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Pokemon Legends: Arceus is quite the departure for The Pokemon Company and developer Game Freak. The traditional Gym Leader battles are non-existent; there are no more random Pokemon encounters; players can dodge attacks from wild Pokemon, and Pokemon can be caught in the wild in real-time by a simple toss of a Poke Ball. However, some old-school Pokemon players might wonder how nicknaming a Pokemon works in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Since there's no catch screen like old Pokemon games, when can players nickname a Pokemon? Here's how to do it.
Does Nicknaming a Pokemon Affect Anything?
If a player changes the Pokemon name in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, it does not change anything and doesn't impact anything in the future. The only thing players would need to worry about is if they trade with another player online and don't want the person to see the Pokemon's nickname. When nicknaming a Pokemon, the best thing to do is to pick something appropriate. Of course, players can change Pokemon nicknames whenever they want, so there's always a way to revert the Pokemon's name to its original. Sometimes it can be helpful to keep the Pokemon's name the same so that players can learn the official terms for all the Pokemon found in the Hisui region.
How to Nickname a Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
If players catch a Pokemon out in the wild, they won't have the chance to nickname it immediately. Pokemon Legends: Arceus players can give a Pokemon a nickname by pressing the up button on the d-pad to get to the Satchel menu. From here, choose the Pokemon in the party that players would like to give a nickname to, and then press the Change Name option. Players will have up to 12 characters to give the Pokemon a nickname to be proud of.
To nickname Pokemon that are not currently in the party, players can either speak to the NPC at the campsite to check out the Pokemon in the Pastures or go talk to Marie in Jubilife Village (she's in charge of the Pastures). The Pokemon's new nickname will now appear by its profile picture. To see any Pokemon's official name, click on Check Summary in the Satchel menu, and the name will appear to the left of its Typing info.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available for the Nintendo Switch.