Good Lord Pokemon Legends: Arceus Is Hostile

thegamer.com:

Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes place in a version of the Pokemon world that’s practically unrecognizable, and it has nothing to do with the fancy new open world mechanics. Hisui is unlike any other region in Pokemon. Despite physically occupying the land that will one day become the idyllic Sinnoh region, Hisui is a cold and unforgiving place where untold dangers lurk around every corner. There’s remarkably little trust between people, and even less between people and Pokemon. Fear of the unknown is a defining characteristic of Hisui, which permeates almost every interaction you have in the game. We talk a lot about how different Legends: Arceus is mechanically, but what surprised me the most was the constant, relentless hostility you experience throughout most of the game.

Long before you’re ever attacked by a raging Snorlax (too long, in fact) you’re introduced to a cast of characters that all hate your guts. In this tribal era that seemingly predates air travel, the people of Jubilife Village aren’t used to meeting outsiders, especially ones who fall out of a portal in the sky. They’re understandably hesitant to embrace you until you prove you can be valuable to them. After catching three Pokemon for the feckless Professor Laventon, he immediately introduces you to Captain Cyllene, a severe woman who looks like she’s never once laughed in her life. Over dinner later that night, Laventon tells you that you’ll need to prove yourself a capable Pokemon researcher if you want to eat. Cyllene reiterates this quid pro quo the next day, saying that if you fail to pass her test, you’ll be cast out of the village and forced to “meet your fate - and perhaps your death - in the wilds.”

Never before has a character in a Pokemon