As the guardian of the three Legendary Birds,Lugia plays an incredibly important role in the lore ofPokemon. It served as the mascot forPokemon Silverand is one of the series' oldest andmost powerful Legendary Pokemon. Since its debut appearance, it has gone on to feature in severalPokemonmovies and numerous episodes of thePokemonanime and has also returned for many of the series' subsequent mainline entries.
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AfterPokemon Silver, there are ten other titles in which Lugia can be encountered and caught, not to mention the various spin-off games likePokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. Even in games in which Lugia can’t be caught, it’s still available through trading, meaning that the Legendary Pokemon has now appeared in seven ofthe series' eight generations of games.
6Pokemon Gold, Silver & Crystal
Lugia’s debut appearancescame in the second generation ofPokemongames; first inGold & Silverand then again inPokemon Crystalwhich released the following year. It can be found in the lower levels of the Whirl Islands, although players will need to get their hands on a Silver Wing before they can attempt to capture it.
InPokemon Silver, the item is obtained from the director of the Goldenrod City Radio Tower after defeating Team Rocket. InPokemon GoldandPokemon Crystal, however, players will instead have to wait until after they’ve defeated the Elite Four; at which pointit can be acquired by speaking to an old man near the exit to Route 3 in Pewter City.
5Pokemon Emerald, FireRed & LeafGreen
As with many of the other Legendary Pokemon found inPokemon Emerald, FireRed &LeafGreen,Lugia is located on one of the Sevii Islands. To get there, players will first need to download a Mystic Ticket which can be easily downloaded by using the games' Mystery Gift function.
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InFireRed & LeafGreen, players will then need to speak with the sailor standing in front of one of the SeaGallop ferries to gain passage. InCrystal, they can simply use the ticket to board the S.S. Tidal from Lillycove City. Upon arriving on Navel Rock they’ll be able to find Lugia on the island’s lowest floor.
4Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver
Much like in the original versions of the games, Lugia can be found in the lower levels of the Whirl Islands inPokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver. Just like last time though, they’ll need to find the Silver Wing in order to make it show up. This can be achieved in exactly the same way; defeating Team Rocket at the Goldenrod Radio tower inSoulSilveror speaking to the old man in Pewter City after completingHeartGold.
Players will also need the Tidal Bell inHeartGold, although assuming they have alreadycaught or defeated Ho-Oh, this should already be in their possession. Taking the item(s) to the Whirl Islands will grant players access to their lowest levels and then summon Lugia from behind a giant waterfall.
3Pokemon Alpha Sapphire
Catching Lugia inPokemon Alpha Sapphireis not particularly difficult, although it can take quite a bit of time. First, Players will need to dive down to the lowest level ofthe Sea Mauville research facilityand look around until they find the Scanner. Talking to Captain Stern in Slateport City Harbor will then allow them to trade the Scanner for the Tidal Bell, which is required to make Lugia appear.
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With the Tidal Bell in hand, players must then return to Sea Mauville and head down to the facility’s basement level near the location where the Scanner was found. This time, however, players will instead find a portal from which a level 70 Lugia emerges. Despite its high level though,it’s fairly easy to catch with an Ultra Ballthanks to the Pokemon’s unusually high catch rate.
2Pokemon Ultra Moon
Pokemon Ultra Moonoffers plenty of new features and locations when compared to the none “ultra” version of the game. One of these is the Ultra Space Wilds, which can be accessed through a series of warp holes in the Ultra Warp Ride.
To find Lugia, players will need to make their way to the Water World by exiting the Ultra Warp Ride through a blue warp hole. Upon their arrival, approaching the waterfall will lead to a Legendary Pokemon emerging and there is a one in eight chance that the Pokemon will be a level 60 Lugia.
1Pokemon Shield
Although there is no way to catch Lugia in the base version ofPokemon Shield, the guardian of the seas can still be encountered through some of the game’s DLC. Added to the game as part of the Crown Tundra expansion, Dynamax Adventures give player the opportunity to catch not only Lugia, butalso a number of other powerful Pokemon.
The only catch is that the order in which the Pokemon appear is completely random, meaning that it can take quite some time to encounter a specific Pokemon. This process can be expedited a little though, either by using using Dynite Ore to purchase paths from Peonia or by joining a friend’s game and logging the Lugia path.
