Should you choose Adaman or Irida in Pokemon Legends: Arceus?

After a certain point in the Pokemon Legends: Arceus story, the player is faced with the difficult decision of choosing between Adaman and Irida.

The trouble comes after defeating and quelling the five frenzied nobles. The player is expelled from Jubilife Village and forced to survive on their own, with the quests and services of the village no longer accessible. During this time, the final boss of the main story is looming as the sky has an ominous red grid over it.

After being initially turned away by the Diamond and Pearl Clans, the player finds aid from Volo and new character Cogita. The player is then approached by Adaman and Irida, who offer their aid on the final leg of the Pokemon Legends: Arceus journey. The trouble is that the player can only team up with one of the two, as Adaman and Irida fear how Commander Kamado would react to both the Diamond and Pearl Clans snubbing Galaxy Team.

But should the player choose to team up with Adaman or Irida?

Does it matter if I choose Adaman or Irida?

No, there is functionally no difference in the choice between Adaman or Irida in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

Whether the player chooses to team up with Adaman or Irida, they will have access to the same catchable Pokemon and alternate forms of those Pokemon. The actual difference is negligible.

Warning: Spoilers for the ending sequences of Pokemon Legends: Arceus ahead.

After the player chooses to side with Adaman or Irida, the leader they sided with will escort them around the game world. This includes visits to the Lake Guardian trio of Mesprit, Uxie, and Azelf. After this, the player will have a series of battles against trainers from the story before a pair of boss fights.

If the player chooses to side with Adaman, they will capture Dialga and then face Origin Forme Palkia as the final boss. If the player sides with Irida, they will capture Palkia and then fight Origin Forme Dialga as the final boss. These final boss battles are just reskins of the same boss fight. Their movesets and health bars are identical, with the only difference between the two being the sound effects used for one move. 

The player will ultimately be able to catch both Palkia and Dialga, and will have the chance to unlock both of their Origin Formes. Because of this, there is minimal consequence between choosing Irida or Adaman. The only substantive difference is whether Palkia or Dialga ends up in the one-of-a-kind Origin Ball.

Can you get both Origin Formes in Pokemon Legends: Arceus?

Yes, players have the chance to get both Origin Forme legendaries in Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

After the final credits roll, the player will return to Jubilife Village. They can then travel to the Alabaster Icelands’ Pearl Clan Settlement to battle Irida or the Crimson Mirelands’ Lake Valor to battle Adaman. Winning these battles awards the player the Lustrous Globe and Adamant Crystal, respectively. Both are fairly easy to defeat and boast a collection of under-leveled Eeveelutions that come out three at a time.

These items are key items that are usable at any time. They allow the player to freely toggle between their standard form and Origin Forme.

Both Palkia and Dialga are stronger in their Origin Formes. Though they have the same amount of total base stats, the Origin Forme versions lose 20 points from their base attack stats. For Dialga this is shifted into the special defense stat, and for Palkia this is moved to speed. 

Because both Palkia and Dialga are best suited towards being special attackers there’s no downside to losing base attack. Redistributing to make Dialga bulkier and Palkia faster is just a bonus.