Legendary Pokémon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Legendary Pokémon (伝説のポケモン Densetsu no Pokemon?) are characters in the Pokémon franchise. While the various video games, anime, and manga are not entirely consistent on which Pokémon are considered legendary Pokémon, all of them are rare, to the point where some are unique, and all of them have unusual or extraordinary powers, even by Pokémon standards.
[edit] In the Pokémon video games
In the various Pokémon video games, "legendary Pokémon" is a term of art; a legendary Pokémon is not simply an individual Pokémon about which legends are written, but a special sort of Pokémon, differing from regular Pokémon in key ways. Legendary Pokémon are also generally (but not always) exceptionally powerful; among Pokémon from the first three generations, six of the seven with the highest base stats (Slaking being the exception) are legendary Pokémon.
Such Pokémon are unique individuals, appearing only once per game. Generally, they are simply special Pokémon who reside in optional dungeons, but certain Pokémon, most notably Mew, cannot be obtained without having the Pokémon transferred to the game or unlocked at one of the various Nintendo-sponsored Pokémon fan events. A more recent development in the Pokémon series is to give certain legendary Pokémon a larger role in the plot; for example, Pokémon Sapphire focuses on Team Aqua's effort to use Kyogre to expand the oceans and Team Magma's (and the player's) effort to stop them.
Such Pokémon also cannot breed, as is possible with other Pokémon. Manaphy is the only known legendary that can breed, which results in another Pokémon, Phione, which cannot evolve into Manaphy or use some of its abilities.
Since the Gold, Silver, and Crystal versions, the games have featured 'roaming' legendaries, which after a certain point in the game will randomly move around the world map, appearing in random battles. Once the player has their entry in the Pokédex, their location can be tracked as usual - except in the Diamond and Pearl versions, where they are tracked with the Pokétch device instead. These Pokémon typically run away from battle, making them even harder to catch, but they retain their HP level from battle to battle. This allows players to lower their health over several encounters. (Alternatively, some players choose to save their Master Ball for use on a roaming legendary.)
[edit] In the Pokémon anime
In the Pokémon anime, "legendary Pokémon" is closer to its component definitions; here legendary Pokémon are Pokémon which have been the subject of ancient legends. Such Pokémon are still often (but not always) unique and frequently very powerful. They are sometimes major characters in their own right, often antagonists or out-of-control forces of nature, in the Pokémon films. Mewtwo, in particular, is a recurring character, with a major role in Pokémon: The First Movie and its sequel, Mewtwo Returns. Legendary Pokémon in the anime are very different from those in the games; they are able to breed, meaning they do have genders (although some legendary Pokémon in the games also have genders, the majority do not and only one can breed).
To date, every Pokémon movie has centered around an encounter with one or more legendary Pokémon, often the first appearance of those Pokémon on screen. Subsequent anime episodes featuring those Pokémon are not uncommon.
Mewtwo is not a legendary Poke'mon however, because he has not been around long enough to be legendary. Legends are born after thousands of years of word of mouth, and if you actually watch the movie you would see that Mewtwo was created very recently and not old enough to be a legend.
