10 Things You Didn’t Know about Red Gyarados in Pokemon GO
Gyarados is one of the most memorable Pokemon from Generation I. Red Gyarados is the Shiny version of the standard Pokemon, which is unusual because it has been featured in the Pokemon narrative. Regardless, it is very popular, which is why it has been featured on numerous occasions in Pokemon spinoffs such as Pokemon GO. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Red Gyarados:
1. Evolves From Magikarp
Gyarados evolves from Magikarp. This can seem rather strange because a Gyarados is a dragon whereas a Magikarp is a carp. However, the whole thing is based on a Chinese story about carp swimming upstream for the chance to jump over the Dragon Gate, which will let them turn into dragons upon success. This is further referenced by how players had to get a Magikarp into a waterfall before it would turn into a Gyarados in Pokemon Snap.
2. Conflicting Explanations For the Red Color
The anime has made the claim that a Red Gyarados is the product of a premature evolution brought about by artificial means, meaning that its red hue is carried over from a Magikarp’s red.hue. However, this conflicts with other material in which a Shiny Gyarados evolves from a Shiny Magikarp, which is problematic because a Shiny Magikarp comes in a golden hue rather than a red hue.
3. It Can Learn Fire Moves
Gyarados isn’t a Fire-type Pokemon. In fact, it could be argued that it is the exact opposite, seeing as how it retains its Water-type nature from being a Magikarp under normal circumstances. However, it is interesting to note that Gyarados can learn a very small number of Fire-type moves, which is supported by its lore. Apparently, Gyarados have a reputation in the Pokemon setting for turning cities into nothing but burning ruins.
4. Rare in the Wild
Curiously, the Pokedex has stated on more than one occasion that Gyarados are rare in the wild, which in turn, means that Red Gyarados would presumably be even rarer in the wild. It isn’t mentioned why this is the case, but it isn’t exactly difficult to come up with guesses. For example, Magikarp are either helpless or the next thing to being helpless, which suggests that no more than a very small percentage of them will ever make it to the point of evolving into a Gyarados. Likewise, the sheer viciousness of Gyarados doesn’t exactly bode well for their survival rates. One, their irritability suggests that they aren’t too good at estimating the risks of their chosen course of action, thus increasing their chances of running into something beyond their survival capabilities. Two, considering what Gyarados can do to human cities, it’s not to imagine humans in the Pokemon setting not doing their best to keep their numbers low one way or another.
5. Its Mega Evolution Is Angrier
Somehow, the Gyarados’s Mega Evolution is even angrier than the baseline Pokemon. In part, this is because the Mega Evolution puts enomous stress on its body, thus causing it to become even angrier in response. However, it should also be noted that the Mega Evolution influences its brain, with the result that its instincts to destroy everything comes to the fore. Having said that, a Mega Gyarados is still capable of listening to its trainer’s instructions, which makes sense considering the very nature of Mega Evolution.
6. Red Gyarados Is Canon
The canon status of most Shiny Pokemon is pretty iffy. However, there can be no doubt about the fact that Red Gyarados exists in canon, seeing as how it showed up in the story of the Generation II games. There, Red Gyarados was the product of Team Rocket’s radio broadcast forcing it into a premature evolution, which did not do wonders for its already volatile temperament.
7. Red Gyarados Is One of the Easiest Shiny Pokemon to Catch
A player’s chances of running into a Shiny Pokemon are not very good even under the best of circumstancs. Never mind running into a Shiny Pokemon of a particular species. However, Red Gyarados is one of the easiest Shiny Pokemon for interested individuals to pick up thanks to it being featured in the story. In the Generation II games, there was a single guaranteed chance for interested individuals to run into a catchable Red Gyarados. However, the remakes made it possible for it to respawn once the player had fought their way through the Elite Four and Lance if they hadn’t already caught the Shiny Pokemon.
8. Surprisingly Popular For Pokemon Champions
Strangely, Gyarados is a very popular Pokemon for Pokemon champions. For example, both Blue and Lance have a Gyarados. Likewise, Wallace has a Gyarados as well. On the plus side, a Gyarados’s two types make it very vulnerable to either a Thundebolt or some other Electric-type attack, thus making these encounters quite manageable compared to some of the other Pokemon that Pokemon champions are famous for using.
9. Sometimes Compared to Milotic
The Gyarados is sometimes compared to Milotic for game reasons. Basically, Milotic is another example of a relatively popular Pokemon that evolves from a very unimpressive pre-evolution. However, while Gyarados is prized for its ferocity, Milotic is prized for its beautiful appearance. Moreover, it should be mentioned that it was much tougher for interested individuals to get their hands on a Milotic compared to a Gyarados. In part, this was because a Milotic’s pre-evolution had to be fished up from specific but randomized tiles in their first appearance. However, it should be noted that they couldn’t evolve into a Milotic until their beauty value had been maxed out.
10. First Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO
Gyarados and its pre-evolution Magikarp had the honor of being the first Shiny Pokemon introduced in Pokemon GO. Currently, players who want to get their hands on a Red Gyarados should play Pokemon GO. This is because the event for the Chinese New Year offers boosted rates (https://gamerant.com/catch-shiny-gyarados-pokemon-go/), meaning that while success isn’t guaranteed, it is nonetheless possible for those who are willing to put enough effort into the whole thing.
