There are close to 100 Requests to complete in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but request 85, titled At Home Under The Eaves, is among the most worthwhile thanks to its emotional writing that shows a gentler side of Pokémon. Requests provide the game’s side quests, so many players might prioritize the main story quests and complete only the Requests required to unlock specific Pokémon. While Request 85 does not provide any remarkable rewards, its sweet, simple narrative will likely stick with players longer than the rest. This heartwarming quest focuses on the bond between an elderly woman and a Pokémon. Its themes of overcoming fear and developing empathy for living things are delivered more eloquently than other similar messages throughout the Pokémon franchise. The Request’s subject matter, a woman in her golden years who lives a quiet, simple life, also stands in contrast to the youth and battle-oriented narratives that usually dominate the series.
Many people still fear Pokemon in Legends: Arceus’ time period, which accounts for the quest-giver Ida’s attitudes. The elderly woman asks the protagonist to help with moving a Chimecho that has made its home in the eaves above her doorstep. The Chimecho is a windchime-like Pokémon, unremarkable in battle beyond its tendency to chime loudly, alerting other wild Pokémon in the area and making them harder to catch. This Chimecho bears a happy grin, and voices its chime above Ida as it blows in the breeze. Ida says it nested in her house without her notice, and, “It seems mellow enough, but I’m not at ease with having a Pokémon so close.” This is understandable for any resident of Jubilife village, as there are fresh memories of Pokemon that have wiped out settlements in the past, and the strange Space/Time Distortions are causing the region’s Noble Pokémon to enter a frenzied state.
When comparing Legends: Arceus’ Jubilife Village to BDSP’s Jubilife City, the prequel game trades the modern city for a quaint farming community. Jubilife Village features pastures where the hero can house their Pokémon outside of battle, and a training area where Pokémon can learn new moves. The series’ mystical creatures are not as comfortably ingrained in the villagers’ lifestyles as in other Pokémon titles, however. A few town guards employ a small number of trained Pokémon to aid with security, and the farmers have their own requests to borrow specific Pokémon to aid with crop production, but the Pokémon-centered economy of other games has not developed yet in Jubilife Village. There are no Poké Marts, and no job postings for Pokémon. The idea of keeping a Pokémon as a pet is still a bit alien to Jubilife’s residents in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Ida included.
Ida’s Side Quest In Pokémon Legends: Arceus Is About Empathy
Finding a new home for Chimecho is not nearly as arduous as collecting all 107 wisps in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The player is required to visit four separate locations to scout out possible alternate nesting spots for the Chimecho. Although Ida is wary of the Pokémon she still cares enough about it enough that she wants it to be happy with its new roost. She claims she cannot understand what the Chimecho feels and wants the protagonist, presumably more of an expert in Pokémon, to ensure it is content in its new environs. First trying a farmhouse near Jubilife’s fields, the Chimecho lets out a sad extended chime, and the hero intuits the Pokémon does not like the way the wind blows there. When the player informs Ida, she immediately understands, stating, “So it prefers the way the wind blows around my house? I like it, too! We get a good breeze.”
Catching rare Shiny Pokémon in Legends: Arceus appeals to collectors, but At Home Under The Eaves offers a different kind of emotional payoff. Ida suggests the breeze near the sea might be better for Chimecho, but the Pokémon rejects the isolated location as it is too far away from the villagers. Ida again empathizes, observing Chimecho prefers “lively places,” just like she does. Few places are more lively in Jubilife than the Training Ground, but when asked to train with other Pokémon the Chimecho turns away because, going against the grain of the series, “Chimecho doesn’t like to battle.” Ida understands, saying, “I guess it’s only natural that some Pokémon don’t like to battle. I’m sorry to scare you, Chimecho.” The final suggestion is the house next door, as it should provide the same comfort as Ida’s. At this point Ida and Chimecho come to the same realization, and she concludes she would like the Chimecho to stay with her after all, saying, “It just dawned on me that hearing its adorable cry coming from under the eaves is part of my routine now!”
As a turn-based JRPG, Pokemon: Legends Arceus’ mechanics center on battle and capturing more Pokemon to add to the party or to complete the Pokédex. The stories of Pokémon games follow young people leaving home to catch and train Pokémon, and they carry the theme of coming to understand Pokémon through battle and helping them to unlock “the power that’s inside.” For most pet owners, the bond between Ida and Chimecho hits closer to home than the typical relationship between a trainer and their Pokémon. Ida projects her feelings onto Chimecho, voicing her own preferences for a cool breeze, a lively place where she can watch children play, and her dislike of conflict and violence. Many pet owners do the same with their pets, and these pets in turn empathize with their owners, sensing when they are stressed or in pain, and providing them comfort and companionship.
More Will Relate To Ida Than Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ Trainers
Ida is not a young trainer who rewards Pokémon for their strength and loyalty, essentially their ability to perform tricks. She is simply living out her days peacefully in the village she calls her home. Ida comes to realize it is not something specific to her house that makes Chimecho happy. It is happy just from being with her. The game features an epic main narrative where the region is imperiled, and an ambitious schemer threatens to thwart the will of the creator itself to rewrite reality. The game also features At Home Under The Eaves, Legends: Arceus’ Request which tells a simple story that beautifully sums up the bond between humans and their pets. Most pets do not need to win contests or battle their way through a Pokémon Championship to earn their human’s love. They can simply share uneventful, peaceful days at home, with their barks, purrs, or chimes, bringing a smile to their owner’s face, as Pokémon Legends: Arceus so eloquently demonstrates.
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