Summary
Pokemon Legends: Arceusis hopefully just the first in a series of games that take players to past versions of already existing regions to paint them in a different light and demonstrate what types of creatures lived there in days gone by. While there are many great candidates for locations where a sequel toPokemon Legends: Arceuscould take place, the lore and mystery surrounding Gen 7’s Alola Region makes it a top contender. If aPokemon Legendsgame were to take place in Alola’s past, there are already some great existing starters from previous gens that could appear again as starters in this game.
Although it is set in a past version of the Sinnoh Region, known as Hisui,Pokemon Legends: Arceusdoes not feature any of the Gen 4 starters in its trio players can choose from for their first partner. Instead, it takes starters from various other generations and offers players the choice betweenRowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawottwith each of these starters receiving a regional variant of the final evolution. With the precedent set byPokemon Legends: Arceus, it’s likely a sequel would follow the same formula, and aPokemon LegendsAlola game already has a few great options for its starters.
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The Pokemon Most Likely to Be Starters in a Legends Alola Game
TheAlola Regionis thePokemonuniverse’s take on the real-world location of Hawaii, complete with its own archipelago of islands that match the real-world locale. Hawaii has a tropical climate that includes a diverse landscape of beaches, jungles, and volcanoes that all come through in the design of the Alola Region and would likely influence which starters would be available there. Additionally, there is a rich Polynesian culture within Hawaii’s history that could serve as inspiration for thematic elements that would be incorporated into these starter choices and the regional variants of their final evolutions.
With the lush flora of Hawaii, and by extension the Alola Region, Sprigatito is a great choice for a Grass-type starter in aPokemon LegendsAlola game. Sprigatito are said to love attention from humans and will sulk if ignored, which could play into the theme of a game where Pokemon and people are still somewhat isolated from each other. Additionally,Meowscaradais famous for the flower it carries and attacks with, and given Alola’s many flower fields, a Grass/Fairy-type Meowscarada variant could take this design to the extreme and give the mon a whole bouquet to battle with.
Considering some of the native fauna of Hawaii, the ideal candidate for a Fire-type starter in a past version of the Alola Region is Tepig. Wild boars are common to most of Hawaii’s major islands and are known for eating many types of the islands' native fruits, so a creature like Tepig who is said to love eating roasted berries would fit right in with the natural environment of Alola. Additionally, the classic Hawaiian whole roasted kalua pig could be the somewhat dark design inspiration for aregional variant of Emboarthat gains the Fire/Ghost typing as a result of evolution.
Although it might be a strange choice for a region with such a warm, tropical climate, there is a solid case to be made forPiplup being the Water-type starterfor aPokemon LegendsAlola. While most species of real-world penguins are associated with the cold climates of Antarctica, there are several species that prefer warmers climates. Despite not being native to Hawaii, species like the African black-footed penguin can thrive in its tropical climate, making Piplup and a potential Water/Rock-type Empoleon based on another warm climate-loving species, the Rockhopper penguin, surprisingly great candidates for the Alola Region.
