Pokemon has been around for decades. You don't last that long in the competitive entertainment industry without building a rich world filled with memorable critters, characters, and gameplay content. Over 900 completely unique Pokemon inhabit this world, complemented by 53 regional forms and counting.
Even beyond the sheer scale of the National Dex, there's so much more for newer entries in the series to tip their hats toward with reverence. Easter eggs have long been a part of the Pokemon franchise, and Pokemon Legends: Arceus occupies a unique space in this highly successful setting by taking place many years prior to the rest of the games.
This has allowed Game Freak to summon many of its references in reverse order, as only prequels can do. By providing context for established aspects, the developers can cleverly toe the line. But there are also things in Legends: Arceus that are clearly from that game's future, some of which is subtler than others.
We've compiled some of the game's best kept cross-franchise secrets for your reading pleasure.
7 The Kurt Classic
In Legends: Arceus, Poke Balls aren't just bought — they're made. The game's crafting system allows players to construct dozens at a time, which is good, because you're going to be throwing so many of these iconic little cages.
One of the primary crafting materials involved in the construction of Poke Balls is an Apricorn. Apricorns date back to Pokemon Gold & Silver, where a savvy man named Kurt does some crafting of his own if the player hands him one of these dandy little fruits. The following day, he'll hand them one of his custom Poke Balls.
Since the events of Legends: Arceus take place a century or so prior to any of the mainline titles, it appears that old Hisui's Poke Ball blueprints live on through Kurt even at a time when commercially-produced Balls are built on the assembly line.
6 That Old Familiar Kricketune
There have been some unusual Pokemon cries through the years. Chatot's whistle sounds bizarrely trollish, and Eevee's baby-like outbursts in Sword & Shield and the Let's Go games crosses the border from saccharine into silliness. Zigzagoon sounds like it's laughing, growling, and hungry all at once.
Kricketune's multi-syllabic chant is quite possibly the most famous of them all. Fans have compared it to what they'd expect to hear from extraterrestrials rather than anything on our planet, let alone a cricket.
Evidently, the good folk at Game Freak agree. An internet meme that's been around for quite a while now involves someone boldly attempting to spell out this startling symphony. "De-le-le-whooooooooooop" — no, we didn't count and compare the vowels, feel free to lambast — is the popular joke. The Alpha Kricketune encountered early in Legends: Arceus, with a dialogue box echoing this meme to a tee, is proof positive that the developers are now in on the joke.
5 Jubilife Village: The Regional Supercenter
The most obvious reference in Jubilife Village can be found in the name itself. Jubilife Village is, virtually undoubtedly, the precursor to Diamond & Pearl's Jubilife City. Over time, the upstart settlement expands into a hip and happening urban sprawl.
There's more going on here than just that, however. NPCs often reference other regions, including Kanto, where Pokemon catching and battling is already commonplace. It's interesting that Sinnoh is so behind the times and has fans wondering just when exactly the people of Kanto got in on it, themselves.
Most splendidly of all, several Pokemon statues have been built atop Galaxy Hall. One of them is, in fact, Galarian Weezing. The odd nod to London factories had fans in stitches back in Sword & Shield, and its reign continues in Hisui.
4 Magma, Aqua, Unova
It would be easy to list the fact that just about every unique NPC in the game appears to be someone's ancestor. Commander Kamado is Professor Rowan's, Captain Cyllene looks suspiciously akin to Boss Cyrus, and the Medical Corps' Pesselle may be responsible for every Nurse Joy ever.
Tucked away at the Diamond Camp and Pearl Camp are portraits of people who appear to be the ancestors of Archie and Maxie, respectively. These are the guys with a bitter feud that leads to Archie attempting to create more oceans in the world and Maxie aiming for the same with land. They're Hoenn's main villains, and apparently, their lineage has ties with Hisui's rival clans.
Even Alder's ancestor appears to be in on the action. The future Champion of Unova's likeness can be found at both camps.
3 Vacationing Abroad
Without going into spoilers, there was a pretty big theory pre-launch that Pokemon Legends: Arceus' time-warped protagonists, Akari or Rei per player choice, are Sinnoh League victors Dawn or Lucas. They're stated to be a few years older than those championship-winning children. The physical similarities are striking. And the apparent case of amnesia is really rather convenient.
Regardless of this awfully intriguing puzzle, the Legends: Arceus hero and heroine are wearing something that only eagle-eyed fans will notice. Rei's shirt advertises the Kalos region, while Akari's — seen above — is all about Alola.
Were these teenage adventurers vacationing in the Pokemon world's equivalents of France and Hawaii when they're shot back through time by Arceus itself? Touring multiple regions is a common thing for trainers, so it's hardly unlikely. If so, this rude Hisuian awakening was probably not on the brochure.
2 Professor Arceus
Pokemon Legends: Arceus has one of the long-running series' most surprising opening sequences. You're not a kid waking up in a sleepy town, although the closed eyes on your character in the first couple of seconds here suggests you are, at least, waking up.
But what a thing to wake up to. The most godlike Pokemon in existence tosses you a phone and tells you to go start your Pokemon journey. Wait a minute, is Arceus reciting the lines that traditional games give their professors? It sure is. It adds a few twists on the formula, but then, so does every professor.
Is Arceus having a laugh? Is it doing this as some kind of joke? We're talking about a deity, here. Surely, it must know it's being a bit on-the-nose. Still, there's something eerie about experiencing what is largely a word-for-word on the usual spin, except this time with enough shining light and space-like backdrop to have players wondering if they accidentally booted up Final Fantasy 14.
1 Are We the Bad Guys?
Another one of those things that has an immediate element and a more thoughtful one, the Galaxy Team shares half its name with Team Galactic. Even the game's pre-order DLC lets you suit up in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl's version of Team Galactic's modern-day attire.
This leads to meaningful speculation whether Galaxy Team descends through the decades into the nefarious organization. What fewer fans in English-speaking nations know is that in Japanese, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese, Galaxy Team's name isn't Galaxy Team. It's Team Galactic.
With that in mind, it's nigh-on impossible to argue that Team Galactic's origins rest anyplace else. On the whole, it's interesting trivia; but when we consider how the residents of Hisui harbor concerns that Galaxy Team's intentions aren't entirely pure, it's like the whole thing is a self-fulfilling prophecy. And that's just wild.