While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are pushing the franchise further by entering Gen 9, Pokemon Legends: Arceus set up a new subfranchise ripe for exploration. Indeed, based on the reception alone, it seems pretty clear that another Pokemon Legends game is a matter of when, not if. Where it could be set is a coin toss, especially since the subfranchise started in the middle with Gen 4, Diamond and Pearl’s Sinnoh/formerly Hisui region.
However, there are pros and cons to every generation appearing in a Pokemon Legends: Arceus-like game. Hoenn is rather ripe for exploration, especially with its rich lore and interesting landscape.
The Hoenn Region in a Pokemon Legends Game
Chances are, ancient Hoenn would be as ripe for varied exploration as Hisui in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. There are plenty of geographical interesting places to explore, as well as more dungeon-like areas for a proper crawl. Mt. Chimney, the underwater element around Sootopolis City, various islands, standard forested areas, and more all make for proper exploration.
What would be fascinating to see in a Hoenn-based Pokemon Legends game is Mirage Island, perhaps making it one of the higher-level quests in the game. The area of Mosdeep could foreshadow the eventual space station of that area by having a bunch of people who look to the sky in terms of answers about the world’s problem, while the early settlings of areas like Pacificdlog Town and Fortree City would also be super interesting to see. Combined these with areas like Scorched Slab, the Seafloor Cavern, the Seal Chamber, Meteor Falls, Jagged Pass, Sky Pillar, Desert Ruins, and more, and fans are looking at an interesting geographical setup.
Hoenn Pokemon Who Deserve a New Regional Variant
Several Pokemon got more ancient regional variants in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and this is something many fans would likely love to see continue. Pokemon like Sneasel getting a new form really make the game have that “new game smell” pop, instead of something retreading old ground. Really, there are several Hoenn Pokemon who deserve a regional variant.
There’s a strong case for a new variant of at least one of its starters, since they don’t appear in the first Pokemon Legends game. Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip getting a new final form would be nice to see. Meanwhile, Gulpin/Swalot have been pretty straightforward and don’t appear in many other places, so a new form would be a nice bump in popularity. The Slakoth line is also pretty important to the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, so it would also be a good choice. Really, there are so many good choices for new regional variants, with others including the Whismur line, the Meditite line, the Slugma line, Torkoal, Tropius, and much, much more.
In future Pokemon Legends game, it stands to reason that the Lords and Nobles will return—if in a different name and function. Choosing which 5 Pokemon would be Rideable Nobles and which would be Frenzied Nobles isn’t easy, but here are some good viable choices.
Rideable Noble Pokemon in a Pokemon Legends Hoenn Game
1. Wyrdeer (Standard Ride)*
2. Grumpig with a new quadrupedal form(Search Ride)**
3. Lanturn or Wailord (Water Ride)
4. Shiftry (Climb Ride)
5. Skarmory (Fly Ride)
*Likely to be a mainstay
**Either could be a good argument, especially if the seafloor cavern/underwater gameplay did return.
Frenzied Noble Pokemon in a Pokemon Legends Hoenn Game
1. Absol
2. Slaking
3. Huntail and Gorebyss Combo
4. Metagross
5. Salamence
Hoenn Legendary Pokemon Endgame
The sheer variety of Legendary Pokemon in Sinnoh ensures that there is a rich endgame in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, but Hoenn isn’t a slouch either. Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza could play a similar role to Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina (although Rayquaza’s would be, in effect, the opposite of Giratina’s), while Jirachi or Deoxys could easily step into Arceus’ shoes. Given the power of wishes by Jirachi, it would stand to reason that it would be the pick, leaving Deoxys to his own unique questline.
Using Relicanth and Wailord in the quest for the Titan trio (Regice, Regirock, and Registeel) would be nice, and because more Regi forms have appeared in the past, it would make sense to add one or two more to this storyline too—if not just the latest Electric and Dragon forms. Throw it Latias and Latios, and that is the main quest and at least 7 post-game quests there. But it doesn’t have to end there, either.
Although not as tied to in-game lore, it would be interesting to see Mirage Island be properly explored in the endgame and explained, perhaps with a new Legendary. At the same time, through a variety of ways, players could also visit Navel Rock and Faraway Island. This added Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Mew to the game, and it would be a great way to honor the legacy of older Pokemon cheats like Game Sharks to a newer game.
Then, of course, nothing is stopping Game Freak from piling more on top of that. Really, it remains to be seen what it exactly looks like, but it’s exciting to consider Hoenn and all regions as a matter of time for future Pokemon Legends games.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available now for Nintendo Switch.