How to Catch Articuno – Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Articuno is one of the three Legendary Birds in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Articuno is an Ice/Flying-type and is extremely powerful, making it a valuable addition to your team. Here’s a complete guide on how to find and catch Articuno.

Prerequisites

Before attempting to catch Articuno, make sure you have:

• HM03 Surf (required to reach Seafoam Islands)
• HM04 Strength (required to solve the boulder puzzle inside)
• Plenty of Ultra Balls (30+ recommended)
• Status-inflicting moves (Sleep or Paralysis preferred)

Where to Find Articuno

Articuno is located in the Seafoam Islands, found on Route 20, between Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island.

You can reach the Seafoam Islands by:

• Surfing south from Fuchsia City
• Surfing east from Cinnabar Island

Navigate the Seafoam Islands

Seafoam Islands is filled with strong currents that block your path. To reach Articuno:

Step 1: Enter from the Fuchsia Side (Route 20 Entrance)

• Surf to Seafoam Islands from Fuchsia City.
• Enter the cave.
  

Step 2: First Floor (1F)

• You will see two boulders and two nearby holes.
• Use Strength.
• Push each boulder directly into a hole.
• Drop to B1F using the ladder.

Step 3: Second Floor (B1F)

• You will land near another set of two boulders and two holes. (same boulders you pushed)
• Again, push both boulders into their holes. (one of there hole is not accessible for now, go to the upper floor to push a boulder in that hole.)
• After both fall, use the specified ladder to move down a level.
  

Step 4: Third Floor (B2F)

• There are two more holes here.
• Push each boulder into the nearby holes so they fall again.

At this point, two boulders have dropped to the desired level.

Step 4: Fourth Floor (B3F)

• You’ll see strong water currents.
• There are four more boulders here and two holes.
• Push two boulders into the nearby holes so they fall again.

At this point, all four boulders have dropped to the desired level.

Step 5: B4F – Lowest Level

• The four fallen boulders now block the water currents.
• The fast-moving water will slow down or completely stop.
• Follow the water path to reach Articuno 

Save Before Battling

Always save your game before interacting with Articuno. Since it is a staticencounter, you only get one chance per save file.

Battle Strategy

Articuno is  Ice / Flying and will be encountered at Level 50. It is weak to Electric, Fire, Steel, and has a 4× weakness from Rock moves.

Recommended Strategy:

• Use Sleep (Hypnosis, Sleep Powder) for the best catch rate.
• Alternatively, use Thunder Wave to Paralyze it.
• Once in red HP and statused, start throwing Ultra Balls.

If it faints, reset your game and try again.