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Zapdos
サンダー Thunder

#145

Artwork from FR/LG

Type

Electric

Flying

Category

Electric Pokémon

Ability

Pressure

Exp. at Lv. 100

1,250,000

Regional Pokédex numbers

Kanto
#145

Johto
#236

Hoenn
#300

Sinnoh
Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "?".

Height

5'3"
Imperial

1.6 m
Metric

Weight

116 lbs.
Imperial

52.6 kg
Metric

Dex color

Yellow

Catch rate

3 (0.4%)

Body style

Blue-Striped

Footprint

Blue-Striped

Gender ratio

Gender unknown	Unknown
Gender unknown

Breeding

No eggs group

1 cycles
(255 minimum steps)

EV yield

HP 0	Atk 0	Def 0	Sp.Atk 0	Sp.Def 0	Speed 0
Base Exp.: 216			Battle Exp.: 2161*

External links

On Smogon Pokédex:
Artwork on Bulbagarden Archives

Zapdos (Japanese: サンダー Thunder) is an Electric/Flying-type Pokémon. It's found in the Kanto Region at abandoned power plant. Zapdos appeared in the movie The Power of One.

Biology

Physiology

Zapdos is a large, yellow bird with spiky wings that make it look like its been struck by lightning. Zapdos has a long, skinny, orange beak and almond shaped eyes with black rings on them Zapdos's thighs are light-brown and it has orange feet.

Gender differences

Zapdos is a genderless species.

Special abilities

When Zapdos flaps its glittering wings, it unleashes electric bolts.

Behavior

Habitat

Zapdos is said to live in thunderclouds. It also appears in abandoned power plants, possibly to power itself with the electricity. Since Zapdos has been labeled as a Legdendary Pokémon, it is very hard to come across.

Diet

Main article: Pokémon food

In the anime

Zapdos made its first true appearance in The Power of One. Jirarudan wanted to capture the three Kanto Legendary Birds as well as Lugia.

The Thunderbird Pokémon made another appearance in As Clear As Crystal. When Team Rocket made an attempt to steal a crystal that gave a lake the ability to heal Electric-type Pokémon, they were side-tracked when Zapdos showed up and changed their objective to capture Zapdos instead.

Other appearances

Super Smash Brothers Melee

When released from a Pokéball, Zapdos uses a powerful Thundershock that hits opponents several times to produce a substantial amount of damage.

Pokédex entries

Game		Pokédex
Pokémon Red and Blue		A legendary bird Pokémon that is said to appear from clouds while dropping enormous lightning bolts.
Pokémon LeafGreen
Pokémon FireRed		One of the legendary bird Pokémon. While it is flying, it makes crackling and snapping sounds.
Pokémon Yellow		This legendary bird Pokémon is said to appear when the sky turns dark and lightning showers down.
Pokémon Stadium		A legendary bird Pokémon that appears with a gigantic thunderstorm. It flies with the buzz and crack of electricity.
Pokémon Gold		This legendary bird Pokémon cause savage thunderstorms by flapping its glittering wings.
Pokémon Silver		This legendary bird Pokémon is said to appear only when a thundercloud parts into two halves.
Pokémon Crystal		Legendary bird Pokémon. They say lightning caused by the flapping of its wings causes summer storms.
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire		Zapdos is a legendary bird Pokémon that has the ability to control electricity. It usually lives in thunderclouds. The Pokémon gains power if it is stricken by lightning bolts.
Pokémon Emerald
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl		A Legendary Pokémon that is said to live inside thunder clouds. It can freely control thunder.

Game locations

Game	Rarity	Location
Pokémon Red and Blue	One	Power Plant
Pokémon Yellow	One	Power Plant
Pokémon Gold and Silver	None
Pokémon Crystal	None
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire	None
Pokémon Emerald	None
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen	One	Power Plant
Pokémon Colosseum	None
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness	One	Snag from Grand Master Greevil in Citadark Isle

In side games

Zapdos is the first legendary Pokémon encountered in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. After it kidnaps Shiftry, the player must fight it at the top of Mt. Thunder. It is possible to recruit Zapdos by returning for another fight after the credits.

Base stats

Stat		Range
Stat		At Lv. 50	At Lv. 100
HP: 90		150 - 197	290 - 384
Attack: 90		85 - 156	166 - 306
Defense: 85		81 - 150	157 - 295
Sp. Atk: 125		117 - 194	229 - 383
Sp. Def: 90		85 - 156	166 - 306
Speed: 100		94 - 167	184 - 328
Total: 580	Other Pokémon with this total
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and (if applicable) a hindering nature. Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and (if applicable) a helpful nature. This Pokémon's Special base stat in Generation I was 125.

Type effectiveness

Under normal battle conditions in Generation V, this Pokémon is:

Damaged
normally by:

Normal

1×

Poison

1×

Ghost

1×

Fire

1×

Water

1×

Electric

1×

Psychic

1×

Dragon

1×

Dark

1×

Weak to:

Rock

2×

Ice

2×

Immune to:

Ground

0×

Resistant to:

Fighting

½×

Flying

½×

Bug

½×

Steel

½×

Grass

½×

Note: If Zapdos is given the Black Steel Orb, the effectiveness of Ground-type attacks becomes 200.

Learnset

Template:Learnset intro

By leveling up

	Generation I	Generation II	Generation III	Generation IV
Start	Thundershock Drill Peck	Peck Thundershock	Peck Thundershock	Peck Thundershock
8				Thunder Wave
13		Thunder Wave	Thunder Wave
15				Detect
22				Beak Peck
25		Agility	Agility
29				Ancientpower
36				Charge
37		Detect	Detect
43				Agility
49		Drill Peck	Drill Peck
50				Discharge
51	Thunder
55	Agility
57				Feather Rest
60	Light Screen
61		Light Screen	Charge
64				Light Screen
71				Drill Peck
73		Thunder	Light Screen
78				Thunder
85			Thunder	Rain Dance

By TM/HM

Number	Generation I	Generation II	Generation III	Generation IV
TM02	Razor Wind
TM03		Curse
TM04	Whirlwind
TM05			Roar	Roar
TM06	Toxic	Toxic	Toxic	Toxic
TM07		Zap Cannon
TM08		Rock Smash
TM09	Take Down
TM10	Double Edge	Hidden Power	Hidden Power	Hidden Power
TM11		Sunny Day	Sunny Day	Sunny Day
TM13		Snore
TM15	Hyper Beam	Hyper Beam	Hyper Beam	Hyper Beam
TM16			Light Screen	Light Screen
TM17		Protect	Protect	Protect
TM18		Rain Dance	Rain Dance	Rain Dance
TM20	Rage	Endure
TM21		Frustration	Frustration	Frustration
TM24	Thunderbolt		Thunderbolt	Thunderbolt
TM25	Thunder	Thunder	Thunder	Thunder
TM27		Return	Return	Return
TM31	Mimic	Mud Slap
TM32	Double Team	Double Team	Double Team	Double Team
TM33	Reflect
TM34	Bide	Swagger	Shock Wave	Shock Wave
TM35		Sleep Talk
TM37		Sandstorm	Sandstorm	Sandstorm
TM39	Swift	Swift
TM40			Aerial Ace	Aerial Ace
TM42			Facade	Facade
TM43	Sky Attack	Detect	Secret Power	Secret Power
TM44	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest
TM45	Thunder Wave
TM47		Steel Wing	Steel Wing	Steel Wing
TM50	Substitute
TM51				Feather Rest
TM57				Charge Beam
TM58				Endure
TM68				Giga Attack
TM70				Flash
TM73				Thunder Wave
TM82				Sleep Talk
TM83				Nature Blessing
TM87				Swagger
TM88				Beak Peck
TM89				Somersault
TM90				Substitute
HM02	Fly	Fly	Fly	Fly
HM05	Flash	Flash	Flash	Fog Clear
HM06			Rock Smash	Rock Smash}}

Special moves

In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Zapdos knows Shadow Bolt, Shadow Rush, Shadow Shed and Shadow Sky as a Shadow Pokémon, and learns Baton Pass, Metal Sound and Extrasensory after being purified.

Evolution

Template:EvoChart Box

Trivia

Origin

Zapdos is based on the Native American legend of the thunderbird. The thunderbird was known for being the spirit of thunder, lightning, and rain in the form of a giant bird. The beating of the wings was said to create thunder.

Name origin

Zapdos's name is a combination of the word zap and the Spanish word for two, dos, indicating that it is the second in the series of Kanto legendary birds. Its Japanese name is simply Thunder. The French name is a combination of electric and Thor, the Norse God of thunder.