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The legendary beasts is the collective term used to refer to the trio of Entei, Raikou, and Suicune.
A direct counterpart to the Generation I trio, the beasts find their master in Ho-Oh, who revived them when Ecruteak City's Brass Tower burned. They are said to embody the three events that happened to the tower: the lightning that struck the tower, the fire that burned in the tower, and the winds and rain that put it out. It is unknown whether these three were already a Suicune, Raikou, and Entei before they were revived, or whether Ho-Oh actually reincarnated them from three non-legendary Pokémon. It is speculated, however, that the three that Ho-Oh created are not the only members of their respective species, but rather, are the original individuals that gave rise to their entire populations. In Celebi: Voice of the Forest, Professor Oak speaks about the Suicune in question as if the Pokémon was only part of a species. Pokédex entries also state that an Entei is born every time a volcano erupts, which clashes with the myth that Entei's roar can cause volcanoes to erupt. In Pokémon Ranger, an Entei statue was brought to life when the player completes all four challenges of the Jungle Relic. It was later captured by Gordor, along with the other two beasts, showing that Fiore might have its own trio of beasts. In Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, the legendary beasts play an important role in the game's progress as well.
Of the three beasts, Suicune finds the most independence, appearing as a version mascot on the box art of Crystal, and taking an expanded role in that game. Suicune also appears in Celebi: Voice of the Forest as a protagonist, while Entei was the first of the three to have a movie appearance (albeit as an illusion), in Spell of the Unown. Raikou was delegated to a more minor role, appearing as the central character in The Legend of Thunder!, where Jimmy, not Ash, encountered it. However, Misty's Togepi and a Houndoom did see the silhouette of a Raikou in Houndoom's Special Delivery. The Legendary Beasts made their first group appearance in the thirteenth movie, Zoroark: Master of Illusions, albeit in Shiny form. By transferring the Shiny legendary beasts given away by promotional events to Pokémon Black and White, players are able to battle and capture the Pokémon Zoroark, who will transform to a member of this trio during the battle.
Availability
The legendary beasts and Zoroark
The beasts are available in several of the Pokémon games. The three (reduced to just Raikou and Entei in Crystal) are available roamingJohto in Generation II and their remakes. Each has a base stat total of 580, divided among the stats as 115-115-100-90-85-75, in different orders.
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, each of them is the boss of one of the three sacred fields, requiring the Clear Wing to enter this trial in the first place. After the player defeats Entei at Fiery Field the Clear Wing becomes the Red Wing, allowing access to Raikou's Lightning Field, defeating it turns the Red Wing into the Sunset Wing, Suicune can then be fought at Northwind Field and defeating it will change the Sunset Wing into the Rainbow Wing allowing access to Mt. Faraway so the player can battle the beast's trio master, Ho-Oh.
In Pokémon Ranger, Gordor captures the three beasts, and it is up to the player to recapture them and save Fiore. Otherwise, they are not useable in the main storyline, and Entei is the only one who is battled twice of the beasts; once in the Jungle Relic, and the second is atop the Fiore Temple. During the last captures, Raikou and Suicune are captured when under the control of Gordor, while Entei attempts to attack Gordor upon the destruction of Power Styler, and it is up to the player to calm it.
They are also available in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, where they can be summoned using the Ranger Signs associated to them. The three possess different abilities that can help the player progress further into the game. Raikou can jump over gaps and bridges, while Entei can break large rocks blocking the path, and Suicune can walk across water. The three share the ability of frightening other Pokémon out of their hiding spots, and if the Capture Styler is charged before summoning, stop the Pokémon in their tracks. Upon summoning, the player is able to ride the Pokémon summoned, however, the three cannot be called to the field at the same time.
Many refer to them as legendary cats or legendary dogs, depending on if they personally see feline or canine features in the individual Pokémon. However, they are more likely based on many different creatures and mythological deities, such as Raijū, the Chinese guardian lions, and the qilin. On top of that, they also seem to have been stylized to fit the classic idea of three jungle cats or jungle beasts-- the tiger, lion, and cheetah (or leopard).
The legendary beasts are the first legendary Pokémon to get a special battle theme. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, each legendary beast was given their own remixed version of the original legendary beast music from Generation II. The three songs are similar, but use different instruments: Suicune's uses bells, Entei's uses an electric guitar, and Raikou's uses synthesized music.
A representation of the legendary beasts was used as the set symbol for the Neo Revelation card expansion.
The initials for the three beasts are the same as the initials for the three Hoenn-based games: Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. In addition, their battle theme exists in Ruby and Sapphire coding.
