Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ actual villain? Satchel upgrade guy

Depending on how far you are in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, you may have different thoughts on who the game’s villain is. Whatever your opinion, let me offer you another suggestion: It’s Bagin, the guy in Galaxy Hall who upgrades your satchel.

The satchel is an important item in Pokémon Legends: Areceus, just like in any other game. It holds all the stuff you find in the wild, stuff that can be used to craft items in a pinch when out in the wild, or when you’re amassed a bunch of stuff back home in the village. You want a large bag so you can carry more things.

In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the satchel starts out particularly small with around 20 slots. I run out of space frequently, and I was initially excited when I found Bagin waiting in Galaxy Hall’s entrance. The first upgrade — which adds one more slot — cost a mere $100. Heck, the price increase to the next upgrade, granting one more slot, was still cheap at $200. Trouble is the price increase doesn’t stop there. As you unlock more slots, the rate at which the price increases goes up, too.

To grab those first five additional slots it’s only $500 total. For that sixth slot, though, it’s $1,000 flat, an increase of $500. Eventually the cost of another slot jumps to up to $2,000, then $2,500 and $3,000. The price increase then jumps to $1,000 each slot, making the next slot cost $4,000; that sort of escalation continues from there. To grab that 37th extra slot you’ll need to spend $1 million, which means you’ll have to spend more than $4 million in-game dollars to get the biggest bag. It’s fitting, considering how big the bag Bagin’s getting from selling you these slots is.

It’s a goddamn ripoff. Bagin saw a market opportunity — he’s apparently an organizational wizard — and he’s taken advantage of it. I haven’t found one person who likes him or his villainous ways.

Does this man have no shame? People are dying out there, as evidenced by the amount of people asking for help in retrieving their satchels on Twitter.

I’ve reached the $5,000 tier with Bagin, and I’ll probably keep going. A full bag is one thing I cannot stand. But for now, I’m managing my inventory with more diligence than I have in any previous video game. Before heading out for expeditions, I unload my bag, save for a few key items: Potions and PokéBalls. I frequently head back to campsites to unload there, and to rest my Pokémon so I don’t have to carry revives.