The Kanto region was the first introduction to the world of Pokémon for many players. Pokémon Red/Blue was released in America in 1998 and took the country by storm. The explosion of content from these games resulted in toys, a card game, and an anime (with good reason, too). No matter who you would ask on the playground, everyone had a different favorite monster.

Of course, there were those few Pokémon that were spoken about in hushed tones, reverential whispers due to their power and scarcity. These were the Legendary Pokémon of the Kanto region.

Each generation of Pokémon has their own Legendaries. The Kanto region has the fewest amount with only four, plus the one mythical Pokémon said to live under a truck in the ocean (more on that later). However, these few beasts drove players crazy with their low catch rate, high level, and rarity. This article will serve as a guide to the lore of these creatures and the best way to catch each of them.

The Legendary Birds of Kanto Region

To start off, let’s take a look at the Legendary Birds of the Kanto region. These three Legendary Pokémon are: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. These Birds are considered the embodiments of Winter, Summer, and Spring, respectively. Some theorize that Arcanine is the embodiment of Autumn, as it is seen with the Birds on a wall engraving in the anime, but this has not been confirmed. They have also been called the Winged Mirages.

In Pokémon the Movie 2000, the Birds take center stage within the movie, along with Lugia from the Johto region. These three were said to be the titans of their elements and the masters of the ocean. Articuno and Moltres created the ocean while Zapdos controls the currents. However, they were captured by a Pokémon collector who wanted to use their fighting to draw out Lugia. The birds worked together to trap Lugia back under the seas.

As antagonistic as they are in the anime, they really just hang out in their respective locations in the games. All three Birds have flying as a secondary type with their element as their primary typing. They are also frequently found as Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon Go. In order to get them, you have to defeat Giovanni within certain months which they are featured.

Articuno - #144

Deep within the Seafoam Islands, an island off the coast of Fuschia City, a colossal blue bird waits for a challenger. Articuno, the Freeze Pokémon, is said to be able to create blizzards by freezing moisture. According to its Pokédex entry in Pokémon Y, it is a Pokémon that is said to appear to doomed people who are lost in icy mountains.

Articuno is widely considered the first of the Legendary Birds due to two factors. The first is that Articuno is the most likely to be the initial encounter among the three Legendary Bird Pokémon, given that Seafoam Islands are the next destination after the move Surf is obtained. The second is that its name is a combination of “arctic” (cold weather) and “uno” (“one” in Spanish). Articuno is also the first Legendary Pokémon in the Pokédex.

Articuno is an Ice/Flying-type with a catch rate of 1.6% and is level 50. With the dual typing, it’s weak to four other types: Rock, Steel, Fire, and Electric. It’s the only one of the three that is weak to the other two. Its base stats are pretty solid overall. Due to the high number of weaknesses, Articuno is very defensive with high base Defense and Special Defense (100 and 125).

Zapdos - #145

In the northeastern seas of Kanto, an abandoned power plant sits empty. It's filled with Electric-type Pokémon, all ready to shock you away from their home and prevent you from reaching the beast that waits within. Before you exit the power plant, lightning crackles, thunder booms, and the Legendary Bird of lightning, Zapdos, swoops down to battle. Zapdos, the Electric Pokémon, is the master of thunder and lightning according to most of its Pokédex entries. In true monstrous fashion, according to the Generation III entries, it gains power by being struck by lightning.

Zapdos follows the Legendary Bird naming convention of this region as well. “Zap” is a term synonymous with getting shocked and “dos” is “two” in Spanish. This Pokémon is off the beaten path in terms of its location; players will have to Surf around Rock Tunnel, located on Route 10. It’s located directly south of the cave.

Zapdos is an Electric/Flying-type Pokémon with a 1.6% catch rate. This Bird is lucky to have dual typing; usually, Electric-types are weak to Ground-types, but, thanks to the additional Flying-type, it’s completely immune to Ground attacks. With having only two weaknesses, high speed, and high special attack, there is a reason that Zapdos is considered the strongest Legendary Bird.

Moltres - #146

You’ve collected all eight badges. Only one final task is in your way before taking on the Elite Four: Victory Road. The cave is filled with powerful trainers and even stronger Pokémon. However, deep in the bowels of this dungeon, resides Moltres, the final Legendary Bird of Kanto. Many entries of the Pokédex claim that its blazing wings are the first sign of Spring. Others say that, in order to heal itself, it bathes in pools of magma.

Moltres, the Flame Pokémon, is a Fire/Flying-type with a 1.6% catch rate, like the others. Despite its fearsome appearance, it’s not too much of a threat. It’s quad-weak to Rock-types which isn’t great, considering it’s in a cave full of Rock monsters. Moltres’ Special Attack is high, but everything else is comparable to the other Birds. It also rounds out the naming trio with “mol” referencing molten lava and “tres”, the Spanish word for three.

Victory Road is where it resides in the original Pokémon Red/Blue and in Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee. However, in the remakes of Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen, Moltres resides in a different location called Mt. Ember, part of a new region called the Sevii Islands. Once you defeat the gym on Cinnabar Island, you receive a ticket to go to One Island, the first of the Sevii Islands and where Mt. Ember is located. It roosts at the top of the mountain.

The Mew Duo

The Mew Duo has a ton of lore behind it that is only discovered if players read the journals in the Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar Island. To start, Mew is the first Mythical Pokémon, a subset of Legendaries that are considered so rare that they are only rumored to exist. Each Generation has a few Mythical Pokémon, with the exceptions of Generations I, II, and VIII which will only have one.

Most viewers know about these two from the first Pokémon movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. In the movie, it shows how Team Rocket used Mew’s DNA to create Mewtwo, fitting him with armor to control him. He eventually breaks free and lives on an island. He invites strong trainers to the island in order to trap them and clone their Pokémon. He wants to liberate them from trainers, which he considers evil thanks to his treatment by Team Rocket. Mew appears and fights with Mewtwo. This results in Ash getting trapped in stone in order to save his friends. This makes Mewtwo realize the error of his ways. He erases everyone’s memory before flying off with Mew.

That’s the anime lore, in the games, Mew and Mewtwo have a more checkered past. Mew is said to have the genetic code of every Pokémon in its DNA. If this were true, it would be incredibly beneficial to scientists who are trying to clone or create new Pokémon, so they went on the hunt. There were sightings of Mew in Guyana which eventually led to its capture. According to the aforementioned journals, Mew was impregnated with a clone and Mewtwo was born on February 6th. Some later media changes Mewtwo’s birth to gene splicing and incubation, but this is the official canon according to Generation I. Mewtwo, becoming too powerful for the scientists to hold, destroys the Mansion and flies off to Cerulean Cave.

Mewtwo - #150

After seeing the wreckage of the Pokémon Mansion, you decide to find the monster that did this. You defeat the Elite Four, gaining access to the final area in the game: Cerulean Cave. It’s filled with the most powerful Pokémon you’ve encountered thus far. Finally, in the deepest part of the cave, you find Mewtwo standing alone on a rock, ready to do battle. The Pokédex tells you that it has a savage heart among Pokémon and it was created only to fight. Sheesh.

Mewtwo, the Genetic Pokémon, is a pure Psychic-type and packs quite a wallop. It has the highest base stats of any Pokémon in Generation I. It’s incredibly fast with an even higher Special Attack that makes Mewtwo a formidable foe. On top of that, at level 70, it’s the highest level Pokémon you can encounter in this game. This is why people tend to use their Master Ball against this Pokémon.

Mewtwo is one of the most popular characters in the series, being featured in the most anime openings and in many other spin off games. In Pokémon X/Y, it got two Mega Evolutions: Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y. Mega Mewtwo X gains a Fighting-type and big buff to its Attack stat. Mega Mewtwo Y’s psychic power is increased with a boost to the Special Attack stat and has a much better design.

Mew - #151

Every elementary aged child in 1998 had heard about the mythical hidden truck. According to legend, this was the only way you could find Mew in the original games. In order to find this truck, you have to trade in a Pokémon that knows Surf before the SS Anne leaves from Vermillion City. You have to surf around the ship and you’ll find a lone truck on a ledge. If you check under the truck, Mew will pop out and you can catch it! Obviously, this was not true. In fact, only a few legitimate Generation I Mew exist as few were distributed through events in Japan.

Mew, the New Species Pokémon, is another pure Psychic Pokémon, which makes sense as it was the basis for Mewtwo. It sets the precedent for all Mythicals to have a Base Stat total of 600, with each Stat type having a 100 Base. The Pokédex thoroughly explains how Mew is believed to have the DNA of all Pokémon. Only those pure of heart are allowed to view Mew. There are also several entries that mainly focus on how, when viewed through a microscope, very small hairs can be seen.

The biggest gimmick with Mew is its ability to learn every Technical Move of each Generation. Due to its unique genetic makeup, Mew is able to do anything. This makes it a very valuable member of the team as it can fill in any type gap you have. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to find a legitimate version, so your tournament team will have to go without.

The Galarian Legendary Birds

Most Legendaries don’t take on regional forms. There are a few that change form based on their evolutions, stats, or battle stance. However, the Kantonian Legendary Birds were the first Legendaries to receive regional forms. The Legendary Birds were given a makeover for Pokémon Sword and Shield with new designs, new typings, and different lore.

Now called the Legendary Wings, the trio gathers at Dyna Tree Hill in the Crown Tundra, the southernmost place in the Galar region. After the player encounters them, they spread out across Galar and become roaming Pokémon in different areas. Galarian Articuno, now a Psychic/Flying-type, is found in the Crown Tundra. Galarian Zapdos, a Fighting/Flying-type, is in the Wild Area on the Galar mainland. Finally, Galarian Moltres is a Dark/Flying-type and is at the Isle of Armor.

Their new designs are reminiscent of the Kantonian versions while showing off their new typings as well. The Pokédex entries all hint at their previous typings. Articuno has psychic eyebeams that “freeze” its opponents. Zapdos is very fast and its wings “crackle and zap” with energy. Moltres has an aura that seems like “molten fire”. It sets an interesting precedent for what regional forms of other Legendaries or Mythical Pokémon could look like.

Kanto has the fewest number of Legendaries but they are all incredibly memorable. These were the first Legendaries: the ones who set the stage for the future to come. The next region, Pokémon Silver/Gold/Crystal’s Johto, gives the Legendaries more lore and makes them parts of the plot instead of sidequests to follow up on.

How to Catch Legendary Pokémon

Given their names, of course they are going to be harder to catch than normal run of the mill Pokémon. The catch rate usually sits around 2% which can be frustrating for a lot of players. There are a few different ways to ease the tension of the situation to make it easier to add these creatures to the Pokédex.

Before the battle starts, make sure to save your game. That way, if you accidentally knock it out, you can just restart from before the fight. In later games (after Gen IV), start off with a Quick Ball as that has a higher likelihood of success right at the start of the battle. If that doesn’t work, start attacking.

It's best to try and catch the Pokémon when its health is in the red. Once it is in the red health range, you can freeze, paralyze, or put it to sleep, preventing it from attacking you and increasing your catch rate. This would be a good time to start using Timer Balls, as their efficacy increases as the battle goes on.

Of course, these aren’t surefire ways to catch a Legendary, but it makes the process a lot easier. Or you could just throw your Master Ball at it. Then you’re guaranteed a quick catch.