As Magikarp's evolution, fans would expect this Pokemon to be weak and not viable at all but it is quite opposite. Magikarp's evolution is a force to be reckoned with. Most Pokemon fans will probably wonder how such a vulnerable carp Pokemon can become a fearful sea serpent. Really: just how strong is Gyarados?

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There is a lot to learn about the intriguing Pokemon Gyarados and there are quite a few facts that most gamers haven't come across yet regarding this Pokemon. For instance, it is also known as the "Atrocious Pokemon". What else don't Pokemon fans know about Gyarados?

10 Magikarp Powerlessness

weak magikarp pokemon

Magikarp has always been known to be a very weak Pokemon and uses the move Splash repetitively to no effect. In nearly all its Pokedex entries, it is mentioned as a "weak and pathetic" Pokemon. However, it is also mentioned that they used to be stronger than they are nowadays.

It is during its evolution process that Gyarados's instincts kick in and turn Magikarp into such a wild and violent Pokemon. Its Omega Ruby Pokedex entry mentions how "its brain cells undergo a structural transformation"; this is what causes it to go on a rampage and that makes it such a vicious Pokemon.

9 Beta Gyarados

gyarados beta design gen i

There are quite a few unused beta designs from the development of the Generation I games. It is interesting to see what some Pokemon could've been. In the beta version of Pokemon Red and Blue, Gyarados was actually named "Skulkraken". It is thought that perhaps its origin is based on a terrifying sea serpent.

Its beta design is also quite different from its final version. Gyarados's beta design resembled a massive eyeless leech-like creature. So, instead of Gyarados being a giant serpent dragon-like creature, it could've been a giant, disgusting leech monster.

8 First Shiny In The Game's Plot

shiny red gyarados pokemon

Shiny Pokemon are extremely rare coloration variants. Although some Pokemon have different form variants, Shiny Pokemon have a different color that is particularly rare among its species. Gyarados is actually the first Pokemon whose Shiny form was part of a game's plot.

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As part of an event in Generation II (and the games' remakes in Generation IV), there is a 100% chance that the player will encounter a Red Gyarados (its shiny color). There is only one other encounter like this and it happens with Celebi in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness.

7 Egg Group Combination

magikarp and gyarados, egg group combination

Egg Groups exist in order to organize which Pokemon can interbreed. Depending on the Pokemon's Egg Group(s), it will determine whether they can breed with another Pokemon species or not. Both Gyarados and Magikarp have a unique Egg Group combination. Even though there are an extensive amount of Pokemon, no other Pokemon share their Egg Group combination.

Magikarp and Gyarados are part of the Water 2 Egg Group and the Dragon Egg Group. This means that they have a fishlike appearance as well as a dragon-like appearance. This adds fuel to the fires behind its origin theory.

6 Very Dragon-Like

dragon-like gyarados pokemon

Gyarados isn't actually a Dragon-Type Pokemon, nor does it become Dragon-Type when it Mega Evolves. Despite all of this, the leviathan maintains a dragon-like aesthetic and learns Dragon-Type moves. There is no denying how similar Gyarados is to a dragon. Its tall serpentine appearance and open, roaring mouth hearken back to dragons over the ages.

It learns quite a few Dragon-Type moves such as Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Dragon Pulse, and a few others. There are also Dragon Trainers like Lance and Clair that have Gyarados on their teams. It is part of the Dragon Egg Group, as well, even though it is not its typing.

5 Milotic's Counterpart

gyarados and milotic pokemon counterparts

Gyarados is Milotic's counterpart. They share many similarities and yet are completely different. Both of these Pokemon evolve from a rather weak Pokemon and become powerful serpent-like beings.

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Once they evolve, they gain the exact same amount in base stats: 340 points. However, Gyarados is looked at as a more destructive being. In times of hardship, it usually has the villainous role whereas Milotic is a calm being whose purpose is to still the commotion and help in calming it down. It all comes down to the type of trainer a person is when deciding which one works best for their team.

4 Gyarados' Extreme Power

mega gyarados pokemon misty sun moon anime

Magikarp goes on quite the journey from perhaps one of the weakest Pokemon to be created to one of the strongest and most fearful Pokemon to exist. However, the creature becomes even more threatening when Gyarados mega evolves into Mega Gyarados. As can be seen above, that's not something you'd like to meet in open water.

Mega Gyarados has the highest base attack among all the Water-Type Pokemon. It is also tied with Unbound Hoopa and Umbreon as the Pokemon with the highest base Special Defense stat of all Dark-Type Pokemon. Gyarados and Mega Gyarados are also extremely tall, standing at 21'04'' (6.5m).

3 Based On A Legend

gyarados legend origins

There are a few theories out there regarding Gyarados' origins. However, the most probable one seems to be that the Pokemon is based on a Chinese Legend. In China, there are a few waterfalls and cataracts that are believed to be locations of the Dragon Gate. According to the legend, if a carp leapt over the Dragon Gates, they would become dragons.

RELATED: 10 Pokemon Based On Scary Real-World Mythology

The reason why this theory seems to be the most likely to be true relates to Pokemon Snap. The player needs to get a Magikarp into a waterfall in order to get it to evolve into Gyarados.

2 Highly Destructive Pokemon

destructive gyarados pokemon

As stated in the majority of its Pokedex entries, Gyarados is an extremely chaotic specimen. It has no problem inflicting deadly force on others. It is said that current Gyarados Pokemon are nowhere nearly as strong as their ancestors but they are still a force to be reckoned with.

For example, its Pokedex entry in Pokemon Yellow describes it as "brutally vicious and enormously destructive, known for totally destroying cities in ancient times." It is definitely one of the most calamitous Pokemon according to its history.

1 Unique Base Egg Cycle

magikarp egg hatching

Both Magikarp and Gyarados require the least amount of Egg cycles in order to hatch. Egg cycles consist of a determined amount of steps. If the player walks this many steps, the Egg cycle count drops by 1. The number of steps per Egg cycle will depend based on the game's Generation, but it has always been a number between 255 and 257.

Magikarp and Gyarados only require 5 Egg cycles before hatching. They require the fewest amount following Pokemon that require 10 Egg cycles. This means that the player needs to walk between 255 and 257 steps, depending on the Generation, 5 times before the egg hatches.

NEXT: The 10 Best Pure Water-Type Pokemon