List of all legendary Pokémon and their locations within the games:
Red/Blue/Yellow:
#144 – Articuno: Articuno is found within the Seafoam Islands east of Cinnabar Island. You will need Surf and Strength in order to get to it. It is at level 60.
#145 – Zapdos: Zapdos is situated in the Power Plant to the far east of Cerulean City. You will need to Surf in order to get to it. It is at level 60.
#146 – Moltres: Moltres is located within Victory Road. You will need all eight badges and Strength in order to get to it. It is at level 60.
#150 - Mewtwo: Mewtwo is found within Cerulean Cave above Cerulean City, after getting into the Hall of Fame. He is at level 70 and packs quite a punch, so be prepared.
#151 – Mew: Mew is obtained via a glitch that was not discovered for almost a decade following the games’ release. Even Game Freak was unaware that Satoshi Tajiri had actually put it into the game. The glitch is very long, and requires you to go through the game almost methodically, which means that most people will have to start over in order to do it. To do it, you must NOT battle the following trainers: The Youngster above Cerulean City that has a Slowpoke and the Gambler outside the underground passage to and from Lavender Town and Celadon City. You have to have a Pokémon that knows the moves Fly, Dig or Teleport in your party. Save before attempting, as it is not uncommon to fail this glitch. You need to walk towards the Gambler below the underground passage entrance, and then press Start BEFORE the exclamation mark appears above his head. It is vital that it is done before you are spotted. You must then Fly to Cerulean City and battle the aforementioned youngster. After defeating him, Fly to Lavender Town. Go west (or left, if you prefer), towards route 8. Your Start menu will appear. Exit by pressing B. Voila – a level 7 Mew with the move Pound will appear. Be careful not to KO it, though. It needs a little weakening, since it is legendary. But it is also easily knocked out. Once it is caught, congratulations! You now have a Mew.
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
#243 – Raikou & #244 – Entei: To find the legendary dogs, go to Ecruteak City’s Burnt Tower. In the basement, you can see the three dogs. As you approach them, they run away – and can from that point on be encountered and caught in the grasses of Johto. Be warned, however; they will try to escape as soon as possible.
#245 – Suicune: Suicune is encountered and caught in the exact same way as the two others in Gold and Silver. In Crystal, however, it is involved in the storyline. The story involving it is still kicked off by meeting it in the Burnt Tower. When you finally get to catch it, you first need the Clear Bell from a man in Goldenrod City’s Radio Tower. After having obtained it, go to Ecruteak’s Tin Tower. There should be a Suicune at level 40.
#249 – Lugia: Lugia is found at level 40 in the Whirl Islands by obtaining the Silver Wing. In the Silver Version, this is obtained in the radio Tower. In Gold and Crystal, it is obtained in Pewter City. In those games, it is found at level 70.
#250 – Ho-Oh: Ho-Oh is found at level 40 in the Tin Tower in the Gold Version. In Gold, you obtain the Rainbow Wing in the Radio Tower, rather than the Silver Wing. Also, the Rainbow Wing is forund in Pewter City in the Silver Version, and the Ho-Oh there is in level 70. In Crystal, this is different altogether, though – after capturing all of the legendary dogs, you must go meet Eusine in Ecruteak City. After that, address a member of the Wise Trio. They will give you the Rainbow Wing and make stairs appear. These stairs lead to Ho-Oh. It is at level 70.
#251 – Celebi: Celebi can normally only be obtained through Nintendo events. However, if you collect all other Pokémon in the PokéDex in the Crystal Version, you can go meet Prof. Oak, who has something for you. A GS Ball. Go deliver this to Kurt in Azalea Town. He will want to check it. When he is done, go see him again. He will say that something odd is happening in the forest. Go investigate. Insert the GS Ball into the small shrine in the forest. You will meet Celebi. It is not very strong, and as such, be careful that you do not KO it.
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
#377 – Regirock: First, get ahold of a Relicanth, a Wailord, a Pokémon with Dig and a Pokémon with Dive. Go to Pacifidlog town. From here, go west using Surf. You will pretty quickly encounter some highly annoying currents. To get the Regi Trio, you will need to follow these currents until you hit a bit of steady water where you can dive. Do not despair if you cannot get there in the first attempt. Fly back to Pacifidlog and try again. Once you have gotten there, Dive. Then search around a little. You should find an entrance. This entrance leads to a small room that is seemingly empty. Go in there and use Dive again. Now you are in a larger room. This room contains long rows of rocks with Braille writing on them (Braille is the alphabet used by blind people). If you wish to take the time to decipher this, go get your game manual and look at the last couple of pages. If you just want your Pokémon, go to the wall with writing on it at the bag of the room. Read the inscription. Then use Dig. The wall will collapse, opening up a new room. Go in there. Put Relicanth at the top of your party and Wailord at the bottom. Read the inscription, and a small tremor will occur. The tombs of the three Regis have now been opened.
When catching Regirock, you first need a Pokémon with Strength. Regirock’s tomb is found at the bottom of the desert on route 111. Just go to the bottom, where you will find a stone structure with a hole in the wall. Go inside it. The room is empty. There is more Braille on the wall. Read it and replicate the following actions exactly: Go two steps to the right. Then two down. And finally, use Strength. Another room should appear. Go in there. Regirock is waiting for you. It is at level 40.
In Emerald, there are a few differences. First, you do as you did before to release them, with one difference. You need to have Wailord first in your party and Relicanth last (The opposite of R/S). As you get to Regirock’s cave, you still read the Braille on the wall. However, instead of doing as you did in R/S, you go two steps to the left, then two steps down. Finally, instead of Strength, you must use Rock Smash.
#378 – Regice: Regice is released in the same way as Regirock. After releasing it, go to Dewford City. Surf to route 105. At route 105, there is a small area to the far left that is surrounded by rocks and filled with Swimmers. Just go to the very top of this. There is a cave that looks exactly like the one Regirock resided in. Just go in there, read the inscription and stand perfectly still afterwards. After a randomly set amount of time – anywhere from seconds to a few minutes – a hole will appear in the wall. Go into the room beyond. It contains Regice. Just like the others, it is at level 40.
In Emerald, you start out with reading the inscription as you did before. However, you have to do a full tour around the room after doing this, touching the walls at all times. You must do this clock-wise. After doing so, the door to Registeel’s room will appear.
#379 – Registeel: Fly to the Safari Zone, the go a pretty long way to the left. On route 120, far left, there will be a set of stairs. Go up there. You will see a tomb like the other Regis had. This is Registeel’s residence. Go in there, read the inscription and use Fly in the exact middle of the room. A hole will appear. Go in there. Registeel is waiting. It is at level 40, like the others.
In Emerald, the only difference is that you must use Flash in the middle of the room, instead of Fly.
#380 – Latias: After entering the Hall of Fame in the Sapphire version, Latias will appear in grass at random. She is at level 40 and, like the dogs in G/S/C, she will flee as soon as possible.
In Emerald, you get to choose yourself whether you would like Latias or Latios to appear in the grass.
#381 – Latios: After entering the Hall of Fame in the Ruby version, Latios will appear in grass at random. He is at level 40 and, like the dogs in G/S/C, she will flee as soon as possible.
In Emerald, you get to choose yourself whether you would like Latias or Latios to appear in the grass.
#382 – Kyogre: Kyogre plays a major part in the storylines of the Sapphire and Emerald versions. In Sapphire, Kyogre is encountered before you are allowed to battle the eighth gym leader. It resides in the cave at the top of Sootopolis City. It is at level 45 and pretty strong. In Emerald, Kyogre is encountered after entering the Hall of Fame. When you have beaten the Elite Four, you must visit the Weather Institute where you got Castform. The director will tell you where Kyogre is. It can be found in a place called Marine Cave. It is at level 70.
#383 – Groudon: Groudon also plays a major part, though he does so in the storylines of the Ruby and Emerald versions. In Ruby, Groudon is encountered before you are allowed to battle the eighth gym leader. It resides in the cave at the top of Sootopolis City. It is at level 45 and pretty strong. In Emerald, Groudon is encountered after entering the Hall of Fame. When you have beaten the Elite Four, you must visit the Weather Institute where you got Castform. The director will tell you where Groudon is. It resides in a place named Terra Cave. It is at level 70.
#384 – Rayquaza: In the Ruby and Sapphire versions, Rayquaza is found after entering the Hall of Fame. It is found at Sky Pillar, which itself is found by using Surf along the line of rocks above Pacifidlog City. Just keep going to the right and you will eventually find a hole in the line of rocks. Go upwards when you reach it, and you will find Sky Pillar. In Emerald, there is a slight difference. Rayquaza is still found at Sky Pillar, but you need to find it during the main story line, and thus before you fight the Elite Four. After having it help you out in the storyline, it returns to Sky Pillar, where it can be caught. Regardless of game, it is encountered at level 70.
#385 – Jirachi: Jirachi is only encountered through special Nintendo events. It cannot be caught within any of the games normally.
#386 – Deoxys: Deoxys is only encountered through special Nintendo events. It cannot be caught within any of the games normally.
#151 – Mew: Mew can be caught in the Emerald version, though this can only be done through a special Nintendo event.
#249 – Lugia: Lugia can be caught in the Emerald version, though this can only be done through a special Nintendo event.
#250 – Ho-Oh: Ho-Oh can be caught in the Emerald version, though this can only be done through a special Nintendo event.
FireRed/LeafGreen:
#144 – Articuno: Articuno is found within the Seafoam Islands east of Cinnabar Island. You will need Surf and Strength in order to get to it. It is at level 50.
#145 – Zapdos: Zapdos is situated in the Power Plant to the far east of Cerulean City. You will need to Surf in order to get to it. It is at level 50.
#146 – Moltres: Moltres is different from R/B/Y. It is actually located in the Sevii Islands, on the First Island. It resides within Mt. Ember. It is at level 50.
#150 - Mewtwo: Mewtwo is found within Cerulean Cave above Cerulean City, after getting into the Hall of Fame. He is at level 70 and packs quite a punch, so be prepared.
#151 – Mew: Obviously, the Mew Glitch has been removed in these games. Mew is no longer catchable in Kanto, not even through events. It can be caught through an event in Emerald, though.
#243 – Raikou: Raikou can be found in the grasses of Kanto after entering the Hall of Fame, if Squirtle was your starter. It is encountered at level 50 and will flee as soon as possible.
#244 – Entei: Entei can be found in the grasses of Kanto after entering the Hall of Fame, if Bulbasaur was your starter. It is encountered at level 50 and will flee as soon as possible.
#245 – Suicune: Suicune can be found in the grasses of Kanto after entering the Hall of Fame, if Charmander was your starter. It is encountered at level 50 and will flee as soon as possible.
#249 – Lugia: Lugia can be caught in the games, though this can only be done through a special Nintendo event.
#250 – Ho-Oh: Ho-Oh can be caught in the games, though this can only be done through a special Nintendo event.
#386 – Deoxys: Deoxys is only encountered through special Nintendo events. It cannot be caught within any of the games normally.
Diamond/Pearl:
#480 – Uxie: Uxie lives in Lake Acuity, to the north-west of Snowpoint City. You can find it after freeing Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf. It is at level 50.
#481 – Mesprit: Mesprit lives in Lake Verity, to the north-west of Twinleaf Town. You can find it after freeing Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf. It is at level 50. Unlike the others, however, it decides to run right when it sees you. Afterwards, you can find it in the grass of Sinnoh at random. It will escape as soon as possible.
#482 – Azelf: Azelf lives in Lake Valor, to the west of Sunyshore City. You can find it after freeing Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf. It is at level 50.
#483 – Dialga: Dialga sits on top of Spear Pillar. Getting there is not really a problem, as you have to do so in order to complete the storyline. It is at level 47, and it is actually one of the easiest legendaries to catch in any game, along with Palkia and Giratina (though that is only in Platinum).
#484 – Palkia: Palkia sits on top of Spear Pillar. Getting there is not really a problem, as you have to do so in order to complete the storyline. It is at level 47, and it is actually one of the easiest legendaries to catch in any game, along with Dialga and Giratina (though that is only in Platinum).
#485 – Heatran: Heatran resides on Battle Island, which can only be accessed after entering the Hall of Fame. It is found in the Survival Area. You have to talk to Buck, a red-haired trainer inside one of the houses. He wants to get something inside the volcano east of the small settlement. You must help him get it. After he has taken it, you must return to his house and retrieve it. Finally, return to the volcano, where you got the item from. Heatran will be there. It is at level 70.
#486 – Regigigas: Regigigas waits for you inside Snowpoint Temple. To get to it, you first need to get the badge from Snowpoint Gym and the entire Regi Trio (Regirock, Regice, Registeel) in your party. Now, you must enter Snowpoint Temple and go through the puzzles in there. At some point, you will get to Regigigas. It is at lv. 70.
#487 – Giratina: Giratina is located in Turnback Cave, which in turn lies within Spring Path, east of route 214. Going through Turnback Cave is quite the challenge, but just keep trying and you will get there eventually. At the end, you will meet Giratina. It is at level 70.
#488 – Cresselia: When you have gotten the National PokéDex, you can go to Canalave City. Inside one of the houses, there is a little boy lying in a bed, muttering something about Darkrai. Go talk to his mother. After that, go talk to his father – his father is the sailor right outside. He will offer to take you to Full Moon Island. Accept this, and he will take you to an island. Just go into the forest, and you will see Cresselia take off. It leaves behind a Lunar Wing, which you must take to the little boy in order to heal him of his ailment. After this, you can meet Cresselia at random in the grass of Sinnoh. It is at level 50, and will try to escape as soon as possible.
#489 – Phione: Phione is obtained by breeding Manaphy. There are no other ways of getting one, except through events.
#490 – Manaphy: Manaphy can only be received through special Nintendo events and both Pokémon Ranger games.
#491 – Darkrai: Darkai can be caught in the games, though this can only be done through a special Nintendo wi-fi event.
#492 – Shaymin: Shaymin can be caught in the games, though this can only be done through a special Nintendo wi-fi event.
#493 – Arceus: Arceus can be caught in the games, though this can only be done through a special Nintendo wi-fi event. Note: This event has not been activated yet. Any Arceus below lv. 100 is currently bound to be hacked.
Platinum:
Note: This part of the guide will only list those Pokémon that deviate from the ones in the D/P section above.
#483 – Dialga: To get Dialga in Platinum, you must find the Adamant Orb within Mt. Coronet. Take it to the top, and Dialga will be there. It is at level 70.
#484 – Palkia: To get Palkia in Platinum, you must find the Lustrous Orb within Mt. Coronet. Take it to the top, and Palkia will be there. It is at level 70.
#485 – Heatran: Heatran resides on Battle Island, which can only be accessed after entering the Hall of Fame. It is found in the Survival Area. You have to talk to Buck, a red-haired trainer inside one of the houses. He wants to get something inside the volcano east of the small settlement. You must help him get it. After he has taken it, you must return to his house and retrieve it. Finally, return to the volcano, where you got the item from. Heatran will be there. It is at level 50.
#486 – Regigigas: Regigigas waits for you inside Snowpoint Temple. To get to it, you first need to get the badge from Snowpoint Gym and the entire Regi Trio (Regirock, Regice, Registeel) in your party. Now, you must enter Snowpoint Temple and go through the puzzles in there. At some point, you will get to Regigigas. It is at lv. 1.
#487 – Giratina: Giratina sits on top of Spear Pillar. Getting there is not really a problem, as you have to do so in order to complete the storyline. However, once you try to get near it, it will escape to the Torn Dimension. You have to pursue it and defeat Galactic Commander Cyrus before you can catch it It is at level 47 and in its Origin Forme, and it is actually one of the easiest legendaries to catch in any game, along with Dialga and Palkia. To make it go into its Origin Forme after exiting the Torn World, you must find and equip the Griseous Orb, which lies within Mt. Coronet.
#144 – Articuno, #145 – Zapdos & #146 – Moltres: The three legendary birds are obtainable after you fill out the National PokéDex. To get them, go see Professor Oak in Eterna City. He will talk about the birds having been sighted here in Sinnoh. After that, they will appear randomly in the grass of Sinnoh. They are all at level 60 and will flee as soon as possible.
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If you wish, you may copy and paste this or parts of this, as long as credit is given.
If you wish, you may copy and paste this or parts of this, as long as credit is given.
