Each time you get hit, the borders of the screen start to darken, and if you get hit too many times, the Pokémon will knock your ass out. Razor Leaf? Scald? All those moves that used to target your ally Pokémon are coming right at your player character now.
If you appease a rampaging Pokémon and just let it follow you, it’ll send a volley of different attacks your way. To avert further disaster, you can either battle it, stun it with items, or run away. If a Pokémon sees that you’re invading its space, it will get pissed and start to chase you down. It’s easy to avoid damage and capture a Pokémon if you sneak up from the bushes or let them chow down on some berries you’ve thrown for them, but things can get messy if they spot you.
Image: Game Freak/Nintendo, The Pokémon Company
POKEMON COMPARE POKEMON TV
Every playable Pokémon character is a literal child, and they control giant dragons and legendary monsters without so much as a scratch - ignoring, of course, all those times Ash got shocked in the TV show or that one time he got turned to stone (and shocked again). When I brought the bird back, the woman kept her distance, afraid of what might happen if she got too close.Īfter years of playing Pokémon games set in a modern world, it’s easy to look at these ancient villagers and see them as naïve. One of my first side quests came from a woman who wanted me to find her a Starly, but was clearly terrified at the idea of being too close to one. When you first talk to people in the city of Jubilife, many of them are afraid of Pokémon - It’s an era before man and ‘Mon learned to live in harmony with each other. (That Pokédex you’re working on is just ink and paper this time around.) To survive, the community of Jubilife Village has to band together and defend itself from the dangers outside the city walls. The era’s buildings and fashion clearly draw inspiration from feudal Japan, and there aren’t any modern conveniences to aid trainers’ lives.
Legends: Arceus takes place hundreds of years before Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, back when the Sinnoh region was known as Hisui. But Pokémon Legends: Arceus works hard to insert some of the mystery back into Pokémon. But what if that adorable Pikachu had shocked your grandma so hard she passed out? Or a Snorlax sat on your car? Pokémon have always been potentially dangerous creatures, and modern humans seem to have forgotten about that. Could a Pokémon really hurt you? I mean, some might look scary, sure, but they’re usually just fun friends, right? They’re designed to be cute, cuddly, marketable furballs with magical powers.