Like many people out there in the world right now, I have been obsessed with Pokémon Legends Arceus. I’m just starting in the third location and I already find myself 15 hours into catching the lovable creatures and finding myself engrossed in filling the first ever Pokédex for the Hisui region. It’s been incredible to see new characters that act as ancestors to the ones I grew up with, to find these new forms and evolutions, and to tackle each new locale with a sense of excitement and discovery.
The thing is though, there is one thing that has gotten me more excited for the series, and the franchise as a whole. It's also a part of the franchise I haven't really seen talked about yer online.
(minor spoilers ahead Legends Arceus)
At the beginning of the game, we get to select our trainer’s initial appearance like previous entries. Instead of the Pokémon Professor greeting us however, we are introduced to our new adventure by the legendary creator of the Sinnoh region, Arceus. While we don’t see him directly, he gives the player a mission to capture all of the Pokémon in the ancient Sinnoh region (aka Hisui), and sends us on our journey.
While that seems like the same straightforward opening the franchise has always relied upon, there is one outlying factor to this origin. The trainer that we control is wearing modern clothing and their cellphone is brought with them, transformed into a new device called the Arc Phone. Pokémon, a franchise with an insane level of marketability and legacy behind its name, has just taken things to a whole new level. Pokemon has gone full blown isekai.
For those who are new to anime and manga, “isekai” translates to “another world” and tackles the idea of a protagonist being transported to a world unlike their own. From magical fantasy worlds and being trapped in the past, it’s a genre acts as the basis in anime and manga like Inuyasha, Digimon, and even Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.
That said, it was in the 2010's when this particular kind of narrative had its boom period. With the rising popularity of light novels, especially mega hits like Sword Art Online and Re:Zero, isekai has become one the most marketable genres for Japanese popular culture. In fact, 5 anime from the recent winter 2022 anime season alone are all classified as isekai, among dozens of other adaptations that have appeared before then. It’s a genre with as much staying power as superhero films have been in the US.
So now we have the world’s biggest franchises combined with one of the most marketable genres in Japan for over a decade. I can only imagine the marketing team at The Pokémon Company frothing at mouth due to the sheer potential, but I want to focus on one particular facet that I would love to see.
A New Take on a Legendary Anime
Ash and Pikachu could go on a legendary journey that could rival any of their previous adventures.
Anime and Pokémon go together like Brock and jelly donuts, and when we think of Pokémon anime, most will look back on the original series that started it all. We all have fond memories of the Pokémon anime and the tales of Ash Ketchum (or Satoshi if that’s your preference) and his journey with lovable mascot Pikachu. It’s been a winning formula since 1997, and has led to over 1,000 episodes across 13 series and 30 movies and having aired in over 200 different countries. It’s a staple of the childhoods of many and deserves all the nostalgia we have for it.
I think it could be possible to take the iconic series in a direction and explore the world of Hisui with our dynamic duo. The anime is not unfamiliar with the idea of traveling through time, as that was the core premise for films like Pokemon 4ever, in which Ash, Misty, and Brock travel 40 years in the past and meet the legendary Pokémon Celebi.
I think it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see Ash travel through time once again, running into ancestors of old friends and rivals, all while trying to get home. Even the concepts at the game's core present new narrative potential. The idea of Ash focusing on catching all Pokemon in Hisui rather than trying to win a tournament for the millionth time would be the kind of refresh the series needs.
The Legend of the Rising Dawn
Dawn is a favorite to many watchers of the anime, and a side story with her could be a fun bit of nostalgic fan service for long time fans.
Ash might not even have to be the focus, as another character from the anime's past could have the spotlight.
Dawn, from the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl anime, is directly inspired by the female protagonist from the games of the same name, which also inspired by the female protagonist’s design in Legends Arceus.
Imagine if her story told about how she was trapped in the ancient version of her native region, possibly in a body swapping scenario with the female protagonist of Legends, similar to stories like the recent success Ascendance of a Bookworm. She would only have her Piplup by her side, or one Legends Arceus' three starters, and have to find way her way back home. Since Dawn already didn't focus on challenging gyms like Ash did, instead trying to win style centric Pokemon contests, she could easily fit in a scenario where battling isn't the main focus of the journey.
I'll admit that this concept isn't likely, but it's always fun to take characters from established IPs and give them their own narrative. While I don't think it would be a dramatic or serious story, Dawn could be the star of a fun new side series while the core anime focuses on preparing for the eventual ninth generation of Pokemon games that will act as the mainline inspiration.
A Legend Told in a New Story
Pokemon Origins was a beautiful love letter to the origins of the franchise, and Legends Arceus could receive that same treatment.
That said, the mainline Pokémon anime is not the only anime project that the franchise has had, and some argue not even its best. In recent years, The Pokémon Company have released multiple anime that don’t connect with Ash's journey. Miniseries like Pokémon Origins and Pokémon: Twilight Wings have gained major notoriety for their animation quality and their effective storytelling in such a short format.
So imagine Legends Arceus’ story in the form of an original isekai anime? The game’s plot, at least so far, checks the exact same boxes that any light novel adaptation would. If you throw in a driving force for the main character, like trying to return to their time/world, or maybe learning to love Pokémon through their exploration of the region and adjusting to life in Hisui.
The characters within the game would already make for a strong supporting cast, with the game especially highlighting the likes of Professor Laventon, Captain Cylene, and your gender opposite colleague in the survey corps. If you throw in the fact the game is focusing on an older demographic, given the protagonist is aged up to 15, and you could have potentially a more character rich and mature storyline for older fans.
Even if it was more directed towards children, there is still strong narrative potential. Maybe the protagonist could have been someone afraid of Pokémon and is dropped in this new era where they are seemingly feared by Hisui’s residents. You could then have them actively being taught about each of the core traits of a different Pokémon each week through catching and battling like in the game. It could be a way to introduce the iconic monsters in a compelling manner for kids and highlight years of flavor text through previous Pokédex entries.
I know it may seem a little strange for me to focus on the Pokémon anime, as I have easily grown out of it’s primary demographic, but the same could be said about the entire franchise. Pokémon was designed initially as a game for children inspired by series creator Satoshi Tajiri’s love of catching bugs outside his family home as a child. Nostalgia has been at the core of the franchise since its beginning, and now its apart of the childhood of anyone whose experienced it.
That was definitely the case for me, and I still love seeing stories about new movies and anime coming out. I’ll also admit that my love for the franchise was starting to fade because each new release felt like more of the same. I started thinking that I was getting too old for the franchise because it wasn’t bringing the excitement like it used to. I’ve always loved seeing and playing new stories coming from these iconic creatures and the trainers who raise them, and now Legends Arceus has me even more excited because it's made me realize why I loved it in the first place.
I only hope that this game’s success will lead to even more excitement to build in the already iconic franchise.