/Flying-type, Gliscor has access to Poison-type moves, giving it some coverage to Fairy-type Pokemon.

Evolving Gligar into Gliscor requires exposing it to a Razor Fang at night. While not the fastest Ground or Flying-type Pokemon in Hisui, Gliscor's best strengths are its high Defense base stat and good Attack/Speed. Depending on how players structure its moveset, it can be quite versatile in battle, too.

4 Hisuian Zoroark

Type: Normal/Ghost

Hisuian Zorua and Hisuian Zoroark were revealed before the release of Legends: Arceus. Unlike their Unovian counterparts, they're Normal/Ghost-types, which means they're immune to Ghost, Normal, and Fighting-type moves. Its limited type weaknesses can make it frustrating for opponents, but players will want to watch out for its low Defense and Special Defense.

Its Signature Move, Bitter Malice, has a 30% chance of inflicting frostbite and deals double damage if the opponent is suffering from a status condition. It may be easier to catch Hisuian Zorua (and evolve it) than Hisuian Zoroark, as the latter is a very rare spawn and has a better chance of appearing during mass outbreaks.

3 Gible or Goomy

Type: Dragon/Ground (Gible), Dragon (Goomy)

Gible and Goomy can evolve into Garchomp and Goodra respectively, both of which are the only pseudo-legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Players may also find their second evolution, Gabite and Sliggoo. Since most legendary Pokemon are locked off from the main game, it's never a bad idea to add a pseudo-legendary to the team.

Garchomp is a Dragon/Ground-type with powerful Attack and Speed, while the Hisuian Goodra is a bulky Dragon/Steel-type with high Defense and Attack. Garchomp has more Type weaknesses, but its Speed will prove extremely useful in battle. On the other hand, Goodra's dual Dragon/Steel-typing makes it impervious to the Dragon-type's common weaknesses: Dragon, Ice, and Fairy. Goodra being part Steel-type also means it gains coverage against Fairy-type and Ice-type Pokemon.

2 Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus

Type: Flying (Tornadus), Electric/Flying (Thundurus), Ground/Flying (Landorus)

Although Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes place in ancient Sinnoh, that didn't stop the Forces of Nature - Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus - from making a return. Legends: Arceus introduces a new addition to the Forces of Nature, the Fairy/Flying-type Enamorus. However, Enamorus can only be caught after trainers have obtained her male counterparts. If catching Arceus and "seeking out all Pokemon" is something that trainers want to do, then they should make catching the Forces of Nature a priority in the postgame.

After completing "Seeking the Remaining Plates" quest, Legends: Arceus players can accept the "Incarnate Forces of Hisui" quest from Cogita. This will trigger the three Forces of Nature to appear in the Alabaster Icelands (Tornadus), Cobalt Coastlands (Thundurus), and Obsidian Fieldlands (Landorus). However, Tornadus and Thundurus will only spawn during a blizzard and thunderstorm respectively, making them trickier to find. They're also incredibly fast and can dish out a lot of damage to the player character. When they stop moving about the map, send out a Pokemon to battle it, and catch them the old-fashioned way. Once they're caught, trainers need to complete their Dex entry by doing Research Tasks. Finally, after all this, they can show Cogita the completed Dex Entries and go after Enamorus.

1 Rowlet, Cyndaquil, Oshawott

Type: Grass/Flying (Rowlet), Fire (Cyndaquil), Water (Oshawott)

Legends: Arceus starter Pokemon can be Rowlet, Cyndaquil, or Oshawott, but what happens to the Pokemon that trainers don't choose? They stay with Professor Laventon for the duration of the game. Unfortunately, the only way to get them is in the postgame (or transferring from another game, such as Pokemon GO). However, trainers will need the Hisui starters and their evolutions in order to qualify for the legendary Arceus.

The easiest way to get Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott in the postgame, is to speak to Professor Laventon. He'll give the Pokemon that trainers did not choose at the start of their journey. The arguably more-difficult way is to search for the starters in space-time distortions or during massive mass outbreaks. However, unlike the Pokemon obtained from Laventon, the Hisui starters that spawn in distortions and outbreaks are not Shiny Locked, making them worth the trouble for some trainers. Space-time distortion Pokemon are aggressive, so players will want to make sure they've stocked up on throwable items, such as Sticky Globs. Massive mass outbreak Pokemon will either flee if they're spotted, or they'll go on the offensive. As such, it's always best to save before approaching an outbreak.