Encountering and catching wild Pokémon is a staple of the Pokémon series. This is no different in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, despite its distinct gameplay style, as players still need to battle Pokémon to catch them if they get noticed. Here's how you can initiate a battle in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
To battle wild Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, players will need to approach the Pokémon and throw a Pokéball containing their Pokémon at or near the wild one. This will initiate the traditional turn-based battle system that players should be quite familiar with.
Related: Are there trainer encounters in Pokémon Legends: Arceus?
Different wild Pokémon will have different behaviors. Some will be oblivious to the player as they approach, while others may run away. Some will even become aggressive and try to attack the player until they initiate a battle.
Once the battle is started, players will simply need to attack the wild Pokémon until it is defeated or weakened enough to catch it. Both the wild Pokémon's health and the player's Pokémon will be displayed on the screen.
For more information on Pokémon, check out Where does Pokémon Legends: Arceus take place? and Pokémon Legends Arceus: How is this entry unique? on Pro Game Guides.