Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen

Legendary Beasts (Raikou, Entei, Suicune) & Roaming Pokémon

Track the roaming Legendary Beasts Raikou, Entei, and Suicune in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen after defeating the Elite Four and obtaining the National Pokéde.

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Legendary Beasts (Raikou, Entei, Suicune) & Roaming Pokémon

After you have defeated the Elite Four and obtained the National Pokédex, a powerful Legendary Beast will awaken and begin roaming the Kanto region. The specific Pokémon you encounter depends on your starter choice at the beginning of the game:

  • If you chose Bulbasaur, you will encounter Entei (Fire-type).
  • If you chose Charmander, you will encounter Suicune (Water-type).
  • If you chose Squirtle, you will encounter Raikou (Electric-type).

Encountering the Roaming Beast

The first step to encountering your designated Legendary Beast is to visit Cinnabar Island. Head into the Pokémon Mansion and navigate to the basement. You don't need to do anything specific inside the mansion other than simply entering it after becoming Champion. This action triggers the beast's appearance in the wild.

These Pokémon are unique in that they do not stay in one location. They roam randomly across the Kanto region's various routes. This makes them notoriously difficult to track down and capture. Here’s how to approach catching them:

Preparation is Key

Before you even begin hunting, ensure you are well-prepared. These Pokémon are Level 50 and will attempt to flee on the first turn of battle. You'll need specific items and a well-trained team.

  • Master Ball: If you still have your Master Ball (obtained from Silph Co. in Saffron City), this is by far the easiest way to capture any of the Legendary Beasts. One throw, and it's yours.
  • Ultra Balls: Stock up on at least 50-70 Ultra Balls. You'll need many attempts.
  • Timer Balls: These become more effective the longer a battle lasts. While the beasts flee quickly, if you manage to trap one, Timer Balls can be useful.
  • Quick Balls: These are not available in FireRed/LeafGreen, so don't rely on them.
  • Mean Look/Arena Trap/Shadow Tag Pokémon: This is crucial. You need a Pokémon that can prevent the beast from fleeing.
    • Mean Look: Gastly (evolves into Haunter, Gengar), Golbat (evolves into Crobat), or Umbreon (requires trading from another game). Gastly is found in Pokémon Tower.
    • Arena Trap: Diglett or Dugtrio. Found in Diglett's Cave.
    • Shadow Tag: Wobbuffet. Found on Island Four (requires National Pokédex and access to the Sevii Islands).
    Make sure your chosen Pokémon is faster than the Legendary Beast (Level 50) to ensure it can use its trapping move before the beast flees. A fast Gengar with Mean Look is an excellent choice.
  • Status Effect Moves: Bring Pokémon that can inflict Sleep or Paralysis. These significantly increase your catch rate. Avoid Poison or Burn, as they can cause the beast to faint.
    • Sleep: Spore (Parasect), Sleep Powder (Venusaur, Vileplume), Hypnosis (Gengar, Jynx).
    • Paralysis: Thunder Wave (Jolteon, Electrode), Stun Spore (Parasect, Vileplume).
  • False Swipe/Hold Back: A Pokémon with False Swipe (e.g., Scyther, Cubone via TM54) is ideal for lowering the beast's HP to 1 without knocking it out.

The Roaming Strategy

  1. Locate the Beast: The beast's location changes every time you enter a new area (route, town, building). To track it, open your Pokédex and go to the "Area" tab for the specific Legendary Beast. This will show you its current location.
  2. Route Cycling: The most common strategy is to "route cycle." Find two adjacent routes (e.g., Route 7 and Route 8) and repeatedly move between them. Check your Pokédex after each transition. The beast will eventually appear on one of these routes.
    • Example: Fly to Celadon City. Head east to Route 7. Check Pokédex. If the beast isn't on Route 7, enter the building leading to Route 8. Check Pokédex. If it's not on Route 8, go back to Route 7. Repeat until it appears on one of these routes.
  3. Encounter and Trap: Once you find the beast on a route, save your game immediately! Then, walk around in the tall grass until you encounter it.
    • Lead with your Pokémon that knows Mean Look, Arena Trap, or Shadow Tag.
    • On the first turn, use the trapping move. If successful, the beast cannot flee.
    • If your trapping Pokémon is slower, the beast will flee. Reset your game and try again.
  4. Weaken and Status: After trapping, switch to your False Swipe user to lower its HP to 1. Then, inflict Sleep or Paralysis.
  5. Throw Balls: Once its HP is low and it's under a status condition, start throwing Ultra Balls. Be patient; it can still take many attempts.

Important Notes

  • If you accidentally knock out the Legendary Beast, it is gone forever in that playthrough. Always save before encountering it!
  • The beast's stats and nature are determined the first time you encounter it, not when it's released.
  • These Pokémon are not required for the National Pokédex completion, but they are a fantastic addition to your team and a true test of your trainer skills!