Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes place in the Sinnoh region, the same location as Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. As you might expect, that means the two legendary Pokemon from those games, Dialga and Palkia, appear in this game as well. You can obtain them both, and the method by which you do it is very different than other Pokemon games.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus spoilers follow.
Both Dialga and Palkia are a part of the main quest, and are obtained over the course of completing the story. But rather than choose your legendary by playing either Diamond or Pearl, this game lets you determine which one you obtain first by aligning yourself with the Diamond or Pearl clans.
Near the end of the main quest, you’ll be tasked with reconstructing the Red Chain, a magical artifact that can bind the world together. This is what’s needed to resolve the rift in the sky and set things right again. With the world on the line, you go to find the pieces of the Red Chain, and you get a choice of who to bring along: Adaman, the leader of the Diamond clan, or Irida, the leader of the Pearl clan.
The game doesn’t tell you at the time, but who you choose to accompany you is also sneakily choosing which legendary Pokemon you’ll catch first. Dialga is associated with Pokemon Diamond and Palkia is associated with Pokemon Pearl. So naturally, choosing Adaman will mean you’ll catch Dialga first, while choosing to go with Irida will mean you’ll catch Palkia first.
Ultimately this choice doesn’t matter too much, since you’ll catch them both. Shortly after capturing either Dialga or Palkia, you’ll construct a special Poke Ball that has the power to catch the other one. This is the big finale boss fight, at least for the main quest, and you’ll probably want to use either Dialga or Palkia to fight the other. Both Pokemon are level 65 upon catching them, so you don’t get a stat bump either way. This also means whichever one you didn’t choose will remain in a special, exclusive Poke Ball forever.
With both Dialga and Palkia in tow, the credits will roll and you can move onto the second quest, which involves completing your Pokedex, finding more artifacts, and ultimately confronting yet another legendary boss.
For more Pokemon Legends: Arceus guides, check out our beginner’s tips, how long it takes to beat and how missions work, and tips to raise your star ranking quickly. Plus, be sure to read our Pokemon Legends: Arceus review.
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