Groudon

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Groudon
National Pokédex Kyogre - Groudon (#383) - Rayquaza Hoenn Pokédex Kyogre - Groudon (#199) - Rayquaza
Japanese name	Groudon
Evolves from	None
Evolves into	None
Generation	Third
Species	Continent Pokémon
Type	Ground
Height	11 ft 6 in (3.5 m)
Weight	2094.4 lb (950.0 kg)
Ability	Drought

Groudon (グラードン, Gurādon^?) are a legendary fictional species of Pokémon creature from the Pokémon media franchise.

Groudon represents Pokémon Ruby and appears on the cover art for the game. It is one of a trio of legendary Pokémon known informally in fan circles as the "Trinity".^{[citation needed]} In the legend surrounding the Trinity, Groudon represents land, while Kyogre and Rayquaza represent sea and sky, respectively.

Its name probably originates from the words ground and don, similar to the suffix of many dinosaur names (like the Iguanodon), owing to Groudon's dinosaur-like design. Don in fact means "tooth" in Latin (many dinosaurs have been named for the characteristics of their teeth). Don is also Spanish for "lord", which would make Groudon the "Lord of the Ground".

Contents 1 Biological characteristics 2 In the video games 3 In the anime 4 In the trading card game 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Biological characteristics

Groudon is a giant, stylized theropod with a layer of outer skin composed of a warm red, rocky substance and a stylized sloped tail with "tines" on the end like a rake; Groudon's tail is curved upward, making Groudon's contour look somewhat like an "S" shape. However, it can also stand in a more upright position. Groudon has narrow ridges on its head, long white claws, sharp teeth, and a white chest. When angered, its black markings glow blue. Groudon resembles Godzilla in some respects as well, especialy his fake clone in the Jirachi movie.

The heaviest of all Pokémon, Groudon represents the primal force of the land, as opposed to Kyogre (the primal force of the oceans) and Rayquaza (the primal force of the sky); as such, Groudon has the power to scatter rain clouds and make water evaporate with light and heat. It is literally "the land lord", as it is part of the creation myth of the Pokémon world. According to legend, it came as a savior to people who had been suffering from terrible floods by waging a titanic battle with Kyogre, creating the land and the oceans, and the two were sealed beneath their respective elements.

Groudon and Kyogre have a relationship similar to the Behemoth and Leviathan in Jewish mythology. In Jewish mythology, Behemoth is the primal unconquerable monster of the land, just as Leviathan is the primal unstoppable monster of the oceans. Rayquaza is also based on Ziz, another creature of Jewish mythology, as according to one Jewish myth the meat of the three creatures is to be served at the banquet at the End Times. Their appearances, however, are quite different from the traditional depictions of the creatures from Jewish myth: Groudon is a sloped, heavily-built dinosaur-like biped with a particularly powerful tail, while the Behemoth is often portrayed as a massive ox-like creature.

[edit] In the video games

Team Magma wishes to capture Groudon in order to increase the world's land mass, while Team Aqua wants Kyogre to expand the oceans.

In Pokémon Ruby, after Groudon is released, Team Magma's plan goes awry: Groudon causes the entire region to suffer sweltering heat, which is only stopped when the player captures or defeats Groudon.

Groudon is only available in Pokémon Ruby and Emerald. In Pokémon Ruby, Groudon can be found in the Cave of Origin after Team Magma leader Maxie has released it from the Seafloor Cavern. In Emerald, players must go to the Weather Institute, where a researcher will reveal the location of the Terra Cave and Groudon.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Groudon appears as the boss character of the Magma Cavern. After the player reaches Ninetales on Mt. Freeze and Ninetales clears the player's name, an earthquake shakes the mountain. Ninetales explains that the earthquakes could awaken Groudon, so Alakazam's team heads underground to calm Groudon; however, they go missing, and the player must defeat Groudon to rescue them.

This Pokémon's latest appearance is in Pokémon Ranger, in which it can fire powerful beams from its mouth and create earthquakes to try and damage the player's Capture Styler.

[edit] In the anime

As in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, in the anime, Team Magma seeks to capture Groudon and expand the land, while their rivals, Team Aqua, seek to awaken Kyogre and expand the oceans. In the episodes "Gaining Groudon" and "The Scuffle of Legends", this conflict climaxes when the orbs that control Kyogre and Groudon fall in the hands of their respective Teams, and the two Pokémon are made to wage a battle against each other. At the end of the second episode, Team Aqua and Team Magma's opposing plans are foiled by Ash Ketchum and Lance, and Groudon and Kyogre return to their respective elements after calling a truce. It also appears as part of the legend in "The Spheal of Approval" and "Unfair Weather Friends".

Groudon also plays a pseudo-role in the sixth Pokémon movie, Jirachi Wishmaker. In it, Butler, a former Team Magma member and magician, wants to leave a permanent impression on his peers by creating "a living and breathing Groudon". To achieve this, he must use an omnipotent energy that cannot be found anywhere, and the solution presents itself in the myth of Jirachi and the Millennium Comet. After Butler forces energy out of Jirachi, he uses it to create a Groudon from scratch, but it ends up in a titanic, anomalous being of evil that, although vaguely resembling Groudon, has no relation to the true Groudon (the differences are in its eyes, tentacles, mouth, and belly, and it has no attacks). Another difference is that it shows no signs of having relations to the Blue Orb. This Groudon mutant sucks the life out of the environment around it and sucks in many humans and Pokémon in the area. Realizing his mistake, Butler teams up with Ash Ketchum to reverse the process and destroy the false Groudon in order to save the Pokémon and the forest sanctuary.

[edit] In the trading card game

Groudon has appeared quite a few times in the Pokémon Trading Card Game:

• EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua (as Team Magma's Groudon)
• EX Hidden Legends (as Groudon ex)
• EX Hidden Legends (as a secret holographic)
• EX Emerald
• EX Emerald (as a holographic)
• EX Delta Species (as Groudon "Star")

Groudon EX has the Mark of Antiquity Poké-Body that prevents it from attacking Kyogre ex or Rayquaza ex, which seems to contradict the events of the video games.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Pokémon website
• Groudon as a species on Bulbapedia (a Pokémon-centric wiki)
• Groudon’s fourth-generation Pokédex entry on Serebii.net
• Groudon on Pokémon Dungeon, a Pokédex entry full of statistical analysis
• Groudon's PsyPoke Pokédex entry
• Groudon's Smogon Pokédex entry
• WikiKnowledge.net’s entry for Groudon Previously hosted by Wikibooks