Gyarados

The Atrocious Pokémon
#130 - Gyarados
Pre-Evolve	Magikarp
Debut	Pokémon: Red Version Pokémon: Green Version
Species Info
Type	+ +
Height	6.5 m (21'04")
Weight	235.0 kg (518.1 lbs.)
Color	Blue
Gender Ratio	1♂ : 1♀
Ability	Intimidate
Hidden Ability	Moxie
Egg Group	Dragon / Water 2
Icon		Sprite
		File:130sprite.png
Footprint
30px
Base Statistics
Hit Points	95	Speed	81
Attack	125	Sp. Attack	60
Defense	79	Sp. Defense	100
Training Info
Catch Rate	045	Hatch Steps	1,280
Base Exp.	214	Effort Points	Att
Happiness	70		Att
To Lv.100	Slow

Kanto #	Johto #	Hoenn #	Sinnoh #
< 130 >	< 077 >	< 053 >	< 024 >
Unova #	Johto (IV) #

Gyarados is a ferocious serpentine Pokémon that was introduced in the first generation games. It is the evolved form of Magikarp and is a very powerful Pokémon in contrast to Magikarp's weak and useless nature.

Information

Gyarados evolves from Magikarp at Level 20. It is huge, vicious and destructive, with its violent nature being attributed to transformation of its brain cells as it evolves from Magikarp. They are capable of destroying entire cities in a rage and are said to have done so in ancient time. This is because Gyarados often go on rampages that do not stop until everything around them is demolished, and they seem to specifically appear where there is world conflict.

Gyarados like to burn things to the ground by breathing hot flames and can also incinerate all targets with its Hyper Beam. They even raze surrounding fields and mountains during rampages, and Gyarados are active even during swarms. However, they are elusive and rarely found in the wild. Part of the storyline in the second generation games involves Team Rocket using special radio waves to force Magikarp at Johto's Lake of Rage to transform into Gyarados. Most of these Magikarp became Shiny Gyarados which retained Magikarp's coloration. A Red Gyarados was also reported on the news in the beginning of the fourth generation games which inspires the games' events when Pearl decides to investigate Lake Verity for a similar Pokémon.

Appearances

Mainstream Games

In Pokémon: Yellow, FireRed and LeafGreen, Gyarados uncommonly appeared when fishing with the Super Rod at Fuchsia City. In FireRed/LeafGreen they additionally could be fished at Routes 4, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, Pallet Town, Viridian City, Vermilion Harbor, Cerulean City, Seafoam Islands, Cinnabar Island, Cerulean Cave and throughout the Sevii Islands.

In Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver, a single Red Gyarados was found at the Lake of Rage and had to be fought to progress with the game. If defeated, it would reappear after the Elite Four was beaten. Gyarados could be found normally by fishing at Lake of Rage (and surfing) and Fuchsia City, and in HeartGold/SoulSilver it could also be fished at Seafoam Islands, Cerulean Cave and Mt. Silver Cave as well as the Safari Zone's Meadow, Marshland and Wetland areas with enough Water objects placed within them.

In Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, they uncommonly appeared when fishing at Sootopolis City. In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, they could be rarely found in any body of water using the Good or Super Rods.

Other Games

Gyarados could only be obtained by evolving a Magikarp in Pokémon Pinball, Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue Rescue Teams. In Pokémon Snap, the player could hit Magikarp with a Pester Ball throughout the Valley area to send it flying from area to area until it lands in a waterfall and becomes Gyarados, at which point it can be photographed. In Pokémon Trozei!, it was found through Phobos Submarine, Trozei Battle and Mr. Who's Den.

In Pokémon Ranger, Gyarados could be obtained at Olive Jungle during a mission where it had to be stopped during a rampage and at Safra Sea. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness as well as Explorers of Sky, it was found at Bottomless Sea, and one also appeared as the boss of Miracle Sea where it tried to take control of Phione. Gyarados also appeared in Pokémon Rumble at Bright Beach. It also played an antagonistic role in PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure, where Pikachu had to stop its plans to take over the Beach Zone in Empoleon's absence by beating the Gyarados's Aqua Dash minigame.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• In the Super Smash Bros. series, Gyarados has been represented by a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and an Advance-rank Support Spirit (which boosted the power of air attacks) in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. When fought against in a Spirit battle, Gyarados's Spirit would possess a giant version of Ridley, and the player fighter's attack power would be reduced for the battle.

Other Media

• In the Pokémon anime, a Gyarados made a cameo appearance underwater in the first episode and was featured later on during the multi-part sinking of the St. Anne episode when the Magikarp which James frequently abused evolved into a Gyarados. The Gyarados then angrily pursued the raft containing Team Rocket as well as Ash's group, eventually summoning more Gyarados and forming a water cyclone which sent them all flying and separated them. During the Johto series, a two-part episode involved the Red Gyarados at the Lake of Rage, and it ended with Lance catching the Pokémon, which he used in future appearances. Gyarados was also featured in one of the special episodes in which Misty had to overcome her fear of Gyarados from a traumatic childhood experience in order to pass her Pokémon Inspection Agency Test and caught the Gyarados. Team Rocket also had their own submarine modeled after a Gyarados.
• In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Gyarados was first shown in the Red/Green/Blue arc where it was a Pokémon of Misty's that went on a mad rampage after being experimented on by Team Rocket. It attacked Misty and her Pokémon until Red was able to recapture it for her. Misty later traded the Gyarados to him so that he could have a Pokémon that knew Surf. Lance was also shown with his own Gyarados in the Yellow arc. During the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc, the Lake of Rage arc was adapted with Silver being the one to catch the Red Gyarados, which was shown to have control over the Lake's other Gyarados. Red also lent his Gyarados to Blue during this arc, but he returned it to Red prior to the FireRed/LeafGreen arc.
• Gyarados also appeared in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga as Misty's first Pokémon which had built up an intense loyalty to her. She used it in her gym challenge where she made Ash try to retrieve his hat from her but with Gyarados in the way. Ash was ultimately able to put the Gyarados to sleep with his newly evolved Butterfree's Sleep Powder.

Trivia

• Its name seems to be derived from the Japanese words "gyakusatsu" (referring to a massacre or murder due to Gyarados's destructive nature) and gyakkyou (referring to hardship and adversity which relates to the effort which must be put into evolving Magikarp) as well as possibly "dosu" (an onomatopoeia which refers to piercing of the flesh).
• Magikarp and Gyarados are based on the Chinese legend of the carp which leaps over the Dragon Gate (believed to be a type of waterfall or cataract) to become a dragon, which is echoed in it evolving by leaping into a waterfall in Pokémon Snap.
• Gyarados is the only Pokémon which definitely appears in its Shiny form within the mainstream series in Gold/Silver/Crystal/HeartGold/SoulSilver. This was likely done to introduce the concept of Shiny Pokémon, as the second generation is where they were implemented.