Magikarp is an odd choice to decorate Galaxy Hall in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but there may be a deeper and more tragic reason why he was chosen over Gyrados.
In Pokemon Legends: Arceus the headquarters of the Galaxy Expedition Team, called Galaxy Hall, is adorned with twin Magikarp statues on the roof, a seemingly innocuous decorative choice that may have tragic origins. The setting of Legends: Arceus is an earlier point in the Pokemon timeline, where the show’s magical beasts were more of a threat to human society. In the franchise’s core games, Pokémon have been inextricably integrated into the culture, acting as trained workers, pets, and performers in many cases. People are still afraid of Pokémon in Legends: Arceus due to new memories of towns and villages being destroyed by rampaging wild Pokémon. Galaxy Construction Corps leader Sanqua states that his original intention was to decorate Galaxy Hall with the likeness of Gyrados, but his design was rejected. Based on the information players learn about the Galaxy Commander, Kamado, and the Pokédex entry for Gyrados, some players have deduced a possible reason for the warrant against the Gyrados effigies.
Magikarp’s choice over Gyrados to decorate Galaxy Hall is odd, without proper context. Gyrados is always portrayed as a powerful Pokémon, usually a dual-type Flying and Water, and its striking appearance is certainly more in line with how Galaxy would choose to present itself. The Galaxy Expedition Team is divided into several specialized subgroups, all of which work together to defend and improve life in Jubilife Village and the Hisui area in general. Magikarp is one of the weakest Pokemon in Legends: Arceusan uninspiring image for the proud and ambitious Galaxy Team.
Gyrados, an aquatic creature that defies reason to soar into the skies, would make a suitable mascot for Galaxy, as they themselves defy the odds of establishing a secure human settlement in the Hisui Wilderness. Magikarp, conversely, is synonymous with failure, and is described in the Pokédex as a “weak, pitiful fool of a Pokémon yet very robust.” One of Magikarp’s signature techniques is Splash, a move that “Do nothing“, according to the description of the movement. Discussions on Reddit may have connected the dots, explaining why Sanqua was forbidden from placing sculptures of Gyrados on top of Galaxy Hall. This theory also provides a good reason why Kamado might have preferred the humble Magikarp to the more majestic Gyrados.
If Gyrados attacked the city of Kamado in Legends: Arceus, Magikarp makes sense
Whereas Legends: Arceus requires a full Pokédex for its true ending, the Pokédex provides some interesting information about Hisui’s supernatural creatures. In Professor Laventon’s entry for Gyrados he writes:I suspect this Pokémon is the true identity of the dragon written in ancient texts, which claimed that it razed an entire village with white-hot rays from its maw..” Late Legends: Arceus main story the merchant Beni reveals his true role as a ninja, serving under Kamado, and attempts to thwart the player. Beni tells a bit of his story, explaining how he and Kamado were from the same village, the one that was set on fire during a Pokémon attack. This has led some speculative fans to conclude that Gyrados was the Pokemon that destroyed Beni and Kamado’s village, which would certainly justify Kamado’s refusal to allow Gyrados imagery on his organization’s headquarters.
The fact that Laventon refers to the incident of Gyrados attacking a village as something related in “ancient textssomewhat contradicts this theory. Unless it’s an intentional slip, implying that Laventon is from the future, as Legends: Arceus Ingo, it doesn’t make sense for a “ancienttext to discuss a recent event that happened during Beni and Kamado’s own lives. It’s possible that there were several incidents where Gyrados wiped out human settlements, which would make the Pokemon a poor choice for a mascot in Galaxy Hall.
If a Gyrados did indeed raze Kamado Village, selecting Magikarp as an alternate status for Galaxy Hall might have a deeper meaning. Although Kamado may not know that Magikarp evolved into Gyrados, given the primeval era Legends: Arceus takes place in, it makes sense that Kamado would be looking for the Pokémon that devastated his hometown. Kamado might have suggested Magikarp statues as an alternative to serve as a malevolent reminder of Gyrados’ pathetic home state, a Pokemon that could be easily contained or destroyed. The truth is a little know who Legends: Arceus does not explicitly disclose. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is full of mysteries, and fans remain hopeful that the DLC will reveal more of the game’s secrets.
Source: Reddit
About the Author