We come yet again to that time of the week. And for this week, in honor of this festive season of the year, I’ll be covering the very first Legendary Ice-type Pokemon. Presenting the first member of Kanto’s Bird Trio, Articuno.
Articuno is certainly the most beautiful of the three Legendary Birds of Kanto, which is a big reason why it’s my second favorite of the three after Zapdos. This bird of ice is also the most passive of its trio. Articuno prefers not to battle, though seems willing to if challenged. Most legends about Articuno say that this great bird appears to doomed travelers lost in the icy mountains. Though whether these poor souls were seeing the real Articuno or just hallucinating badly due to the cold, no one can say. One more thing to mention before going on is that Articuno chills the moisture in the air and causes snow to fall wherever it goes. So if there’s unseasonable snowfall in the Pokemon world, chances are Articuno is the cause.
Hangout: In the Generation One games and their remakes, Articuno can be found within the deepest part of the Seafoam Islands. I always had kind of a hard time with the Seafoam Islands the first few times I played the Pokemon games. It had that puzzle where you had to push boulders through the floor in order to slow the water current and not only get to the other side of the island, but to get to Articuno as well. That puzzle usually confused me, especially with all the wild Pokemon that kept popping out at me every minute or so. So I’d usually just head to Cinnabar Island from Pallet Town. But eventually I figured out how to make it work with the help of a strategy guide.
Anyway, the Seafoam Islands is still a pretty good place to go even after capturing Articuno. The islands are home to a lot of Water Pokemon, so at the very least it’s a good place to train your Electric and Grass-type Pokemon. In Pokemon Platinum, Articuno can be found roaming the grasses of Sinnoh with Zapdos and Moltres. And in HeartGold and SoulSilver, the bird of ice can once again be found within the caves of the Seafoam Islands after winning all sixteen Gym Badges. The boulder puzzle is gone, but there are at least three trainers, and I think some ice floor puzzles to take its place.
Another Favorite Type: Another big reason why I like Articuno is because I simply like Ice-type Pokemon in general. For some reason I’ve always liked the idea of snow and ice being used as a weapon. Maybe it’s because I’m a bit of a winter person. But really, most Ice-type Pokemon can be pretty powerful. And they’re sort of a must-have against Dragon-type Pokemon (how convenient that the Ice Path is located between Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City in Johto).
I think that about covers it for this week. Next week I’ll be talking about a Legendary Pokemon that could be used as a Christmas decoration (or a wedding bouquet if one prefers). So until then, stay tuned.
