Phione is a blue Pokémon with a round head and a tiny body. Phione's head is larger than the rest of its body, and is crowned by a flotation sac with a long, ribbon-like antenna. Its mouth is small, and its eyes are large with blue sclerae and gray irises. Extending from its eyes are two blue, circular markings. Its flipper-like arms are longer than its body. Phione has a red, oval gem on its chest and a single rudimentary foot spike.
Phione inflates the sac on its head to drift in the water and search for food. When the water grows warm, it will drift in packs with other members of its species. No matter how far it has drifted, it will always return to the place where it was born.
Phione, the Sea Drifter Pokémon. Phione lives in warm oceans. It inflates the flotation sac on its head allowing it to float on the waves and look for food.
Phione's status as a legendary Pokémon is often disputed, due to the fact that it can breed and multiple individuals can be obtained. Pokémon.com's mailbag was once asked if Phione was legendary, to which the answer was initially no, but was quickly changed to yes; the whole mailbag section has since been taken down with the restructure of Pokémon.com. In the official game guide to Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which is made by The Pokémon Company International, it is stated that Phione is not legendary. In Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, it is not referred to by the game as "rare" or "legendary", which is the case for all other legendary Pokémon in the game. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, Phione has a 100% recruit rate, is never battled, and the player is not allowed to recruit more than one to their team, all of which are traits otherwise only exhibited by legendary Pokémon. Phione is banned from the Battle Frontier, the Battle Subway and the Pokémon World Tournament, a rule which typically applies only to legendary Pokémon. Notably, and unlike Manaphy, Phione is not found in any regional Pokédex, a trait that is otherwise exclusive to Generation IV legendary Pokémon. In Pokémon Rumble Blast, Phione can only be unlocked once a certain number of customers have shopped at the Toy Shop, a trait otherwise exclusive to legendary Pokémon. It was also featured in Pokémon.com's Pokémon Power Bracket, while all other Pokémon in it were legendary Pokémon.
Phione is probably based on sea angels, specifically clione. Clione are remarkably popular in Japanese documentaries, especially in Hokkaido, on which Sinnoh is based (this may also explain their appearance in Chocovine Town).
Name origin
Phione may be a combination of the final syllable of Manaphy and clione (sea angels). Like clione, Phione is pronounced in three syllables.
References
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
フィオネ Phione
From a combination of final syllable of Manaphy and clione (sea angels)
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.