If you’ve been playing Pokemon since Gen 1, then the first Legendary you’ve ever caught is one of these three Legendary Birds.
Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are some of the most iconic Pokemon in the franchise, and catching all three feels like a true milestone in your Kanto journey.
Whether you’re completing your Pokedex or building a strong late-game team, this trio is absolutely worth the effort.
Even if you’re playing on an emulator or revisiting the game on the Nintendo Switch, the process of finding and catching them remains the same.
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly where to find each legendary bird and how to catch them easily.
Key Highlights:
- Articuno: Hidden deep inside the Seafoam Islands and requires solving boulder puzzles.
- Zapdos: Located in the Power Plant and is the easiest to reach.
- Moltres: Waiting at the peak of Mt. Ember and requires both Strength and Rock Smash.
How to Catch Articuno
The mysterious and alluring Articuno is located deep inside the Seafoam Islands, which are found between Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island.
Step 1: Reach the Seafoam Islands
I always start at the east side of Cinnabar Island and surf along Route 20 until coming across an island with a girl in green outside the entrance.
If you go inside and it’s an ice cave, then you’re in Seafoam Islands. This cave has a few trainers and lots of wild Water-type Pokemon, so bringing a Grass or Electric type will make things much easier.
Step 2: Solve the Boulder Puzzle
Articuno lies at the bottom of the Seafoam Island cave. From the cave’s entrance, go northeast and jump into the first hole you see.
Keep heading east and jump into the holes closest to you until you fall down to the water, where you’ll automatically use Surf.
The current will take you to another room. From there, Surf north until you’re on land. Go west, then south, to find an Ultra Ball.
Go back to the second ladder you passed through just now and climb it. In the next room, go up the stairs, go south, then east, and go down another set of stairs to find a boulder puzzle.
You can solve this puzzle by using Strength to push the rocks into the holes as shown below.
Then, once you’ve dropped the two boulders, you can jump down on the eastern crevice. You will see that the current is now blocked by the two boulders, and you’ll be able to Surf freely.
Surf to the northernmost part of the cave and you will see Articuno.
How to Catch Zapdos
Zapdos is located on the Kanto Power Plant. Fly to the Rock Tunnel Entrance. Use Surf and follow the stream until you find the Power Plant.
Out of the three, Zapdos is the easiest to reach since you don’t need to solve any puzzles to find it. Simply follow the directions as shown in the map below.
Make sure you bring repels to fend off those pesky Voltorbs and Magnemites. Don’t use Thunder Wave on Zapdos since it won’t have any effect because it’s an Electric type.
Hypnosis, Sleep Powder, and Spore are some of your best choices in crippling this legendary bird.
If you’re playing FireRed on the Nintendo Switch or an emulator, you can catch one of my favorite Electric Pokemon, Electabuzz(Pokemon FireRed only), in this location as well.
How to Catch Moltres
Before attempting to catch Moltres, make sure you have the Tri Pass already. Fly to Vermillion City and go to One Island using the ferry service.
From there, continue your way to Kindle Road and follow the path northward until you reach Mt. Ember.
From the base of Mt. Ember, go west and push the two boulders west to get through.
Follow the path until you reach two stones that can be broken. Use Rock Smash to be able to pass.
Ignore the stairs and head north to find a cave entrance. The path inside is very straightforward. Just keep following it until you are outside again.
From here, head north and climb all the stairs until you reach the boulder puzzle that’s standing between you and Moltres.
You can solve it by using Strength and following the image above. Now you can battle Moltres and catch it.
Tips Before Catching the Three Legendary Birds in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
Before heading out on your quest of catching the three Legendary Birds, here are some things you should prepare:
What You’ll Need:
- Lots of Ultra Balls.
- A Pokemon with Sleep or Paralysis moves.
- Healing items like Hyper Potions.
- HM Slave (Surf, Strength, Rock Smash).
Legendary Pokemon have low catch rates, so preparation is key.
Save Before Every Encounter
Unlike modern Pokemon games, Legendaries in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on both emulators and the Nintendo Switch can only be encountered once.
That means you only get one shot at catching them in-game. You can still get them via trade, but’s going to be much harder compared to just catching them yourself.
So, before walking up to any of these birds, make sure you save your game first.
Conclusion
Catching Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres is one of the most rewarding achievements in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen.
These legendary birds will surely test your skills and patience, regardless if you’re playing on an emulator or a Nintendo Switch console.
Make sure you don’t use your Master Ball on one of them, because there’s a final boss that’s still waiting to be caught.
With the right preparation, plenty of Ultra Balls, and a bit of status conditions, you can secure all three without too much trouble. Just remember that saving before each encounter is non-negotiable since you only get one chance.
If you want to make the most out of your Kanto adventures, or any Pokemon game for that matter, PokeCoders is the best place for guides and tutorials like this one.
