10 Things You Didn’t Know About Pokemon’s Articuno
For people who are unfamiliar with either Pokemon Red and Blue or their successors, Articuno is one of the Pokemon that can become part of the player’s team. To be precise, it was one of the first legendary Pokemon to make its debut, meaning that it was so rare that each play-through provided one chance to catch it but made up for it by being one of the most powerful Pokemon in the series. In recent times, it has returned to a place of prominence in the public consciousness because someone has managed to acquire an Articuno in Pokemon Go, which is the mobile installment of the beloved franchise that has been taking the world by storm.
Here are 10 things that you didn’t know about Articuno:
1. Classified as the Legendary Birds
Legendary Pokemon tend to come in sets, which share certain characteristics as well as certain themes. For example, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are classified as the legendary birds, which are element-themed birds of incredible power with a subtle connection to the sea. Since the legendary birds are the first legendary trio to be created, it can be said that they set the trend for other legendary trios such as the legendary beasts, the weather trio, and the lake guardians.
2. Answers to Lugia
When Pokemon Gold and Silver came out, the legendary birds were revealed to have a trio master, which is a legendary Pokemon connected to them not as an equal but as a superior in some sense. In their case, the trio master was Lugia, which is another element-themed bird that served as the guardian of the sea. Although this sounds strange, the relationship between Lugia and the legendary birds was explained as Articuno and Moltres combining their powers to create the sea while Zapdos used its power to create the streams and currents.
3. First of the Trio
Like a lot of Pokemon, Articuno’s name is a portmanteau created by combining “arctic” with “uno,” which is the Spanish word for “one.” In contrast, Zapdos and Moltres incorporate “dos” and “tres,” which are the Spanish words for “two” and “three.” As a result, it is possible that Articuno is supposed to be the first of the legendary birds, which is rather appropriate since chances are good that it will be the first of them to be encountered by the player
4. Named for a Freezer
Different countries often have different names for the same Pokemon. For example, the French name for Articuno is Artikodin, which combines “arctique” with “Odin,” as in the Norse god Odin. However, it might amuse some to learn that Articuno’s Japanese name is Freezer, much as how Zapdos’s and Moltres’s Japanese names are Thunder and Fire.
5. Might Not Be One of a Kind
Some legendary Pokemon are one-of-a-kind in the sense that there is no more than one of them, while other legendary Pokemon are so rare that they can seem like they are one-of-a-kind. For example, Arceus is one of a kind because it is a creator god, who is said to have created the Pokemon setting along with a number of other legendary Pokemon who preside over concepts such as time and space. In contrast, there seems to have been more than one Articuno in the Pokemon setting, which is supported by the fact that it is possible to see one hatch from an egg in Pokemon Snap for the N64 game console.
6. Has a Bad Reputation
Here and there, there are pieces of information suggesting that Articuno has a bad reputation in the Pokemon setting. For example, it is said to appear to doomed travelers in cold regions, which doesn’t exactly suggest the friendliest of natures. Then again, considering that Articuno is capable of starting blizzards when it is displeased, this is perhaps unsurprising.
7. But Is Better Than Its Reputation Suggests
With that said, it is important to note that Articuno’s reputation seems to be rather exaggerated. This is because the Pokemon anime shows that it appears before doomed travelers in cold regions in order to guide them out of their situation, which makes it a true life-saver. Furthermore, they are capable of becoming friends with humans, which is rather interesting considering the number of humans in the Pokemon setting who have set out to exploit their power.
8. Can Be Seen Via Binoculars
In the first generation of Pokemon games as well as their remakes, there are binoculars available in the gate that separates Fuchsia City from Route 15. By looking through them, players can see Articuno flying towards the sea, which is appropriate because it makes its home in the Seafoam Islands. Curiously, it can be seen even if the player has managed to catch the Articuno that can be found in that location, which is either an oversight on the part of the developers or an indication that there is more than Articuno in the Pokemon setting.
9. Can Learn Both an Accuracy Booster and a One-Hit KO
Articuno is one of a small number of Pokemon that can learn both a move that boosts their accuracy and a move that can knock out the opponent in a single hit so long as it lands. As a result, it can pack a rather nasty surprise for people who believe that they have the advantage, so much so that an Articuno with both moves is sometimes banned from competitive play. Something that is particularly hilarious because Articuno is already considered to be an extremely powerful Pokemon.
10. Fused with Other Legendary Birds to Create Hybrid
In the Pokemon Adventures manga, Team Rocket fused a captured Articuno with a captured Zapdos as well as a captured Moltres to create a hybrid with multiple heads as well as a multitude of limbs, which was intended to serve as its trump card. Unsurprisingly, it was remarkably powerful but also remarkably unstable, as shown by the fact that it separated into the three legendary birds upon its defeat, who proceeded to flee into the wilderness.