What’s the Difference Between Alpha Pokemon and Totem Pokemon? Answered

Alpha Pokemon are one of the new features in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. These large Pokemon are the top tier of their species and are challenging both to battle and capture. Interestingly, they share many traits with the Totem Pokemon from the Pokemon Sun and Moon games. Like Alphas, Totems are unusually large powerful Pokemon that are tough to beat. Each one was a boss in Alola’s Island Trials. Despite sounding similar, both groups are quite different.

Alpha Pokemon Have No Outside Influence

Alpha Pokemon are purely wild and as such, become so powerful on their own through surpassing others of their kind. It can be inferred that they have outlived many others of their species to earn such a status. The Totem Pokemon of Alola, while wild, have had outside training from each area’s Trial Captain in order to become powerful opponents for challengers.

You Can’t Capture A Totem Like You Can An Alpha

You have the opportunity to catch any Alpha you come across in Legends: Arceus. Totem Pokemon, on the other hand, can’t be caught because it is against the regulations of Alola’s trials to do so. You can only get a Totem by collecting the Totem Stickers found around the islands and then presenting them to Samson Oak.

Totem Pokemon Get Their Power Differently

It is believed that part of a Totem Pokemon’s power comes from the Ultra Space Wormholes, the same power that Ultra Beasts have. Alpha Pokemon get powered by pure wild rage. With Totems, their fury is powered by the magic of space. Interestingly, both Legends: Arceus and Sun and Moon have themes of Space and different universes, with Time being one added to Arceus.

Alpha Pokemon Can Be Shiny

Depending on if the Pokemon species isn’t shiny-locked, it is possible to find a shiny Alpha. Totem Pokemon are all shiny locked, and as such, no shiny version of them exists. Totem Pokemon also cannot be found in the wild outside of the Trials.

Alpha Pokemon Are A Build On Of Totems

While they are very different lore-wise, it’s clear that Alphas are a build-on of what Totem Pokemon were in Alola. They are similar but different enough so that they feel like their own concept. The Pokemon Sun and Moon games introduced a lot of things that were different from the pacing of past games, and as such, opened the doors for going out of the box with new mechanics in future titles. So no matter what your opinion on the Sun and Moon games might be, remember that we would not have Alpha Pokemon were it not for the Totems.