Legendary Pokémon: Difference between revisions

'''Legendary Pokémon''' (Japanese: '''伝説のポケモン''' ''Legendary Pokémon'') are a group of incredibly rare and often very powerful {{OBP|Pokémon|species}}, generally featured prominently in the legends and myths of the Pokémon world. There is also a group considered to be a subset of Legendary Pokémon, referred to as '''神話のポケモン''' ''mythical Pokémon'', which lacks an official English name and refers to the specific Pokémon which are spoken of as the creators of the [[Sinnoh]] region.

'''Mythical Pokémon''' (Japanese: '''幻のポケモン''' ''Illusory Pokémon'') are a related group of Pokémon seen so rarely that some question their very existence. This category consists solely of [[event Pokémon]] and {{p|Deoxys}}. No event-exclusive Mythical Pokémon is required to complete the Pokédex.

Many more Legendary and Mythical Pokémon were added to the roster in [[Generation III]], with the nine new Legendary Pokémon bringing the total to 18, and the third Mythical Pokémon being released. At this point in the series, Legendary Pokémon began to have a greater role in the storyline of the games, with the plot of the [[villainous teams]] introduced in this generation and the next involving the reawakening of ancient Legendary Pokémon for the team's own use. Mythical Pokémon, however, remained unrelated to the games' storylines.

Many of the stories regarding the legendaries were slightly changed, or given a new perspective in the [[Remakes]] of Generation III, [[Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]. Also 5 of them received new forms.  

A virus from space which mutated when shot by a laser, {{p|Deoxys}} was the first Legendary Pokémon known to [[Form differences|change form]], taking different forms on in each of the [[Generation III]] games - Normal Forme in {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}}, Attack Forme in {{game3|FireRed and LeafGreen|Pokémon FireRed|s}}, Defense Forme in {{game3|FireRed and LeafGreen|Pokémon LeafGreen|s}}, and Speed Forme in {{game|Emerald}}, and being able to change them at will starting from [[Generation IV]] games with special meteorites found in [[Veilstone City]] in [[Sinnoh]], {{rt|3|Kanto}} in [[Kanto]], [[Nacrene City]] in [[Unova]], [[Ambrette Town]] in [[Kalos]], and [[Fallarbor Town]] in [[Hoenn]]. Deoxys was also the second Mythical Pokémon introduced in Hoenn, although it eventually became a Legendary Pokémon.

In the games, Deoxys was originally only available on [[Birth Island]] when the {{DL|Event item|AuroraTicket}} is downloaded to FireRed, LeafGreen, or Emerald, though as with all Mythical Pokémon, it has also been available through direct download via [[Mystery Gift]]. As of {{g|Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire}}, however, Deoxys is now available without an event.

Deoxys was the first and currently the only Mythical Pokémon to become normally available without the use of events in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

Nine more Legendary Pokémon and four Mythical Pokémon (five counting Phione) were added in [[Generation IV]], the most of any generation so far, bringing the total to 6 Mythical Pokémon (7 counting Phione). Many of the Legendary Pokémon of this generation have little connection to the plot of the games, instead being minor, post-League sidequests for the player to go on. Three of the newly introduced Legendary Pokémon and three of the new Mythical Pokémon (four counting Phione) are not in Sinnoh's regional Pokédex, appearing only in the National Pokédex.

Prior to Generation IV, 680 had been the limit on any Pokémon's [[Base stats|base stat]] total: this limit was set by {{p|Mewtwo}} in [[Generation I]] and was only matched—never surpassed—in Generation II and Generation III. In Generation IV, however, the most powerful of all Pokémon in terms of base stats is no longer Mewtwo or any of its equals, but {{p|Arceus}}, the supposed creator of the Pokémon universe.

{{p|Cresselia}}, a Legendary Pokémon, and {{p|Darkrai}}, a Mythical Pokémon, represent two phases of the moon with opposite connotations: Darkrai represents the {{wp|new moon}}, the cause of the darkest nights and bringer of nightmares, while Cresselia represents the {{wp|full moon}}, a sign of hope and good dreams.

Nine additional Legendary Pokémon and four Mythical Pokémon were added in [[Generation V]], totaling 36 Legendary Pokémon and ten Mythical (11, counting [[Generation IV]]'s Phione). {{p|Reshiram}} and {{p|Zekrom}} played a large role in the storyline of Black and White, with the respective mascot Pokémon being a necessary and unavoidable capture to progress to the endgame. The rest of the Pokémon mattered little to the narrative progression.

* {{p|Deoxys}} is the only Mythical Pokémon to become available in a core series game without an {{pkmn2|event}}.