Throughout the years, there has been much talk of Legendary Pokémon. Starting with just the 5 Legendary Pokémon in Generation 1, as of Generation VII there are 81 different Legendary Pokémon. Each Legendary Pokémon has an aspect of lore behind it that you can discover in the game.
Legendary Pokémon are typically rare and hard to get, usually being restricted to one or two of each species in each game they're available in. Before Generation IV, there were no Legendary Pokémon that could breed, before adding Manaphy and Phione. Before Generation III they couldn't have gender, and before Generation VII there were no Legendary Pokémon that could evolve.
The Pokémon universe features a vast array of Legendary Pokémon. Mewtwo, known for its Mega Evolution, is among the most potent Legendary Pokémon, with three known instances in the Pokémon World. A Legendary Pokémon is a unique type of Pokémon that is renowned for its exceptional power and rarity, making them the most coveted type of Pokémon for Pokémon Trainers to obtain.
Legendary Pokémon are usually the version mascots of a game in the core series, starting with Ho-Oh and Lugia with Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version respectively or Zamazenta from Pokemon Shield and Zacian in Pokemon Sword for some examples.
Here's a look at some notable Legendary Psychic-type Pokémon:
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The Lake Guardians
These Pokémon are a trio named for living in one of the three lakes of the Sinnoh region. They have the ability to calm the Creation Trio.
Uxie
Uxie is a Psychic type Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation 4. Uxie has no known evolutionary line, and is one of the three Lake Guardians, along with Mespirit and Azelf.
Mespirit
Mespirit is a Psychic type Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation 4. Mespirit has no known evolutionary line, and is one of the three Lake Guardians, along with Uxie and Azelf.
Azelf
Azelf is a Psychic type Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation 4. Azelf has no known evolutionary line, and is one of the three Lake Guardians, along with Uxie and Mespirit.
Cresselia
Cresselia is a Psychic type Legendary Pokemon introduced in Generation 4. A Legendary Pokémon and a Mythical Pokémon are sometimes part of the same group, such as Cresselia and Darkrai of the Lunar Duo.
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Categories of Legendary Pokémon
While many people group segments of Legendary Pokémon together, there are in fact three categories of Legendary Pokémon within the game:
- Sub-Legendary Pokémon: This group of Legendary Pokémon typically gets no restrictions. They're allowed in Battle Facilities such as the Battle Tree, Battle Frontier, Battle Spot, Online Competitions and the Video Game Championships. They have stats that range from 534 up to 670. Their category exists within the game code for the purpose of battle regulations and display in the Alola Pokédex, but has no official name. This subcategory includes the Ultra Beasts.
- Legendary Pokémon: These Pokémon are typically the Pokémon that adorn the covers of the video games, as well as any counterparts. The first one to exist was Mewtwo but they soon became more entrenched into the lore of the games. These Pokémon are banned from Battle Tree, Battle Frontier and similar facilities, as well as the Rating Battles in Battle Spot. Several instances of the Video Game Championships and Online Competitions have allowed for the use of these Pokémon, typically with restrictions as to how many you can use. They have stats that range from 600 up to 720, and some even have Form Changes, Mega Evolutions or Primal Reversions.
- Mythical Pokémon: These Pokémon were originally known in common conversation as "Event Only Pokémon" for a reason. These Pokémon are so rare that they are typically only available through going to an event distribution and either receiving the Pokémon itself, or an item to go get the Pokémon within the wild. Due to the fact that these are typically only from events and have limited distributions, these Pokémon are banned from Battle Tree, Battle Frontier and similar facilities, as well as the Rating Battles in Battle Spot & the Video Game Championships . Several instances of Online Competitions have allowed for the use of these Pokémon.
Legendary Pokémon are often conflated with Mythical Pokémon, which are similarly rare and powerful. In Japanese, both Legendary Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon have always been defined separately, but it was not until Generation V that Mythical Pokémon would be considered a sub-group of Legendary Pokémon in other languages, continuing up to Generation VIII.
Legendary Pokémon are considered less elusive than Mythical Pokémon, because the latter can be obtained in the core series usually just through special events.
Most Legendary Pokémon are part of a group, unlike most Mythical Pokémon, which are more distinct and elusive in nature. Legendary Pokémon within the same group are usually listed together in the Pokédex by numerical order, either at or the near the end of a Regional Pokédex; this does not occur with Legendary Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon that part of the same group, like the Lunar Duo.
Several Legendary Pokémon have abstract powers and/or unique titles that no other Pokémon have, such as Arceus being the creator of the Pokémon World. Because of their abilities, Legendary Pokémon are commonly associated with a myth about legends of creation and/or destruction within their endemic regions, Xerneas and Yveltal being two good examples.
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Additionally, it is also why a Legendary Pokémon may be targeted by a villainous team who wants to use it to alter the Pokémon World in their favor.
In the core series, only one of a species of Legendary Pokémon appears in the game's plot, meaning that the player can obtain more only through trading. In the first few generations, if a Legendary Pokémon is defeated by the player, it cannot respawn again, meaning that in cases where the player wants to catch the Pokémon, they have to reset the game without saving.
Since Generation IV, if the player defeats a Legendary Pokémon, they can later receive another chance to catch it by defeating the Elite Four again. On the other hand, since Generation VI, various games of the core series require the player to catch certain Legendary Pokémon in order to progress the story; if the player either escapes from battle or defeats the Legendary Pokémon, it respawns for them to fight again. Such required Legendary Pokémon have a slightly higher catch rate.
Legendary Pokémon with similar characteristics that are introduced in the same generation are grouped together, usually as a trio. They generally share the same base stat total, but with a few of their individual base stats being arranged differently for each of them.
The Legendary Birds, introduced in Generation I, is the first Legendary Pokémon trio, consisting of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. The Tower Duo, introduced in Generation II, is the first Legendary Pokémon duo, consisting of Lugia and Ho-Oh. The Guardian Deities, introduced in Generation VII, is the first Legendary Pokémon quartet, consisting of Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini.
A few of the Legendary Pokémon can Mega Evolve, a mechanic introduced in Generation VI, including Mewtwo, Latias, Latios, Rayquaza, and Zygarde Complete Form. Legendary Pokémon cannot evolve in a traditional sense in earlier generations, until Generation VII, which marked the debut of Type: Null and Cosmog, capable of evolving into Silvally and Cosmoem, respectively.
Most Legendary Pokémon are genderless, but there are still several exceptions to this. Both Lunala and Sogaleo are referred to as gender unknown species in the game's gender ratios, however their lore states that they are the female and male evolutions of Cosmoem respectively.
Ultra Beasts have similarly been conflated with Legendary Pokémon.
Here's a breakdown of the number of Legendary Pokémon introduced per generation:
- Four Legendary Pokémon were introduced in Generation I.
- Five Legendary Pokémon were introduced in Generation II, three of which are within the Legendary Beasts trio.
- Eight Legendary Pokémon were introduced in Generation III.
- Nine Legendary Pokémon were introduced in Generation IV.
- Nine Legendary Pokémon were introduced in Generation V.
- Three Legendary Pokémon were introduced in Generation VI, less than in any other generation.
- Eleven Legendary Pokémon were introduced in Generation VII.
- Eleven Legendary Pokémon were introduced in Generation VIII (excluding the regional forms of the Legendary Birds).
- Eleven Legendary Pokémon were introduced in Generation IX.
The Psychic Type
The Psychic type (Japanese: エスパータイプ Esper type) is one of the eighteen types. As of Generation IX, 109 Pokémon or 10.63% of all Pokémon are Psychic-type (counting those that are Psychic-type in at least one of their forms, including regional forms), making it the 5th most common type among Pokémon after Flying and before Bug.
In Generation I, the color gold was often used in relation to Psychic-type Pokémon, possibly as a reference to parapsychology. Kanto's Psychic-type Gym is located in Saffron City (saffron is a color similar to gold), and its badge is named ゴールドバッジ Gold Badge in Japanese. It is also represented in Pokémon designs such as the Abra-line, the Drowzee evolutionary line, Psyduck, and in Golduck's name.
Unlike in the core series games, in Pokémon Sleep, each Pokémon can only have one type, which determines the kind of Berry that the Pokémon will gather for Snorlax to feed on.
Due to the decreased amount of types in the TCG, Psychic generally adopts all Ghost-type Pokémon under its typing. It also adopted Poison-type Pokémon after the Diamond & Pearl set, whereas previously they were a part of the Grass-type, though they would later be incorporated into Darkness from Sword & Shield onward.
Psychic-type Pokémon in the TCG are generally weak to Darkness, Metal, and other Psychic Pokémon (until Sword & Shield), with a Resistance to Fighting.
There has been at least one Psychic-type specialist in every region and generation.
Rattled, an Ability introduced in Generation V, is affected by the weaknesses of the Psychic-type.
Notable Psychic-Type Moves
Here are some notable Psychic-type moves:
- Extrasensory: The user attacks with its tremendous psychic power. The target is hit with a strong telekinetic force to inflict damage. This may also lower the target’s Sp.
- Psychic: The target is hit with a strong telekinetic force to inflict damage. The user attacks the target with its psychic power. This may also lower the target’s Sp.
- Psyshock: The target is attacked with an odd psychic wave. This move inflicts damage using the Attack or Sp.
- Psystrike: The user attacks by biting the target with its psychic capabilities.
- Future Sight: The user attacks with an odd, unseeable power.
- Luster Purge: The user attacks by unleashing a peculiar light that even affects the mind. This also harshly lowers the target's Sp.
- Mist Ball: A mist-like flurry of down envelops and damages the target. This may also lower the target's Sp.
- Photon Geyser: The user shoots powerful lasers using the power of a prism.
- Zen Headbutt: The user focuses its willpower to its head and attacks the target.