Pokemon Legends: Arceus – How To Complete the Pokedex

[Updated on August 8, 2024, to revise outdated formatting.]

Like in other games in the series, in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, you are tasked with helping the Hisuian people catalog and learn more about those mysterious pocket monsters using Pokedex. Nevertheless, considering the game is taking place in the distant past, your Pokedex isn’t supported by cutting-edge technology that makes your job registering Pokemon easy. Instead of completing a Pokedex in Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a bit more involved this time around.

To complete a Pokedex entry in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, you need to:

1. Register new Pokemon species. First, you have to either capture or saw a new Pokemon to get it registered into the Pokedex.
2. Increase the Research Level. Obviously, just registering the new Pokemon isn’t enough. Fulfill Research Tasks listed in the Pokedex to raise up each Pokemon’s Research Level. They all have different tasks to be completed, but most are something along these lines:
   • The number of times you’ve caught it.
   • The number of times you’ve defeated it.
   • The number of times you’ve seen it use a specific move.
   • The number of times it defeated a specific Pokemon Type.
   • The number of times it used Strong or Agile Style moves.
   • The number of times you’ve evolved it.
   • Etc.
3. After completing one or more Research Tasks, you need to report your progress to Professor Laventon at a Base Camp first. Otherwise, it won’t count.
4. Do the Research Tasks until you reach Research Level 10. Once the Pokemon’s photo is colorized and a Pokeball icon appears next to its name, you know the Pokedex entry is complete. However, you don’t actually have to do every Research Task listed in the Pokedex entry; each gives you a number of points that will increase the Research Level.

It’s crucial to finish your Pokedex entries. Raising your Research Level will enhance your rank in the Galaxy Expedition Survey Team, which gives you access to more areas, a variety of Pokeball recipes and goodies, and getting all Pokemon to Research Level 10 will also grant you the Shiny Charm, which massively increases your chances of catching Shiny Pokemon. To quickly rank up each of the 242 Pokemon entries, the online database Game8.co has the list of the best Research Tasks to do, so check it out.