Gotta Sew Them All—A Case Study of Pokémon Legends: Arceus Trainer Costumes and Historical Plausibility

Abstract

Abstract On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the release of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green in 2021, Pokémon Legends: Arceus was announced. A new take on the highly successful franchise, Arceus sees the player transported to a mysterious past set in the frontiers of the Hisui region. As in other games, players have Poké Ball to capture wild Pokémon, but in this game the creatures can inflict damage if they become frightened or aggressive. The technology and costuming are vaguely steam powered, hinting at a Victorian or Meiji (1868–1912) time period. Indeed, it is revealed that the setting for the game is Hokkaido around 1869, during the colonization of the northern island. In early 2022, Twitter was abuzz with news that the series would be headlined by Ainu characters. This article takes a practical look at the design of the costumes, reading them as historically plausible versions of the more standard 1990s/2000s Pokémon hero. It will offer a case study that looks at one of the many possible approaches to designing and creating a cosplay costume. It will also take into consideration other Pokémon trainer costumes, such as those featured in Pokémon GO (2016), and tie-in commercial patterns.