Pseudo-legendary Pokémon
Pseudo-legendary is a term commonly used to refer to any Pokémon that has a three-stage evolution line, two types, as well as a base stat total of 600. The term originates from the Greek verb Pseudo, which means to lie. Pseudo-legendaries are more powerful than many other non-legendary Pokémon, if only for their base stats, and in particular, have an outstanding Attack stat. Since the pseudo-legendaries are very powerful, they are commonly used by many Trainers in their teams. Three of the five pseudo-legendaries Pokémon are Template:Type2.
List of pseudo-legendaries
There are five Pokémon considered to be pseudo-legendaries. The following shows the pseudo-legendaries, their types, and the Pokémon they evolve from. Dratini's evolution line actually appears in legends.
Characteristics
With the exception of Garchomp's evolution family, the pseudo-legendaries are usually situated next to the legendary trios in the Pokédexes of their respective Generations. In both the National Pokédex and Johto Pokédex, the evolutionary lines of Dragonite and Tyranitar are located just after the legendary trio and before the Ubers of their respective generation (they are located next to each other in the Johto Pokédex). Similarly, the Salamence and Metagross lines are located next to each other right before the legendary golems in both the National Pokédex and Hoenn Pokédex. Oddly, this tradition was not upheld in the fourth generation, as the Garchomp evolution line is situated next to no notable Pokémon.
Besides Metagross, the pseudo-legendaries have a double weakness to one type: in the case of Dragonite, Salamence, and Garchomp the double weakness is to Template:Type2 moves, while Tyranitar has a double weakness to Template:Type2 moves.
All of the pseudo-legendaries also have an immunity to one type. For Dragonite and Salamence it is Template:Type2, for Tyranitar it is Template:Type2, for Metagross it is Template:Type2, and for Garchomp it is Template:Type2.
In the games
These Pokémon are used in-game almost exclusively by the final members of the Elite Four and Champions. Dragonite is used by Lance, the final Elite Four member in Generation I and FireRed and LeafGreen; it is used again by Lance as the Champion in Generation II and HeartGold and SoulSilver. Tyranitar is also used by Lance in Pokémon Stadium 2 (both Round 1 and 2), as well as by Blue, the Champion, but only in the second round of the Elite Four in FireRed and LeafGreen. Salamence is used by Drake, the final Elite Four member in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. Metagross is used by Steven Stone, the Champion in Ruby and Sapphire, and ex-Champion in Emerald. Garchomp is used by Cynthia, the Champion in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, Lance uses a Dragonite, but when he is battled again, he will replace two of his three Dragonite with the two other Dragon Pseudo-legendaries, Salamence and Garchomp. This means that all Pseudo-legendaries have been used by a Champion at least once.
Pseudo-legendaries are obtainable in the wild strictly in their first form for the first two games of their generation. However, Dragonair is obtainable in the wild in most games where Dratini is (all but Red, Green, and Blue). Likewise, Pupitar is available in the wild in Crystal and HeartGold and SoulSilver. Gabite is also found in Victory Road in Platinum.
Pokémon Colosseum
In story mode, Shadow Metagross is used by Nascour and Shadow Tyranitar is used by Evice; it is notable that the two Cipher leaders have positions comparable to those of the final Elite Four member and Champion, respectively. Pokémon XD complemented the list of pseudo-legendaries as of Generation III by featuring Shadow Salamence (used by Eldes) and Shadow Dragonite (used by Miror B.). Another commonality is that all four pseudo-legendaries have Shadow Rush as one of their Shadow Moves.
In the anime
All the pseudo-legendaries have appeared in the anime.
- Dragonite debuted as a silhouette in Mystery at the Lighthouse, but appeared physically in Mewtwo Strikes Back.
- Dragonite has also appeared belonging to Drake and Lance, both regional champions.
- Dratini debuted as a legendary in Legend of Dratini, as well as Dragonair.
- Tyranitar debuted in Celebi: Voice of the Forest.
- Salamence debuted in Jirachi: Wish Maker.
- Metagross debuted in Destiny Deoxys.
- Garchomp first appeared belonging to Cynthia in Top-Down Training!.
- Cynthia's Garchomp also appeared in the opening of Arceus and the Jewel of Life, meaning that all pseudo-legendary Pokémon have also appeared in a movie.
Trivia
- Metagross is the only genderless pseudo-legendary, and the only pseudo-legendary that does not appear to be based on a reptile; rather, it is a robotic life form.
- All pseudo-legendaries that existed at the time were available in either Pokémon Colosseum or XD. Tyranitar is available in both games: by either snagging it from Cipher Head Evice in Colosseum or trading a Trapinch for a Larvitar from Duking in XD.
- Although pseudo-legendaries are used almost exclusively by the final members of the Elite Four and Champions, there are two minor exceptions in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum: a male Trainer on Route 229 uses Salamence, and a female Trainer on Route 224 has Metagross, serving as cameo appearances for the movie characters Butler and Rebecca, who used these pseudo-legendaries in their respective movies. Another trainer outside of Stark Mountain uses a Dragonite, but this trainer is not related to any movies.
- Each pseudo-legendary family has at least one blue-colored member.
- Among Pokémon commonly mistaken for pseudo-legendaries are Slaking, Flygon, and Aggron. For one reason or another, these Pokémon do not fit the criteria of those above and so are not pseudo-legendaries.
- Slaking, though not a pseudo-legendary, has the highest base stats of all non-legendary Pokémon and one immunity, to the Ghost-type. However, it lacks two types, a double weakness and a base-stat total of 600. Slaking is also crippled by its ability, Truant, only allowing it to attack half of the time.
- Tyranitar is the only pseudo-legendary that is completely unable to be used in tournaments due to the level 50 cap; Salamence, Metagross, and Garchomp all evolve at or right before level 50, and Dragonite evolves at level 55 like Tyranitar, but was also released in an event at level 50, and is tournament legal in this form.
- In Israel, pseudo-legendary Pokémon used to be called "Half Legendary" Pokémon amongst Pokémon fans.
- Tyranitar is the only pseudo-legendary that has a unique type combination.
- Ash is the first main character in the anime to own a member of a pseudo-legendary family.
- Metagross's evolutionary line is the only pseudo-legendary that can't be caught in the wild in the generation it debuted in.
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