For Pokémon players around the world, 2018 is going to be a Legendary year. They’ll be able to get a slew of Legendary Pokémon for free across all four current Nintendo 3DS games. But which mythical beasts are worth your time to seek out in the coming months?
The Pokémon Company International announced January 16 that between Frebruary and November 2018, players with Pokémon Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Sun, and Moon will be able to get 19 different Legendary Pokémon from previous generations of Pokémon games. They include the likes of Ho-Oh and Lugia from the cover of Pokémon Gold and Silver, respectively. Getting them into your game is as simple as connecting to wifi to receive them via Mystery Gift.
See Also: “How to Get the 2018 Legendary Pokémon In the 3DS Games”
More dedicated fans will be able to get all of these classic Legendaries, but each is locked to either Ultra Sun and Sun or Ultra Moon and Moon — so hopefully you purchased Sun and Ultra Moon or vice versa.
For a visual guide to which Legendaries match up to current generation games, click here.
So in 2018, what are the best Pokémon for you to get?
8. Shiny Zygarde
Type: Dragon/Ground
Month: June
Games: Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Sun, Moon
June will be a doubly unique month for Legendary Pokémon because not only will all four games get a Zygarde, but that Zygarde will be Shiny.
Originally from Pokémon X and Y, Zygarde also appeared in Sun and Moon as a strange polygon sort of Pokémon that you kind of assemble after collecting Zygarde Cubes. Zygarde has three “Forms” at 10 percent, 50 percent, and a “complete” version we might as well call 100 percent. The version promised looks like the serpentine 50 percent form, which still has a stat total of 600, making its stats on par with some of the best Pokémon of all time. Zygarde can also learn four totally unique signature moves.
7. Zekrom
Type: Dragon/Electric
Month: October
Games: Ultra Moon, Moon
The “Deep Black Pokémon” is one of three Legendary Dragons from the Unova Region, having originally graced the cover of its debut game, Pokémon White. Its stats are formidable at a total of 680 with heavy concentration in Attack (150) with Defense and Special Defense at 120 and 100, respectively. While HP is only 100 and Speed at 90, Zekrom makes up for it with a powerful signature: Bolt Strike. While Zekrom is weak to four types of attacks — Ground, Ice, Dragon, and Fairy — those four types are typically used less often than other, more common types.
6. Yveltal
Type: Dark/Flying
Month: May
Games: Ultra Moon, Moon
They literally call Yveltal “the Destruction Pokémon.” Its stats reside in the respectable 680 range, with a focus in both Attack and Special Attack.
Its innate Dark Aura ability powers up Dark moves by 33 percent, which does wonders with a move like Dark Pulse. Its Flying-type signature move, Oblivion Wing, also heals Yveltal for 75 percent of damage dealt.
5. Reshiram
Type: Dragon/Fire
Month: October
Games: Ultra Sun, Sun
The mascot of Pokémon Black and counterpart to Zekrom, Reshiram is arguably the better of the two with its unique Dragon/Fire typing, offering plenty of Resistances to enemy types. Its Special Attack comes in at a whopping 150, which means that its signature moves, Blue Flare and Fusion Flare, do crazy amounts of damage.
Like many Legendaries, if Reshiram has a flaw, its in a Speed stat of 90.
4. Palkia
Type: Water/Dragon
Month: February
Games: Ultra Moon, Moon
Palkia is basically the god of space in the Pokémon universe, so you better show some respect.
The cover star of Pokémon Pearl, Palkia’s an offensive powerhouse with 150 Special Attack and 100 Speed to back it up. In fact, its stats are almost identical to Reshiram but with less HP, more Speed, and fewer type weaknesses. Only Dragon- and Fairy-type Pokémon do bonus damage to Palkia.
Palkia’s signature move is Spacial Rend, a Dragon-type that gets bonus damage dealt because of Palkia’s typing. That, coupled with Water moves like Hydro Pump, make Palkia one of the all-time greats.
3. Dialga
Type: Steel/Dragon
Month: February
Games: Ultra Sun, Sun
Like most other Legendaries at its tier, Dialga has a 680 base stat total, but its unique Steel/Dragon typing elevate it to another level. Like many of its cousins, Dialga boasts a Special Attack of 150 but a lower Speed at 90. Its signature move Roar of Time is a Dragon-type Special move with 150 power, which means that there are few moves in all of Pokémon that can stand to do more damage. Unfortunately, it forces Dialga to skip its following turn.
That coupled with its speed is a bit of a bummer, but Dialga is only weak to Fighting- and Ground-type moves with nine Resistances.
2. Kyogre
Type: Water
Month: August
Games: Ultra Moon, Moon
Kyogre is perhaps one of the most beastly Water Pokémon in existence. Its Drizzle move powers up water moves, further increasing Kyogre’s already formidable power. You see, Kyogre’s Special Attack is the third-highest ever — outclassed only by Mewtwo and Deoxys (who’s basically PokéGod). Its Primal form, which requires that you have it hold the Blue Orb, boosts that Special Attack to 180, which means that a single well-placed Hydro Pump could kill almost anything.
As a solo Water-type, Kyogre is weak only to Electric and Grass, and it has resistances to four different move types. It might be tempting to go with a dual-type Legendary, but you can’t go wrong with Kyogre.
1. Groudon
Type: Ground
Month: August
Games: Ultra Sun, Sun
Originally from the cover of Pokémon Ruby, Groudon is a fan-favorite powerhouse, mostly because it looks so damn cool. What Kyogre means to the sea, Groudon means to the land. Don’t let the red scales fool you: It can learn Fire moves, but it’s not a Fire Pokémon.
Like many of its fellow Ground-type Pokémon, Groudon’s stats are stacked in Attack and Defense, as opposed to Kyogre’s Special Attack and Special Defense. In fact, Groudon has one of the highest Attack stats of any Pokémon at 150 — which does wonders for moves like Earthquake or its signature move, Precipice Blades.
When Groudon holds a Red Orb and transforms into its “Primal” form, it gets 180 Attack and 160 Defense, which is the most Attack of any Pokémon in existence.
You’ve read that. Now watch this:
