Iscan: the Basculegion Warden who's afraid of everything

Hisui entrusts its Noble Pokémon and its ride Pokémon to wardens; the one in charge of Basculegion stammers the moment anyone speaks to him. Iscan belongs to the Diamond Clan, lives by the sea, near the Pokémon in his care, and has never fought a single battle. His duty is one of stewardship: feeding, protecting, soothing. Yet he's the one who opens up the sea route of the Cobalt Coastlands.

Contents

• A Diamond Clan Warden and His Ride Pokémon
• Fear as His Defining Trait
• Basculegion Food, the Recipe That Calls for Dusclops
• Basculegion, the Sea Route of the Cobalt Coastlands
• Palina, a Relationship Kept Secret
• Firespit Island, Arcanine and What Comes Next
• Iscan at a Glance
• Frequently Asked Questions

A Diamond Clan Warden and His Ride Pokémon

In the Hisui of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the people appoint wardens and assign each of them a Noble Pokémon or a ride Pokémon. Iscan is the Diamond Clan's warden, and the ride Pokémon entrusted to him is Basculegion.

His duty breaks down into three obligations: watching over the Pokémon, over the territory it occupies, and over its food supply. Iscan has settled by the sea where Basculegion lives, within immediate reach of the creature he answers for.

The title says nothing about battle skill. Iscan admits himself that he has never battled alongside his partner: his job is that of a cook and a steward, not a tournament Trainer.

Fear as His Defining Trait

The character is written around a single trait, and the game never lets go of it: Iscan is afraid of everything, and his stammer chops up every line he speaks. An unexpected visit, he says, is bad for his heart, and he politely asks to be warned next time.

The character's profile leans right into the paradox: he dislikes Ghost-type Pokémon, even though Basculegion is one. So the warden lives every day alongside the very thing he fears most.

His best-documented terror is Dusclops, whose name he can't bring himself to say; the French version has him call it "Téra-chose" (roughly "Dus-thing"). He knows by heart the places where the species appears, not to find it but to make sure he never crosses its path.

Basculegion Food, the Recipe That Calls for Dusclops

For Basculegion to acknowledge a visitor's worth, you have to serve it its favorite dish. Iscan has all the supplies he needs, but the recipe calls for something other than food, and that's what makes it impossible in his eyes.

The preparation requires imbuing the ingredients with Dark Pulse, a Dusclops move. The species only shows up at night, in Deadwood Haunt, near a shipwreck, on the part of the map shaped like a hand; its single eye makes it easy to spot. So Iscan leaves the catching to the player.

The rest of the cooking is up to him. Usually Palina's Growlithe lend him their flames; this time he takes it on alone, freezes mid-countdown, then starts over in unison with the player. The result has a name: Basculegion Food.

Basculegion, the Sea Route of the Cobalt Coastlands

The meeting takes place at Ginkgo Landing. Iscan calls Basculegion, the player tosses it the Basculegion Food, then plays it the melody of the Celestica Flute. Along the way, the warden admits his relief: he had no backup plan if Basculegion hadn't shown up.

Basculegion then becomes the player's ride. It lets you cross Tranquility Cove and reach Firespit Island, which until then was out of reach from the shore.

Iscan explains how it works himself: Basculegion leaps out of the water and can chain two jumps, and you can still throw items from its back — Poké Balls included, which means you can catch Pokémon out at sea.

🌊 Hisui's nobles have their own section: see the Pokémon plushies.

Palina, a Relationship Kept Secret

Iscan is in a relationship with Palina, a Pearl Clan warden. The two hide their relationship for fear that their respective clans will reject them, and avoid being seen together in public.

Their bond goes back to an accident. The former lord sacrificed himself to save his young Growlithe; during the tragedy, Iscan and Basculegion saved Palina's life. She has admired him ever since, and keeps her distance in public because what people say about her could get him into trouble.

That kindness had a direct consequence for the young Growlithe: it was Iscan's support that convinced Palina not to force him to become the next lord. The same man also fears that photographs steal your soul, yet he agrees to pose anyway — for her.

Firespit Island, Arcanine and What Comes Next

Three thieves, Charm, Clover and Coin, lay claim to the Growlithe, calling themselves the Miss Fortunes. Iscan, unable to battle, simply backs Palina up, then works out where they've gone: the only hot, deserted spot in the Cobalt Coastlands is Firespit Island. He decides to go there, asking the player to lead the way.

Once there, it turns out the young Growlithe swam across the sea despite the fear of water he'd had since his father's death — then a strange bolt of lightning strikes him and he goes into a frenzy like the other nobles, now in the form of Arcanine. Iscan has the Pokémon's favorite foods on him, the ones he gives him as a reward when he helps cook Basculegion's meals: enough to make balms.

Once the frenzy is quelled, he thinks he hears the cry of the former lord and wants nothing to do with any talk of ghosts. He turns up next at the Lava Dome Sanctum alongside Irida, leader of the Pearl Clan, during the capture of Heatran, then as an informant: the Cobalt Coastlands were once known as the "East Sea," a princely Pokémon is said to have lived there, and its story is supposedly told in a tome titled "The Sea's Legend."

Iscan at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

• Which Pokémon does Iscan look after?
  Basculegion, the ride Pokémon of the Cobalt Coastlands waters. Iscan is the Diamond Clan warden appointed to watch over it, its territory and its food supply.
• How do you make Basculegion Food?
  Iscan supplies the ingredients, but they have to be imbued with Dark Pulse, a Dusclops move. The species only appears at night in Deadwood Haunt, near a shipwreck, and is easy to spot thanks to its single eye.
• Why does Iscan keep his relationship with Palina secret?
  Because one belongs to the Diamond Clan and the other to the Pearl Clan: both fear being rejected by their clan. Palina also avoids being seen with him so she doesn't get him into trouble.
• What can Basculegion do once it's calmed?
  It serves as a water ride Pokémon to cross Tranquility Cove and reach Firespit Island. It leaps out of the water, chains two jumps, and you can throw Poké Balls from its back.
• Does Iscan battle in the game?
  No. He says himself that he has never battled with his partner, and he lets the player lead the way when it's time to face the danger on Firespit Island.

In short

Iscan is the telling counterexample among Hisui's wardens: neither a fighter nor an authority figure, but a terrified cook who carries out his duty anyway. He fears Ghosts yet watches over a Ghost-type Pokémon, can't battle and still sets out for an island struck by lightning. He's the one who opens up the Cobalt Coastlands sea to the player, and he does it one recipe at a time.