PLA: How to catch the Lake Guardians, Cresselia, Heatran, and Regigigas

Catch Cresselia, Heatran, Regigigas, Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie in one big mission.

There’s plenty of post-game fun to look forward to once you’ve beaten Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ main storyline and have captured both Dialga and Palkia. Upon returning to Jubilife Village, you’ll unlock Mission 20: The Researcher of Myths, which puts you on the track of six Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. There’s a lot to do to unlock these creatures and they’re necessary if you want to go on to capture Giratina and eventually Arceus.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus — The Researcher of Myths

Turn on manual saves
Unlock The Researcher of Myths
Catch Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie
Catch Heatran
Catch Cresselia
Catch Regigigas
How to get the Fist Plate
Battle Giratina

Turn on manual saves

If you haven’t done so already, I highly recommend that you switch to manual saves before going up against these Mythicals and Legendaries in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. This makes it so the game only saves when you tell it to.

Open settings.
Scroll down to Autosave.
Select Disabled.
Manually save the game.

Make sure to manually save before each Legendary or Mythical encounter. That way, if you accidentally defeat any Pokémon instead of catching them, you can turn the game off, boot it back up, and attempt to capture them again from your last save. This is a common practice that many players have used in past Pokémon games as well.

How to unlock Mission 20: The Researcher of Myths

You can only encounter these three Mythical and three Legendary Pokémon when you’ve unlocked Mission 20: The Researcher of Myths. The requirements to get to that point are as follows:

Beat the main storyline and watch the credits roll.
You’ll return to Jubilife Village and Mission 20: The Researcher of Myths will queue up for you.
Travel to Obsidian Fieldlands and head to the marker at the Heights Camp.
Talk to Volo near the rock and you’ll discuss collecting Plates.
Head to the marker at Grueling Grove and you’ll see Volo near the pond.
Battle the Level 60 Alpha Vespiquen that appears and you’ll get the Stone Plate.

Vespiquen (Lv 60) Weakness: Flying, Fire, Electric, Ice

Return to Jubilife Village.
Travel to Cogita’s home at the Ancient Retreat.
Take the time to listen to her explain everything she has to say. This will unlock various Mythical and Legendary encounters.

The three lake Pokémon – Azelf, Mesprit, Uxie, and Draco Plate
The Volcano – Heatran and Iron Plate
The crescent Moon – Cresselia and Dread Plate
The temple giant – Regigigas and Blank Plate
The beginning – Fist Plate

After listening to her explain each of the five topics, you’ll have five new Missions to work on. We’ll start with how to get Azelf, Mespirt, and Uxie.

How to catch Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie Mission 21: The Plate of the Lakes

Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie all have the same weaknesses, so it’s best if your Pokémon are at least at level 60 and you have at least one Dark, Bug, or Ghost type in your party.

Travel to the Obsidian Fieldlands and head inside the cave at Lake Verity.
Manually save your game.
Mesprit will appear. Chuck one of your Pokémon at it to start the battle. Don’t forget to use Mesprit’s weaknesses against it to make this fight easier.

Mesprit (Lv 70) Weakness: Dark, Bug, Ghost

Once you get its health down into the red chuck your best Poké Balls at it until it is caught.
Head back to Jubilife Village and then travel to Crimson Mirelands.
Head to Lake Valor and enter the cave.
Manually save your game.
Azelf will appear. Toss one of your Pokémon out to start the battle.

Azelf (Lv 70) Weakness: Dark, Bug, Ghost

When it’s health is in the red, throw your best Poké Balls to catch it.
Return to Jubilife Village and then travel to Alabaster Icelands.
Make your way to Lake Acuity and enter the cave.
Manually save your game.
Uxie is waiting to be battled inside. Throw your Pokémon at it to start the fight.

Uxie (Lv 70) Weakness: Dark, Bug, Ghost

When it’s health is low, throw your best Poké Balls until you catch it.

Once you’ve caught all three Lake Guardians, you’ll automatically receive the Draco Plate and this Mission comes to a close. Now you can move onto the next Legendary Pokémon and it’s Plate.

How to catch Heatran Mission 22: The Plate of Firespit Island

Travel to Cobalt Coastlands and head to Firespit Island, the same place where you calmed the noble Pokémon, Hisuian Arcanine.
Enter the lair on the left where Iscan and Irida are standing.
Manually save your game.
You’ll discover Heatran waiting for you. Throw your Pokémon out to start the battle. Use Heatran’s weaknesses against it to make the fight easier.

Heatran (Lv 70) Weakness: Fighting, Ground, Water

When its health is low, throw your best Poké Balls until you’ve caught it.

Once you’ve successfully caught it, you’ll receive the Iron Plate and can move onto the next Legendary.

How to catch Cresselia Mission 23: The Plate of Moonview Arena

Travel to Coronet Highlands Summit Camp and then head to the Moonview Arena, the same place you calmed noble Pokémon Electrode before.
Cresselia is at level 70 and sits in the back of the arena. I suggest you manually save if you haven’t done so yet.
Throw one of your Pokémon at Cresselia to start the battle.
Whittle down its health until it’s in the red and then catch it with one of your best Poké Balls.

Cresselia Weakness: Dark, Bug, Ghost

After defeating or catching Cresselia, you will receive the Dread Plate and can move on to the last Legendary in this stretch.

How to catch Regigigas Mission 24: The Plate of Snowpoint Temple

Travel to Alabaster Icelands and head to the Snowpoint Temple, where you previously traveled through to unlock Hisuian Braviary.
You’ll hit a closed door that requires three Plates to open it: The Icicle Plate, Stone Plate, and Iron Plate. By virtue of playing through the main storyline and capturing Heatran, you’ll already have all necessary Plates to enter.
Continue through the Temple until you see Regigigas.
Manually save your game and then continue until you meet up with Regigigas. Throw out your Pokémon to start the battle and use it’s weaknesses against it.

Regigigas (Lv 70) Weakness: Psychic, Flying, Fairy

You’ll be rewarded with the Blank Slate once you defeat Regigigas, but this overall Mission isn’t over yet.

How to get the Fist Plate Mission 25: The Plate of Prelude Beach

Return to Jubilife Village and Commander Kamado will want to speak to you at Prelude Beach.
Take a moment to change your Pokémon to your best fighters. A battle is coming up.
I highly recommend you manually save your game at this point.
Head to the marker at end of the dock.
Now you need to battle Commander Kamado. This is going to be a tough fight, so come prepared with your best Pokémon. I highly suggest your Pokémon be at least level 65 and that you include a Fighting, Electric, Water, and Dark type.

Golem (Lv 65) Weakness: Ground, Water, Fighting, Steel, Grass, Ice
Heracross (Lv 65) Weakness: Flying, Psychic, Fire, Fairy
Clefable (Lv 65) Weakness: Poison, Steel
Snorlax (Lv 66) Weakness: Fighting
Hisuian Braviary (Lv 65) Weakness: Ghost, Dark, Rock, Electric, Ice

You’ll receive the Fist Plate for defeating him. When that’s all done, you’re poised and ready to move onto the next section where you’ll battle Giratina. If that feels a little too daunting, just bask in the glory of having caught your three Mythical and three Legendary Pokémon.

What a catch

With these three Mythical Pokémon and three Legendary Pokémon added to your Satchel, you’re ready to go on to capture Giratina and then eventually Arceus down the road. Good luck and I hope you don’t have to throw too many Poké Balls to add them all to your collection.