
Update: After all of yesterday's confusion, The Pokémon Company has now shared a second look at the mysterious footage, but this time it's much clearer.
As you can see towards the end of the video, we get a clear look at Hisuian versions of both Zorua and Zoroark. And they look fantastic.
"A few days ago, a researcher uncovered some mysterious footage of the Hisui region. Professor Oak looked through all of your findings and was able to restore the video to reveal Hisuian Zorua and Hisuian Zoroark!
Hisuian Zoroark seems scary...but it also appears to be protective of Hisuian Zorua."

- Further reading: Pokémon Legends: Arceus Pokédex - Every Confirmed Pokémon So Far
Original Article (Tues 19th Oct, 2021): Pokémon Legends: Arceus' January release date is creeping ever closer, and The Pokémon Company has shared some mysterious – and slightly chilling – footage to promote the game.
In the two-minute clip below, someone appears to be recording footage of the Hisui region, the location in which the game is set and the name used for what we all know today as the Sinnoh region. The Pokémon Company says that the clip was found in the Canalave Library by a researcher, but what is happening?
The person recording appears to stumble across some wild Pokémon, and despite the entire thing seemingly being filmed on a potato, the footage is just about clear enough to suggest that they might have been attacked towards the end. Take a look:
On Twitter, The Pokémon Company asks fans to examine the footage closely and report back with any findings. What do you see, or hear? Did the person stumble across an entirely new Pokémon?
Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Comments 119
The game is set in the past and they have to use those ancient Pokeballs but yet there still exist things like cameras or an Arceus-phone. Ok
Interesting...maybe Hisui Mewtwo as it was rumored to be in the game?
The Blair Whiscash Project
@mariomaster96 plot twist! It was modern day all along!
They saw a naked Mimikyu for sure 😱
Paranormal-type Arcetivity
It looked similar as Yokai Watch 2, the wicked Yokai invasion.
So THIS is what became of the Abandoned game from Blue box.
Kidding aside, so this means hisuian Snowrunts and maybe a new form?
Wait...what? Why do we have footage of an (apparently not ancient but) super old region?
The guy in the video calls it a 'strange device', but he also wants to 'document some footage' so it's clearly not that strange as he has an understanding of taking footage in the first place and therefore understands it to be a camera.
This makes little to no sense.
This is a weird af marketing strategy that doesn't suit Pokemon AT ALL.
@PessitheMystic This feels like something they should have done in an alternate universe where BDSP got Platinum content with an expanded Distortion World.
Ah well...a man can dream.
Blair SWitch Poke-ject
@mariomaster96 It could be like Anmitsu Hime, which takes place in the Edo Period of Japan but somehow they have modern technology.
In Ryan Croddock's mind the word "releases" no longer exists.
Just like I wanted a first person found footage horror game playing as Toad after witnessing the splendour of a specific cutscene in Luigi's Mansion 3.... Give me a Blair Witch style Pokemon horror game any day! xD
It is probably 1354th form of Charizard.
Everything new on pokemon includes Charizard for some reason.
I don't understand why they bother, I mean, just throw a tiny rock on it and it is dead anyway.
@Pokester99 it's going to take more than one gaming flopping to sink a company worth billions haha besides I think they know what there doing even if some of the 'fans' think they know better.
Rated E for Eaten Alive.
People get so hung up on 'but it's meant to be in the past'. Pokemon doesn't take place in our world. In the Pokemon world, camera and phones could have existed for a couple of hundred years already.
Some sort of regional Growlithe variant, maybe?
The tone of this seems odd for a Pokemon game, lol.
@bluemage1989 We've literally come off one of their most successful generations since the 90s sales-wise, and yet salty internet randos are still acting like a couple of people whining on social media is some sort of existential threat to them.
@Peach64 That's true, but the confusion isn't for nothing.
They've stated the game takes place in a time long ago and they've downgraded the technology to show that, with the Pokedex just being a paper journal and Pokeballs looking like wooden capsule things. To then include a smartphone and cameras is jarring to say the least. Not unheard of, what with BotW and all, but still strange to wrap around.
@Pokester99 That's a bit extreme for a game that isn't even put yet. Why not just hope for a good game, wait for it's release and the reception, and then go from there on the doom and gloom?
@Maximumbeans I was thrown off by that too, lol. Maybe we'll get an explanation in game about it.
is this set in the past or present? The existence of a video camera confuses me
I think the guy straight-up died
Cool!
@mariomaster96 its a game about mythical monsters fitting in tiny ball toys and you're concerned about realism? Ok.
@lewiscallum It's a joke. Ok
This is a pretty cool video. People cry out for a new direction and for Pokemon to try something new and when that happens they're like "no not like that!".
@Ralizah it's very hard to take them seriously, especially when they claim to be fans of the series but have spent almost a decade complaining about every entry, constantly talking about how they want the company to collapse, and making amateurish attempts at 'making them pay' all because they The Pokemon Company will not put the wishes of a few thousand entitled 'fans' over the millions of happy ones who are buying and loving everything they are doing right now.
@UmbreonsPapa Because see, that's healthy and reasonable and this is the internet. I'm on the side that got disappointed with Sword and Shield, but it seems that many people go to extremes so they either hate or love something and either the company can't do no wrong or everything it does is crap. Personally I'm excited for this and even though I may not get the Diamond/Pearl remakes they seem very nice and seem to correct some stuff that people complained about.
@Maximumbeans
Once time travel is added to any franchise... I just assume things like this are common.
They do have time travel Pokemon, they could've gotten a Pokemon that bring items from the past and this guy's an enthusiast of future items?... Still confusing but I'll roll with it.
It's similar to Love, Death and Robots show on Netflix, some episodes look like they take place in the past, but incorporate technology that is even more advanced than todays stuff.
@Ttim3r That's actually a pretty good suggestion. And it's been established in the lore for years that certain Pokemon can even make stuff or use technology better than humans, so that's pretty plausible I guess.
Actually, that raises an interesting question about what Rotom was/did before the modern technology it possesses.
After all these years lucas (sorrry Rei) finally geets voice acting/spotlight! I am happy
@Maximumbeans I believe the game is supposed to be set in the equivalent of the 19th century. It's not actually "ancient". Although a video camera is certainly off for that time, no doubt about it.
@Harmonie Aye, I think I've been going off of extrapolated info because the site for the game never actually says 'ancient' or anything like that, you're right.
@Maximumbeans It’s the arc phone. He clearly doesn’t know how it works, or how the camera works, given that the thing seems busted. Not a fan of this game having a phone, but time travel is a big thing with gen 4, so I don’t know what to think.
So is it time travel? Dude was using a camcorder. Hopefully it is like Chrono Trigger!
Hisuian Froslass murdering people caught on an arceusphone.
@VoidofLight Including the phone pushes it to ‘oh it’s inspired by BotW’ to just ‘this is Pokémon BotW’ for me.
@Maximumbeans Except, it doesn't play like BotW.. since it's been confirmed that the game will work like Monster Hunter.
Grizzly Man: Pokemon Edition.
@VoidofLight No I get that, I was just talking about inspiration. I’m not trying to tear the thing down, just having a bit of speculative chat.
Oh dear, this is the Glimwood Tangle gambit all over again.
@Pokester99 Well, that's not going to happen. Besides, "they don't even know where to go with this franchise"? Dude, it's just a different kind of trailer. It's not a big deal.
He's dead Jim...
On a different note I like remakes in Pokemon especially HeartGold and SoulSilver. Hope the Gen 4 remakes do justice.
@Ralizah That one already exists. I think you meant Arcanine.
@Maximumbeans Ah, if you mean inspiration, then yeah, this is 100% inspired by BotW's Shiekah Slate.
@Ralizah Seems more likely to be Hisuian Zorua, given the description matches more with it, with the fluffy fur around the neck, and being mistaken for a Vulpix first.
Rotom messing with that camera
@VoidofLight The other possibility mentioned under the tweet is a new Eeveelution.
@bluemage1989 I mean, I've had my concerns about the direction of the brand as well. I really couldn't get into any of the games released on Switch thus far. With that said, when I watched my young nephew play S/S, I realized my issues were broadly because I was no longer a child and, thus, not the target demographic.
I think it's fine for aging fans to decide that a series that isn't growing up with them isn't worth investing in any more (I'll probably make up my mind on that depending on how well I take to BDSP and Legends: Arceus), but to insinuate that GameFreak "doesn't know what they're doing" or that nobody is going to buy the upcoming games or that GF should have the series "taken away from them" is to exist in a space that's far away from we would normally call reality. This is why companies hire professionals to make decisions and not angry neckbeards on the internet.
@UmbreonsPapa I mean, that could be a possibility, but I doubt we're going to get an eeveelution at this time. Guess we'll have to wait and see.
Look, if The Flintstones can have video cameras in the Stone Age, I believe anything's possible.
By the sounds of it, it might be Hisuian Arcanine (or a branched evolution) iirc, H.Growlithe is fire/rock so maybe when it evolves, it resides in snowy, rocky mountains to rescue (and warm up) others.
....kind of like, a rescue dog. Like a....St Bernard which, in cartoons, is often portrayed as a rescue dog in snowy areas
Also, in terms of the Arcphone, bear in mind we were perfectly fine with Link essentially owning a tablet so maybe we shouldn't think about it too much
@Octane Yeah, I was thinking of Arcanine. I think the Hisuian Growlithe in the pic threw me off, lol.
@nessisonett I hate that I find this funny.
@Yomogi
Gotta be a new form of snowrunt. It cut off every time he said "snow" in the name, and he exclaimed "even though it's so cold here!" Or whatever. Sandrunt?
Edit: guess it was just a tease
@martynstuff sign me the hell up gor St.Bernard Arc.
@Ralizah I mean personally Legends hasn't appealed to me since it was revealed but I am loving the upcoming remakes, not everything in Sword was perfect but I still had a great time and even Let's Go Pikachu was fun in its own way and let's not forget that Pokemon Snap made a return. Regardless, TPC may not get everything right but there is still millions of fans who are finding so much enjoyment in the series and to expect a company to disregard that to pursue the interests of a small subset of fans I think is the very pinnacle of entitlement. At the end of the day I think the sales reflect that they are doing just fine without the neckbeards input.
@VoidofLight We are getting new variants and a whole new Pokèmon in Kleavor. Plus, it's been two generations and 8 years since we got a new Eevee evolution. So it wouldn't be much of a surprise
@Classic603 Snorunt is definitely the first Pokèmon he sees. You can tell, even with the blurry video by it's familiar shape. He also says "it's a wild.....runt" at one point.
The second one he sees is hard to decipher seeing as the description could fit a bunch of different Pokèmon. He does mistake it for Growlithe and Vulpix. I'm hesitant to say it's another Vulpix variant because he references tail in the singular, whereas Vulpix has multiple tails. It could be a Arcanine variant. But that wouldn't be much mystery seeing as we already know a Growlithe variant exist.
@UmbreonsPapa
My point was the trailer intentionally cuts every time he says the "snow" part. First it's just "...runt" and then it's "s...runt" so that tells me it isn't called Snorunt and isn't native to cold climates. Obviously I could be wrong though.
Edit: and I was wrong
@UmbreonsPapa Eh.. even then, Eevee got a new form in Sword and Shield, so I doubt it'll get something here. Especially since the only type that it could evolve into now is Dragon, following the pattern where Eevee evolves into special-oriented types. I'd imagine they would've wanted to do a Dragon Eeveelution in Galar, given that the region is based off the UK.
@Classic603 It was a normal snorunt from the footage, so there's no way it's getting a Hisuian form.
@VoidofLight Eevee got a new form in Sword and Shield? Did I miss something?
@UmbreonsPapa Gigantamax Eevee.
@Classic603 That's entirely possible. I just assume it's a standard Snorunt only because it doesn't look any different in the footage. But I certainly acknowledge the footage is made to be not clear. So it is possible it looks similar to a regular Snorunt through the graininess, but be a variant.
@mariomaster96 The guy outright says he is 'recording on a strange device'. Along with the fact that it's established there's an 'Arc Phone' in the game that looks like a smartphone styled after Arceus.
The Pokemon world is weird as hell, man. It's not too weird to consider the idea that some form of time shenanigans thanks to Celebi or Dialga or otherwise could displace items into the past. Or even the idea that Arceus managed to have a hand in creating the 'Arc Phone' itself.
@VoidofLight Ahh. Seeing as I didn't particularly care for the Dynamaxing mechanic and didn't bother with Gigantamax forms, I think I just didn't remember Gigantamax Eevee existed.
I also never even noticed there was a pattern with the Eevee evolutions. I do agree if the next one were a Dragon type, they probably would have wanted to make a point of the association of dragons with Galar. Though, I assume Eternatus was the Pokèmon to fill that role. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they decided to buck trends and used one of the other types for Eevee's next evolution.
I watched it again and thought maybe it was something a bit more menacing than a new Eevee form. But really listening to it, it sounds like he encounters an additional Pokèmon at the end of the video.
@UmbreonsPapa I feel like the pokemon he initially saw was Zorua, and then the other one that attacked him was the mother Zoroark. I remember that Zorua's line is protective over it's young, so that's probably the case here.
Pokemon arceus, coming to a Blumhouse 10 movie multipack.
@mariomaster96 I hear you, but then I think of all the technology in BOTW and I'm like... whatever. It makes the game function better. lol
Ghost type eeveelution?
I've always wanted pokémon to be a little bit more adult. This was great to watch even though I suspect this only a marketing trick. I mean it has to be only that.
@HammerGalladeBro plus one for mentioning Anmitsuhime.
Well done to everyone who guessed Hisuian Zoro-line. Plenty of Gen V love in these new Pokemon!
Im in love with this, so cute! Cant wait to have one in my team
It’s always nice to see some Gen 5 love
@mariomaster96 It's a strange device.
Dialga and Celebi both have sent people forward and backwards in time, and Sammy Oak's time period seems about on-scale with the Hisuian region. It's very likely that time travel schenanigans were involved with bringing a recording device back to the 1950s or so (depending on what timeline this is set in; obviously Red & Green were set in 1995 or 1996, but Fire Red and Leaf Green were set in 2003, and Let's GO! takes place like a year or so after Red's adventure but is set in 2018. And the Red in Sun & Moon (which is not the same timeline as Emerald, at the very least) is 5-10 years older than when he had his adventure, but Sun & Moon are set in 2016, suggesting his adventure in Kanto was anywhere from 2006 to 2011. It's very likely that this is an alternate timeline to Let's GO!, Fire Red, AND Red versions, so… time is a just a TAD bit wonky…
Still excited for this, even though that was kind of dumb.
According to Bulbapedia it's normal/ghost type which will be insanely good if its stats are worthwhile.
@mariomaster96 Its fantasy bro, who cares lol
@VoidofLight Congrats, man!
@drewber2635 It's a joke bro, who cares
@msvt How was it "dumb"?
@Eel I suppose it is one of the most beloved generations (even if not a lot of people liked the anime).
Their designs kind of remind me of Alolan Ninetales and Galarian Darmanitan.
Wait why professor oak lol
@marandahir The Pokemon timeline has always been a bit of a mess for about 10-15 years now. There are like two-four major timelines:
Red/Blue/Saphire/Ruby/Emerald -> Silver/Gold/Crystal/Demand/Pearl/Platinum -> Black/White -> Black2/White2 and somewhere in there you fit the Gamecube games and the Rangers series.
Then we have the remakes
Fire/Leaf - > Heart/Soul -> Shining/Brilliant?
Do the new remakes fit into the remake timeline? Is this where Legends will fit?
Then there are the Mega Energy Timeline
X/Y -> Omega/Al[ha -> Sun/Moon -> Sword/Shield?
X/Y -> Omega/Apha -> Ultra Sun/Moon -> Sword/Shield?
And even then Ultra games are like alternate universe stories of Sun/Moon and could be seen as alternate branches. And even then we know a version of Red and Blue are running around in the Ultra branch and so that means despite Mega evolutions existing in this version of events we know a version of Red/Blue had to take place here. Do the Let's Go games fit here? They have Mega evolution in them... And do Sword/Shield fit here as we know Type:Null and Silvally exist in this timeline (and thanks to Crown Tundra we do know so do the Ultra Beasts).
I just try not to think about it too hard. Much like the Zelda timeline I do think at one point GameFreak did have a clear definitive timeline, but due to introducing new gameplay mechanics and story elements stopped really worrying about everything fitting neatly in place. I just like to think each adventure is in its own universe and each game is its own pocket universe. That is why I can catch a Mew Two from Kanto and so can you! Or I'm battling Team Magma while you're taking on Team Aqua. It's much easier to think of the games this way rather than worrying about multiple timelines, time travel and other shenanigans that exist like the start date of Red's adventure being constantly pushed back.
@mr-duster
As previous poster commented, it is old timey tech, yet they have digital cameras and high tech to document the pokemon.....yet wooden poke balls. Seems a bit disjointed, but as I said, I'm all in on th8is game and excited. Almost nothing could deter me from Pokemon games, not even the skanky textures and "trees" in Sword which I liked as well.
Also, pretty amateur video, imo
@VoidofLight LOL. You were spot on. They look fantastic.
If this was made by the ingame engine that would be cool
The new Zorua is adorable. =D
They look cute!
These forms look AMAZING! I was a little disappointed by Hisuian Growlithe, thought it was kind of ugly but of course it's all personal preference. Huge thumbs up for these two though.
@mariomaster96 Considering the update says that Professor Oak received the footage and was able to restore it. It would seem that this video likely takes place long after Legends Arceus. I mean the region itself doesn't just disappear just because time has gone on, right?
@duffmmann of course not, after all we've already been to this region's future.

its basically the ezo to sinnoh's hokkaido
Wow no one talking about the new designs at all...
I really like this variant more than any of the others shown so far and hopefully many more to come
@duffmmann The footage was recorded to the arc phone and saved, getting documented in the library within rough shape. Oak restored it.
@Xiovanni It was probably a bit after Legend’s stuff, or a bit before with people outright fearing pokemon down the line.
@Xiovanni
@msvt It's a work of fiction. Anything can happen it a work of fiction. Although I'm not sure why you put the word "trees" in quotes.
Also, the video is supposed to be amateur.
@mr-duster
It is because of the backlash that game took over those trees, or textures, etc.. A fine game that I enjoyed, despite those trees. Cool with you if I say so?
Really digging these new forms. The new Basuclin is definitely gonna be on my team.
The VA sounds vaguely familiar. Still, cool marketing for Legends.
Though as always the Pokemon twitter fandom toxicity is still off the charts.
Looks cool! and I'm getting Amaterasu vibes from this form.
@msvt I'm glad you enjoyed the game in spite of its graphical flaws.
The game, set in the distant past, with a new variant of Mewtwo who was created in a lab in modern times.
Nope, not happy about that
@msvt The video says Not Actual Game Footage, so the trees in game aren't going to look like that
I quite enjoyed that! Looking forward to seeing actual gameplay and more info in the coming months
@Pokester99 has never been a game developer.
@AndyRogan We don't know if it's Mewtwo specifically. It could be a related Pokemon, but again, we don't know for sure. It's best to take every leak and rumor with a grain of salt.
@Ogbert I would really prefer that lol
Good job game freak now you’re gonna have people begging for a Pokémon horror game! 🤣
@Xiovanni not really, the actually myth in the japanese version goes like this:
"Sinnoh Folk Story 3"
There once were Pokemon that married people. There once were people who married pokemon. This was a normal thing because long ago people and pokemon where the same.
the english version reads about the same but is less blunt about it
There once were Pokémon that became very close to humans. There once were humans and Pokémon that ate together at the same table.It was a time when there existed no differences to distinguish the two.
if you think about it, the main things that separate humans in the pokemon world from pokemon is commutation. so its possible that at one point humans all used to be able to speak to pokemon as easily as they do other humans and given that pokemon don't care about difference in species(skitty x wailord) you can see how this would be a more likely occurrence in the pokemon worlds past than our own. even more so when you take into account the N's existence, the fact that there are pokemon smarter than humans, humans that have turned into pokemon and pokemon that have turned into humans...
"Sinnoh Folk Story 2"
There lived a Pokémon in a forest. In the forest, the Pokémon shed its hide to sleep as a human. Awakened, the human dons the Pokémon hide to roam villages.
also, from the sinnoh region myth:
Long ago, when Sinnoh had just been made, Pokémon and humans led separate lives. That is not to say they did not help each other. No, indeed they did. They supplied each other with goods, and supported each other. A Pokémon proposed to the others to always be ready to help humans. It asked that Pokémon be ready to appear before humans always. Thus, to this day, Pokémon appear to us if we venture into tall grass.
this one sounds a lot like how the first trailer for legends started...
This is a tale from a long long time ago, when the Sinnoh region was still only a vast wilderness. A certain village bustled with the comings and goings of people while in the mountain and seas, Pokémon roamed as they pleased.
also...

@Pokester99
Can't wait for crow to be served when this game flies off of shelves like all the mainline Pokemon games have 😂
@Wexter Oh I agree! My point was it's not too hard to imagine that in the ancient past of Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl was someone with a Camcorder, depending on the timeline shenanigans, even without time travel involved. But the game does seem to involve some form of time travel, and the user says mysterious recording device, suggesting that it's a time traveling camcorder.
@marandahir I actually very much so agree! I was just more poke'n fun at people losing their mind over a phone and camera existing in Pokemon's ancient past when... well... look at this timeline it's a mess! Basically, people need to learn and take a breath and just understand this is a series about giant kaiju you catch in little balls you can fit in your pocket. Don't overthink it so hard.
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