Tag: Raikou

last night… there was a flash of light, too large and bright for lightening, then it was storming fiercely. this morning when i woke up, i found the pokemon raikou in my back yard horribly injured. i tried getting near it, but it growled at me. i sent my sylveon and rowlet near it to bring it food and that was accepted, but the food was not eaten. sylveon was able to treat it with a potion i had, but of course that didnt fix all the injuries. what else can i do?

If you can, take it to the nearest pokémon center. That may be odd to say and difficult to follow, but you must keep in mind that you’re not a medical professional, whereas the staff of a pokémon center is and will know how to treat serious injuries. Furthermore, pokémon nurses are trained to not ask too many questions about a pokémon—especially one that may not be identifiable—so you can trust your local Nurse Joy to help. If you can’t bring Raikou to the center (and do not attempt to catch it in order to do so, as this can be an extremely bad thing), call the center and arrange for a home visit.

Best of luck, anonymous! We’re counting on you.

When I was a child I got caught in a storm. I was lost and muddy and didn’t know how to get home and a lightning bolt struck a tree next to me and it was set ablaze. Before it fell on me raikou picked me up and threw me on its back… it took me home and saved my life that day. How can I see it again to thank it?

I’m afraid that according to Johtonian tradition, you shouldn’t seek out a legendary beast but rather allow it to come to you. This isn’t, of course, to say that you can’t; technology has evolved to the point where you can track practically any pokémon’s location through the pokédex, pokétch, or pokégear, provided you’ve seen those pokémon at least once. It’s just that it’s rather taboo to do so, and if you’re attempting to give thanks, I wouldn’t recommend it. Especially for a pokémon such as Raikou, which is known for its just disposition.

That having been said, many Johtonians use temples and shrines for this express purpose. If you aren’t a follower of the Johtonian belief, I would recommend visiting a temple; the sages there will help you learn the proper prayers to the legendary beasts. (It’s thought that certain prayers may be carried from areas of sacred ground to our wandering legendaries—or even the stationary but hidden ones—via an elaborate system of spirits. So even if you visit a temple that isn’t anywhere near where you first encountered Raikou, you may still be able to send your thanks through this system and be reasonably certain that the message would be received. Or at least, that’s what the sages will tell you. It’s actually more of a case of “it’s the thought that counts.”)

Alternatively, shrines—smaller, standalone structures, usually located in wooded areas—may be used to contact our kami, but these tend to be riskier. First and foremost, you need to leave an offering suitable for the legendary you wish to contact. As these are signs of respect towards beings more powerful than yourself, you quite obviously can’t leave just anything. Second, shrines are thought to be manned by spirits themselves, and sometimes, the spirits are mischievous and thus extremely dangerous. For example, there is a famous shrine located in the heart of Ilex Forest dedicated to Celebi. The entire forest itself is considered to be Celebi’s domain, and Celebi, a time-traveling legendary, is known to be rather capricious. Consequently, according to local legend, travelers who wander too deeply into the forest’s sacred grounds and travelers who leave the wrong kind of offering at the shrine have been known to disappear, never to be heard from again. Of course, whether or not you believe that is up to you, but all I can say is there is definitive proof that Celebi exists … so make of that what you will.

In any case, regardless of the risk, shrines tend to be the more direct route because you’re interacting directly with spirits. There are some shrines across Johto and Kanto dedicated specifically to the legendary beasts, but really, if you can find one devoted to Celebi, this will work just as well, so long as you make your intent clear and leave an offering for Celebi as well. (It’s said that Celebi is often happy to take offerings meant for one of the beasts to the beast in question, but it’s simply common courtesy to thank Celebi for doing so.)

Whatever your method for contacting the beasts, anonymous, just remember that what you’re dealing with is a regional legendary—one of the most important to a culture. As such, it’s imperative that you show the utmost respect towards Raikou as you thank it. Follow the sages’ advice to the letter or leave a generous offering, and never try to cross Raikou in the process—not even to catch it (unless it very clearly chooses you to be its trainer).

Good luck, anonymous!

Johto Legendaries, Part I

Raikou
The Thunder Pokémon
Type: Electric
Official Registration #: 243
Entry: According to Johtonian legend, an electric-type that had died in the burning of the Brass Tower was resurrected as the avatar of thunder and a representation of the lightning that had started the fire. It is said that this pokémon races across the land as part of its duty to watch over humanity for the day we will be worthy enough to be in the presence of Ho-oh again. In the meantime, as it races across the land, it releases devastating thunderbolts from the storm clouds on its back. This is actually a random occurrence tied to Johto’s naturally stormy weather, but local Johtonians like to think of it as its way of striking down the unworthy and purging the lands of sinners in the lightning-sparked flames of justice … which, honestly, is the least morbid part of our belief system.

Entei
The Volcano Pokémon
Type: Fire
Official Registration #: 244
Entry: According to Johtonian legend, a fire-type that had died in the burning of the Brass Tower was resurrected as the avatar of volcanoes and a representation of the flames that had engulfed the tower. It is said that this pokémon races across the land as part of its duty to watch over humanity for the day we will be worthy enough to be in the presence of Ho-oh again. It is also said that, as the avatar of volcanoes, every time it roars, a volcano erupts somewhere in the world. Luckily, this is not exactly true, as if it had been, then the world would have been engulfed in a volcanic apocalypse every time a certain friend of the Ecruteak gym leader’s made contact with the wrong legendary beast in his quest to become the chosen one of Suicune.

Suicune
The Aurora Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 245
Entry: According to Johtonian legend, a water-type that had died in the burning of the Brass Tower was resurrected as the avatar of the north winds and a representation of the rain that had put out the fire. It is said that this pokémon races across the land as part of its duty to watch over humanity for the day we will be worthy enough to be in the presence of Ho-oh again. It is also said that Suicune has the ability to control water, purify heavily polluted lakes and rivers, and create healing springs. Those who are not familiar with Johtonian legend may think this means Suicune is the least dangerous of the three beasts. Those who are familiar with Johtonian legend, however, realize exactly how much water is in the interior of the region and that “drown the unworthy” is just as favored a punishment among the legendaries as “burn them alive.”