Zisu: the Training Grounds instructor who teaches move mastery

The Galaxy Team has a school, and Zisu holds the keys. Captain of the Security Corps, she runs the Jubilife Village training grounds, sells moves to anyone who can afford them and remains the only person in Hisui able to give a Pokémon mastery of a move. A service figure, on the surface — except that the entire battle system of Pokémon Legends: Arceus goes through her counter.

Contents

• The Jubilife Village Training Grounds, the Galaxy Team's School
• The Seed of Mastery and the Two Styles
• The Counter: Paid Moves and Grit Pebbles
• Training Grounds Rematches, and Ress the Secret Weapon
• Beyond the Games: One Episode and One Card
• Zisu at a Glance
• Frequently Asked Questions

The Jubilife Village Training Grounds, the Galaxy Team's School

Her title fits on a single line: Captain of the Security Corps. The job covers two things — commanding the forces that protect Jubilife Village, and running the training grounds, where the Galaxy Team trains its members. Her profile dwells first on a physical detail, her very tall stature, before it even gets to her role.

The meeting is scripted rather than left to chance. The player runs into Zisu during the guided tour of the facilities, led by Rei or Akari during the main mission "A Request from Mai." She is introduced to the newcomer as one of the village's amenities: a place, a person in charge, a service.

The battle, for its part, has to wait its turn. Zisu only becomes available to battle at the training grounds once Lord Electrode has been quelled, and not before. The game thus places training behind a story milestone: you head out into the field first, and to school second.

The Seed of Mastery and the Two Styles

A Pokémon that gains levels eventually masters its moves, and that mastery opens up a choice: use the move in Strong Style, in Agile Style, or as is. Zisu is the one who explains the mechanic to the player, right down to the Right and Left buttons that switch from one option to the other when selecting the move.

Each style has its price on the other side of the scale. Strong Style delays the move and makes it more powerful; Agile Style trims the power but lets the Pokémon act sooner, sometimes soon enough to strike twice before the opponent can react. It's a trade-off in tempo, not a free bonus.

That leaves the question of getting this mastery without waiting for levels. Zisu is the only one who knows how to use a Seed of Mastery, the item that grants a Pokémon mastery of whichever move you choose. Without a seed, she can't do a thing — and she says so bluntly to anyone who shows up empty-handed.

The Counter: Paid Moves and Grit Pebbles

She teaches moves for money, including moves a Pokémon would never learn by leveling up. The list isn't set in stone: it grows as the protagonist climbs the ranks, which turns her counter into a progress gauge as much as a paid service.

The same counter doubles as an exchange office. Zisu trades the items that raise a stat's effort level: one Grit Rock for ten Grit Pebbles, or two Rocks at once for twenty Pebbles if you'd rather settle in bulk. The rate isn't up for negotiation, and a Trainer short on Pebbles leaves empty-handed.

Behind the jargon, the stakes are down to earth. Raising a Pokémon's effort level comes down to building up its stats: a Grit Dust boosts Attack or Defense, with a payoff you can see directly in battle. Zisu herself presents it in exactly these terms, with no unnecessary jargon.

Training Grounds Rematches, and Ress the Secret Weapon

The first battle opens up after the eleventh main mission, "Scaling Perilous Heights." After that, it can be replayed once a day, as long as you go through Ingo to request the battle: you don't challenge the Security Corps captain directly.

Across all her battle series, she uses nine Pokémon with no type theme whatsoever, but never more than five at a time: the daily rematch only calls on Ambipom, Honchkrow, Luxray and a Hisuian Zoroark, while Infernape, Steelix, Drifblim, Rapidash and Lopunny only come out on the Path of Tenacity. No specialty, then: the range is that of an instructor who has to be able to demonstrate any situation.

A second wave of battles unlocks after Request 102, "Daybreak." Zisu always leads off, ahead of Beni and then Kamado, and the difficulty climbs from one series to the next: her team's effort levels go from 3 to 5, then from 5 to 7 in every stat.

The post-game gives her one last lap of honor. Request 104, "Battling the Security Corps' Secret Weapon," asks you to defeat Ress, the guard posted at the entrance to Jubilife Village, whom Zisu describes as a Pokémon battle expert. The challenge can be replayed as often as you like, and she never misses a chance to point out that you can do better.

Beyond the Games: One Episode and One Card

Animation gives her almost nothing. Zisu appears in only one episode, the third of the miniseries Pokémon: Hisuian Snow, "Two Hues", and even then in the background: she escorts Cyllene and Alec to the forest where a space-time distortion has just opened.

The trading card game has treated her better. Her card was released in the Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance expansion, which came out in France on May 27, 2022: it marks her first appearance on a card.

The effect suits the character. Playing Zisu lets you draw until you have one more card than your opponent's hand — the further behind you are, the more you draw. A catch-up tool, exactly what you'd expect from an instructor whose job is to bring stragglers up to speed.

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Zisu at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who is Zisu in Pokémon Legends: Arceus?
  She leads the Galaxy Team's Security Corps and runs the Jubilife Village training grounds, where the organization trains its members. She also teaches moves to the player's Pokémon there.
• How do you unlock the battle against Zisu?
  You first need to quell Lord Electrode before you can battle her at the training grounds. The daily rematch opens up after the eleventh main mission, "Scaling Perilous Heights," and you request it through Ingo.
• What is the Seed of Mastery for?
  It gives a Pokémon mastery of a move, which then lets it use Strong Style or Agile Style with that move. Zisu is the only one who knows how to use this item.
• Which Pokémon does Zisu use?
  Nine, with no type specialty: Ambipom, Honchkrow, Rapidash, Drifblim, Lopunny, Luxray, Infernape, Steelix and a Hisuian Zoroark. Their effort levels rise from 3 to 5, then to 7 over the rematch series.
• Does Zisu have a card in the Trading Card Game?
  Yes, released in the Sword & Shield—Astral Radiance expansion, which came out in France on May 27, 2022. It lets you draw until you have one more card than your opponent's hand.

In short

Zisu has neither a Gym nor a Champion title, and yet all battle training in Hisui goes through her: the moves you can't learn on your own, the mastery that unlocks both styles, the items that raise stats. The training grounds aren't just a backdrop; they're the counter where the player goes for what the field won't provide. A Security Corps captain who has become, in effect, the Galaxy Team's battle teacher.