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Despite all that they've done to protect the people of Hisui, Pokemon Legends: Arceus players will eventually find themselves exiled from Jubilife Village and expelled from the Galaxy Team. Luckily, however, Volo from the Ginkgo Guild is quick to lend them a hand, as too are some of the people that players have encountered throughout the game's earlier main story missions.

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The leaders of both the Diamond and Pearl clans offer their support, though players will only be able to work with one of them. They'll therefore need to choose between Adaman and Irida, with their decision going on to shape the climax of Pokemon Legends: Arceus' main story arc. With this in mind, many players will be interested in learning the potential consequences of each option before making their choice.

Updated May 20, 2022, by Tom Bowen: The Pokemon series isn't really known for its branching storylines, nor does it have much of a history of providing its players with choices outside of them having to decide on a starter Pokemon at the beginning of each mainline game. That's not to say that there aren't still choices to be made from time to time though, as is the case when players are asked whether they'd like to choose Irida or Adaman during the Disaster Looming main story mission of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. This guide will explain everything that there is to know about the Adaman or Irida choice with a view to helping players to make the decision that's best for them. Naturally, there will be spoilers ahead, though these will be clearly signposted so as not to ruin the surprise for players.

Should You Choose Adaman or Irida? (Minimal Spoilers)

Pokemon Legenda Arceus Adaman Irida Choice Disaster Looming

The clan leader that players choose will affect the order in which they're able to get their hands on two particular Legendary Pokemon. It will also have a bearing on the game's final boss, with players squaring off against a different enemy depending on whether they choose Adaman or Irida.

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It's worth noting, however, that players will still have the chance to catch both Legendary Pokemon regardless of their choice and that, though cosmetically different, the final boss remains more or less the same when it comes to attacks and mechanics. As such, there are no real lasting consequences of choosing one clan leader over the other.

The rest of this guide contains major spoilers for Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

What Happens if You Choose Adaman Instead of Irida? (Spoilers)

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If players choose the Diamond Clan leader, Adaman will accompany them to the three lakes as part of their quest to obtain the Red Chain. Later on, they'll encounter Dialga first at the top of Mount Coronet, meaning that they'll need to square off with Origin Forme Palkia in the game's final main story battle. Once the fight is over, they'll automatically catch Palkia in the Origin Ball, which effectively serves as Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Master Ball.

What Happens if You Choose Irida Instead of Adaman? (Spoilers)

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If players choose the Pearl Clan leader, Irida will travel to the three lakes with them, and they'll battle Palkia when they first reach the summit of Mount Coronet. As a result of them catching Palkia, Origin Forme Dialga will serve as the game's final boss instead, and players will automatically capture Dialga using the Origin Ball once the battle is over.

Are There Any Lasting Consequences? (Spoilers)

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Ultimately, when all's said and done, players are effectively choosing which of the two Creation Pokemon ends up in the Origin Ball and which one they catch first. They'll still be able to catch both Pokemon and will still be able to unlock both of their Origin Formes a little later on. In fact, they'll eventually be given the ability to rematch Dialga and Palkia, meaning that players can even go back and beat the one that they missed if they really want to.

Which Pokemon is Better? (Spoilers)

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As mentioned above, choosing Irida or Adaman will determine the order in which players are able to catch two of the three Creation Pokemon: Dialga and Palkia. Though both are ultimately obtained by players, there's definitely an argument to be made that having access to one of the pair before the other can give players a big advantage, particularly as they'll likely need to take on the one that they catch second using the one which they catch first.

Right off the bat, Dialga definitely has the upper hand due to it being a Dragon/Steel-type Pokemon. This means that it's damaged normally by Dragon-type attacks and only takes 50% damage when up against Water-type attacks, which are the two types of attack that Palkia specializes in. Granted, Palkia does have access to Earth Power, which will deal double damage to Dialga, but without STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), a lot of potential damage will be left on the table.

Things don't get much better for Palkia when the time comes for Dialga to attack either. It may be slower, but, thanks to Palkia's weakness to Dragon-type attacks, Dialga can dish out some serious damage. Even with Palkia's high Special Defense, Dialga should have very little trouble bringing it down. With all of this in mind, those looking to make the final main story battle easier should choose Adaman, while anybody looking for more of a challenge would be better off picking Irida.

Dialga

Palkia

Regular Form

Origin Forme

Regular Form

Origin Forme

HP

100

100

90

90

Attack

120

100

120

100

Defense

120

120

100

100

Special Attack

150

150

150

150

Special Defense

100

120

120

120

Speed

90

90

100

120

Total

680

680

680

680

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available now for the Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Pokemon Legends: Arceus - Complete Guide & Walkthrough