Pokémon Legends: Arceus has released with many new changes. Included in these changes are added ways to gain experience for either your party or a specific Pokémon in your party.
One aspect of these games is to find the best ways to level up fast. Arceus is no different, particularly if you want to face the new variants introduced in the game, Alpha and Noble Pokémon. These two are larger, stronger, and and heartier versions compared to the traditional versions you may encounter. The glowing red eyes of Alphas are just a warning of what’s to come.
Read below for your guide on leveling up fast in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
1. Avoid battles and catch instead!
The major change added to Arceus is the ability to catch Pokemon straight from the overworld without a battle. Hold ZR and use the right stick to aim, then release to throw. It’s better if you can focus on a target using ZL first. The best chance to catch a Pokémon is to ensure you hit it with a Pokéball from the back to get a back strike.
With the automatic experience share, every Pokémon will receive experience from an overworld catch dependent upon their level and the level of the Pokémon caught. This is handy particularly since money and items aren’t as plentiful as previous games and you can skip battles, saving those precious items. You’ll have to craft most of your items.
An added note: focusing on a Pokémon allows you to see its name, gender, and maybe most importantly, level. Use that to gauge how successful you might be in attempting a catch.
2. Aim for super-effective moves in battle
Sometimes, a Pokémon will break out of the ball. If they have an aggressive disposition, they’ll attack you, preventing you from catching it unless you engage it in battle. Aggressive Pokémon will also attack you if they notice you before you’re able to throw a ball at them.
When engaged in battle, use types to your advantage. Whenever possible, always use a super-effective attack against your opponent. Only look to avoid using those attacks if you’re intent on catching the Pokémon you’re battling. Otherwise, using super effective attacks will be the quickest way to ensure you take the least amount of damage.
You can pair these (and the next tip) with Agile and Strong Style attacks. Check the Action Order (press Y) to see how using one will affect the turn order.
There is a table of type advantages and weaknesses in the Survey Tips.
3. Use STAB when super effective moves are unavailable
Sometimes, you’ll be in a battle against a Pokémon who isn’t weak to any of your attacks. In that case, use attacks that provide same-type attack bonus (STAB). STAB attacks have their power multiplied by 1.5. For example,. an attack with a power of 40 with STAB becomes an attack with a power of 60. While not super effective, it will add more a punch than other attacks.
To ensure you always have STAB available, remember to keep one attack of your Pokémon’s type. Luckily, you can freely switch moves between the four a Pokémon knows and those it’s learned. If you have dual-type Pokémon in your party, make sure to have a typed attack for each.
Strong Style can add to the power of your STAB, but in these situations, it may be best to switch with a Pokémon who does have a type or types advantage over your enemy.
4. Harvest berries and apricorns from trees
Throughout your travels, you’ll come across tress like the one pictured. These trees will present you with berries or apricorns when harvested. The color of the objects in the tree will determine the item: blue will be Oran Berries, peach will be Apricorns, pink will be Nanab Berries, and more.
Apricorns are necessary to craft Pokéballs, so harvest as many trees as you come across. They will respawn.
To harvest these items, switch to the Pokémon selection with X on the overworld. Choose the Pokémon you wish with L or R, then send their ball to the tree with ZR. The Pokémon will not only harvest the items, but will gain 15 experience points. While it doesn’t sound like much, there are many trees throughout to harvest. Further, at lower levels, those 15 experience points can be a good chunk toward the next level up.
5. Harvest Tumblestone from orange crystal clusters
Like trees, certain crystal clusters can be harvested. The orange ones pictured above provide Tumblestone. Tumblestone is a critical component needed to craft Pokéballs. Without them, you may find yourself with no Pokéballs to craft, and you don’t want this to happen – especially if you see a shiny!
You may also gain other items along with Tumblestone, such as Stardust for selling purposes or Iron Chunks.
Like with the trees, send out a Pokémon to harvest Tumblestone. This Pokémon will receive 15 experience points.
Oh, and watch out: if the crystal is moving, there’s a Pokémon that will pop out once the crystal’s destroyed!
6. Harvest Black Tumblestone from black crystal clusters
Like the orange crystals, these rarer black crystals can also be harvested. They provide Black Tumblestone. Black Tumblestone is necessary to craft Heavy Balls. These version of Heavy Balls work better on Pokémon who have not noticed your presence, though they don’t fly very far. In previous games, they worked better against heavier Pokémon as their name suggests.
You may also find other items like Stardust and Iron Chunks along with the Black Tumblestone.
Send out whichever Pokémon you wish and they’ll gain 15 experience points.
Oh, just like the orange ones, moving black crystals will spawn a wild Pokémon when destroyed and harvested.
7. Defeat or catch the Alpha Bibarel at Tidewater Dam multiple times
Wait, challenging an Alpha? Indeed! Although it’s an Alpha, Bibarel is probably the weakest overall of all the Alphas – but don’t underestimate it, either!
You can find Alpha Bibarel patrolling Tidewater Dam. As an Alpha, you must battle it to attempt a catch. However, Alpha Bibarel is only level 16, making it a doable challenge early in the game. Be warned that choosing Cyndaquil as your starter will make this battle more difficult due to Bibarel’s secondary Water-type, so have a Shinx or Luxio in your party to counter.
Regardless of if you catch it or defeat it, it will respawn after a bit, so you can come back and repeat the process. One of the Pokedex research tasks for Bibarel is to catch an Alpha a certain number of times, but also one tasks for just defeating Bibarel in general (which the Alpha counts toward). Either way, you’re knocking out some research tasks along the way and gaining a lot of experience for taking out an Alpha!
With these tips, you should be able to quickly level up your Pokémon. Manually evolve them when possible to add to the Pokédex, but remember to only evolve after unlocking the full entry! Now go out and show those Alphas you mean business!
For more Pokémon content, check out our Slumbering Lord of Tundra Puzzle guide and more.
