Pokemon Legends Arceus: How to Mass Release Pokemon, and why you should

Releasing Pokemon is a mechanic that has always been in the series, but one way in which Pokemon Legends Arceus feels to change things up from the traditional games is by ramping up the rate at which you catch Pokemon. In fact, it feels more like Pokemon Go - and Legends Arceus introduces a mechanic from that game to match - the act of Mass Releasing Pokemon

Releasing Pokemon en-masse might seem to be counterintuitive to your goal of leveling up your research, but the reality is despite the fact the game encourages you to catch many of every creature to fill in Professor Laventon’s research and fill in the Pokedex. That means you’ll have far more Pokemon than you need - and so you can release them.

Releasing them isn’t just nice to the Pokemon, either - it has significant rewards that can help to make your team more powerful and make your life much easier - as powerful as understanding Type Strengths and Weaknesses, having lots of inventory space, or unlocking all the crafting recipes. Allow us to explain…

How to Mass Release Pokemon in Legends Arceus

The Pasture menu in Pokemon Legends Arceus, which is where you mass release Pokemon you're not using.

In order to release Pokemon, you simply need to head to the main place where you can interact with your stable of Pokemon in full - which is the Pasture in Jubilife Village. There, an NPC you can talk to at the entrance of the Pasture will help you to manage all of the Pokemon you’ve caught, including helping you to release Pokemon.

To release a single Pokemon, you simply need to click on the Pokemon in question in the pasture menu and choose the release option.

To mass release Pokemon, go to the pasture menu and press the X button to toggle on multiple selection. Now you can click any Pokemon you want to release with the A button, making it with a tick. When ready, press X to release all check-marked Pokemon. You’ll be prompted to confirm, but after that, they’re gone.

Why do this? Why not just let Pokemon sit in the pasture forever? Well, there’s a pretty good reason to get to releasing…

Why you should Release Pokemon

Mass releasing Pokemon nets powerful rewards to help your quest.

There’s two reasons why you should release Pokemon in the first place. The first is a pretty plain matter of utility -  you only have 24 Pasture ‘boxes’ in Legends Arceus, Each holds 30 Pokemon, which means you can hold a maximum of 720 Pokemon. In fairness, that’s a lot, but if you’re going for a complete Pokedex, you might fill that as you max out research, thanks to how easy it is to catch many Pokemon.

The second reason is more important, however. For every Pokemon you release, you’ll be given presents from the Pokemon before they disappear into the wild

These presents are generally Grit items such as Grit Dust, Grit Gravel, Grit Pebbles, and even Grit Rocks.

Grit items are hugely useful, as they can be spent on your favorite Pokemon to raise the ‘Effort Level’ of their stats. Effort Levels are powerful in Pokemon Legends Arceus - a level 20 Pokemon with maxed out effort on each of its stats can easily outlast and beat a level 40 or even level 50 Pokemon with less impressive effort stats. They seriously boost your stats - and so by mass releasing Pokemon, you can get grit to spend on your team to make any story encounters an absolute breeze.

If you’re working on filling out your Pokedex, allow us to assist. As well as the advice above, we’ve got plenty more linked on our Pokemon Legends Arceus guides hub. That includes pages on where to catch Munchlax, Bonsly, Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark, and Misdreavus - plus advice on new gameplay systems like the replacement for trade volutions, Space-Time Distortions, and even specific puzzles as in Snowpoint Temple, Uxie’s Riddle, Wisp Locations, and the mysterious side quest The Sea’s Legend