The title of "Legendary Pokémon" used to mean something back in the Game Boy era. These represented a small group of Pokémon that were unique to their world and outclassed pretty much every other non-Legendary creature in the game.

As time went on, the number of Legendary Pokémon ballooned, to the point where the name felt meaningless. The Legendary Birds and Mew & Mewtwo were joined by reams of Pokémon that could meet them head-on in battle.

The Legendary Pokémon exist to add history and texture to each of the individual regions of the Pokémon world. It seems that each creature that appears on the box of a Pokémon game exists to act as the guardian or destroyer of a certain aspect of the Pokémon universe.

The Legendary Pokémon are also hosting some of the darkest secrets of the Pokémon franchise. Godlike power doesn't come without a price and these creatures willingly performed whatever foul deeds were necessary to become as strong as they are.

We are here today to look at the darkest secrets of the Legendary Pokémon. From the cold bird that can cheat to win, to the truth about what Pokémon #000 represents.

Here are 20 Dark Truths About The Legendary Pokémon You Really Don’t Want To Know!

20 Articuno's Guaranteed Knock-Out

via: anime4ewa.deviantart.com

There is a selection of moves in the Pokémon series that can knock out an enemy Pokémon in a single hit. This raw power is offset by their low accuracy, which makes them an unpopular choice on the competitive scene, due to how unreliable they are.

The OHKO moves include Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, and Sheer Cold.

There are also accuracy-boosting moves in the Pokémon series that can ensure that your next move will hit, such as Lock-On and Mind Reader. Articuno is one of only three Pokémon in the series that can learn both of these kinds of moves (the others being Poliwrath and Smeargle.) An Articuno can combine Mind Reader and Sheer Cold to knock out any Pokémon in the game.

19 The Distorted Cries Of The Beasts

Entei
via aphacoders.com
Entei

The early Pokémon games were riddled with bugs, to the point where you have to be surprised that Nintendo ever allowed them to grace one of their systems. It wasn't until Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire that Game Freak got their act together and made sure the games were thoroughly bug-tested.

Pokémon Gold & Silver had a creepy bug that involved the three Legendary Beasts and the Pokédex. You can corrupt the sound they make when you listen to their cries. Once you have caught all three of the Legendary Beasts in Pokémon Gold & Silver, you can listen to their cries in the Pokédex. If you listen to Entei's and then immediately listen to either Raikou or Suicine's cries, then their sound will be horribly distorted.

18 Lugia's Curse

via: phalek.deviantart.com

Lugia has remained one of the most powerful Legendary Pokémon in the series. Its raw power, coupled with amazing typing and pool of moves has kept it in the top ten Legendaries in terms of usefulness in battle. It seems that Lugia's strength is also a huge drawback, as the various Pokédex entries from the series have spoken of its lack of control over its powers.

Lugia's mere presence has the ability to create massive storms, while the beating of its wings can crush a house until it is nothing more than rubble. 

This is the reason why Lugia hides away in Pokémon Gold & Silver and why it is such a nightmare to catch. Lugia is trying to prevent its own power from affecting the outside world and is also attempting to keep the same power out of the wrong hands.

17 The Power Of Rayquaza

Saralynart.deviantart.com

The most powerful Legendary Pokémon in the series cannot be encountered until after the Elite Four and the Champion are defeated. They act more as a final boss/reward for the player so that they can crush anyone left in the game who opposes them. These creatures generally don't have much of a purpose, outside of being a bragging rights reward.

Pokémon Emerald decided to shake things up a bit by allowing you to catch a level 70 Rayquaza before visiting the eighth Pokémon Gym. Doing this will make the rest of the game a joke, as no one will have the power to stop you. The Champion of Pokémon Emerald is Wallace and his highest level Pokémon is a level 58 Milotic. The Rayquaza alone will absolutely destroy his team.

16 Azelf's Magical Coma

Via-http://www.guanchaoge.com/azelf-wallpapers.html

Psychic-type Pokémon has some of the scariest Pokédex entries in the series. The ability to use telepathy to rob someone of their free will, or cause them to endlessly relive horrific nightmares over and over again is the power held by numerous creatures in the Pokémon world.

One of the scariest Legendary Pokémon in the series is Azelf. It has the power to steal the will of a human being and leave them as a living corpse. 

The books that chronicle the history of Sinnoh in Pokémon Diamond & Pearl claim that Azelf possesses the ability to steal the consciousness of a human, should it be harmed by one. This human will lose their ability to move and will remain in that state for all eternity.

15 The Giratina Apocalypse

Via: konveekou.deviantart.com

The Legendary Pokémon that were introduced in Diamond & Pearl started to represent more esoteric concepts that had been seen previously. These include Pokémon that ruled over time, space, dreams, nightmares and a creator god that presided over them all.

One of the Legendary Pokémon introduced in this generation was Giratina, who became the focus of Pokémon Platinum. Giratina is a nightmarish creature that resides in a bizarre reality, known as the Distortion World. According to the creators of the series, Giratina is supposed to represent antimatter. Surely this means that the regular Pokémon universe would blow up if you ever used a Giratina in battle?

The player could also try and bring a few pieces of Giratina back, as a single gram of antimatter is worth over sixty-two trillion dollars.

14 Remake The World For A Child

6- Arceus
Via: images2.fanpop.com

The Pokémon world has a deity and its name is Arceus. This is the literal God of the world, as it created the Pokémon universe, which included both humans and Pokémon themselves.

It's possible to trade an Arceus from Pokémon Diamond & Pearl & Platinum to Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver, in order to unlock an exclusive event. You will be able to travel to the Sinjoh Ruins, where Arceus will create a level 1 version of either Dialga, Giratina, or Palkia. In order to do this, Arceus literally unmakes reality and creates a new world that has an extra Pokémon in it. Wouldn't it have been easier for him to just punch in a few Action Replay codes and call it a day?

13 The War Of The Four Swords

terrakion
via salanchu on DeviantArt
terrakion

There have been many theories about Pokémon Red & Blue taking place shortly after a war. This explains why Red & Blue don't have a father, Lt. Surge's comments about his military history, and gives a possible explanation as to why Mewtwo was created. Pokémon Black & White gave us more tangible evidence of a war in the history of the setting, though this one took place between humans and Pokémon.

The Pokédex descriptions for Terrakion offer some insight into a conflict between humans and Pokémon.

His Pokédex descriptions claim that he tore down the walls of a castle during a battle against humans. This suggests that the battle happened during the Pokémon equivalent of Medieval history. Terrakion's Pokédex entries also suggest that he may have been responsible for taking the lives of humans, as dropping the wall of a castle is likely not a bloodless affair.

12 God Stone

Via: Pokémon Wikia

Two of the most important items in Pokémon Black & White are the Dark Stone and the Light Stone. These are used to summon the help of Zekrom and Reshiram respectively, during the battle against N.

A third stone item was programmed into Pokémon Black & White, though it cannot be accessed without cheating and serves no purpose. This item was the God Stone, which is an odd name, due to how the Pokémon series generally shy away from such overt religious references. The existence of the God Stone may be a leftover from when a Pokémon Grey was still being considered, before being scrapped and replaced with Black 2 & White 2. It's possible that the God Stone would be used to summon Kyurem to your side during the final confrontation with N.

11 Keldeo's Rampage

via.Pokemon.Wikia.com

One of the reasons why you have to collect the eight Gym Badges in most of the Pokémon games is due to their ability to allow you to use high-level Pokémon in battle without fear of them disobeying you. The eighth Gym Badge in each region will make ever Pokémon obey you.

The Gym Badges suck at their job, as there is still a chance that the Pokémon will retaliate against the enemy. 

A level 50 Keldeo was given away as a free Wi-Fi gift to players of Pokémon Black 2 & White 2. You could claim this creature very early in the game and use it to thrash all of your opponents, even if it did loaf around from time to time.

10 Yveltal's Confirmed Petrification

5- Yveltal
Via: Pinterest

The Pokémon series goes out of its way to make sure that all injuries inflicted in battle are temporary. The concept of a Pokémon's demise was rarely addressed outside of the Lavender Tower, with the game suggesting that all of a Pokémon's wounds could be healed after a brief stint with Nurse Joy.

There is one Legendary Pokémon that has had no problem taking the lives of human and Pokémon alike: Yveltal.

The Yveltal that appeared in the Pokémon anime had no problem using its powers to turn people to stone. This included a Talonflame that was flying in midair when it was petrified... and then plummeted to the ground. Yveltal is one of the few Pokémon that has openly taken the life of another being in the Pokémon franchise.

9 The Soul Of Soul Dew

14- Mega Latias
Via: DeviantArt (AutoBotTesla)

One of the most powerful items in the Pokémon video games is Soul Dew. This is a held-item that greatly increases the strength of a Latias or Latios that wields it in battle. Soul Dew is so powerful that has commonly been banned in most official Pokémon tournaments since its introduction.

Soul Dew was an important item in the fifth Pokémon movie: Pokémon Heroes: Latias & Latios. This movie revealed that Soul Dew possesses the ability to flood the city of Alto Mare. The movie also revealed that Soul Dew is made from the spirit of a deceased Latios, as a Latios has to give its own life to create a new Soul Dew at the end of the film.

8 Guzzlord's Dinner

9- Guzzlord
Via: pm1.narvii.com

If you somehow end up transported to the Pokémon universe and Looker asks you to join his team, make sure to politely decline and run as far away from his as possible. Looker doesn't exactly have the best luck with partners. His Croagunk passed away at some point before the events of Pokémon X & Y, making it one of the few Pokémon in the series that is confirmed to have died.

Looker had a run in with one of the deadliest and most powerful Pokémon in the series. 

Pokémon Sun & Moon subtly revealed that one of Looker's old human partners was devoured by the insatiable Ultra Beast known as Guzzlord. This was due to Looker hesitating in battle, which allowed the Guzzlord to devour the poor person.

7 Kyurem's Missing Limbs

Kyurem Black and White
Via: s4.zerochan.net

Fans of the Pokémon series have been asking for fusion between Pokémon since the first games were released. Bill's predicament in Pokémon Red & Blue, as well as the theoretical fusion of Blastoise and Venusaur in the Pokémon anime only fueled these rumors.

We have seen a form of fusion in Pokémon Black 2 & White 2, as Kyurem can use a DNA Splicer to combine itself with either Reshiram or Zekrom. This will result in a new creature that combines elements of the original two Pokémon.

What most players don't realize is that this is actually what Kyurem wants. The Pokédex claims that Kyurem's body is actually incomplete and that it is waiting for a hero to help it become whole again, by fusing it with other Pokémon.

6 The Mass-Produced Army

via pokemon wikia

It's entirely possible for someone to create a Pokémon. These can involve gene splicing experiments (like the kind that created Mewtwo) or waiting for a ghost to inhabit your household appliances (like Rotom). There have been examples of Pokémon that were created wholesale. Magearna is a Pokémon that was created entirely by a master of clocks and gears, who somehow managed to make his own Legendary Pokémon.

Genesect is another Pokémon that was created, as it was brought back from a fossil and given technological enhancements, which is why it has that giant cannon on its back. This means that it is possible for someone to create their own rampaging army of Legendary Pokémon, which would be unstoppable in battle.

5 We Have To Wait For Primal Dialga

Via: Pokémon Wikia

Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire added a strange new Pokémon transformation to the series, known as Primal Reversion. This is kind of like the Sage Mode from Naruto, where the Pokémon have to absorb the power of nature and take on a different form that grants them more power.

So far, the only Pokémon that can perform Primal Reversion in the main games are Groudon and Kyogre. 

A third Pokémon can perform Primal Reversion in the Pokémon Explorers games. Dialga can become Primal Dialga, which the player has to battle.

There is a good chance that we will see Primal Dialga in the inevitable Sinnoh remake games. We may also see Primal Reversion forms for Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus as well.

4 Thu-Fi-Zer

via pbqforums.com

The rumors of Pokémon fusion haven't been helped by the Pokémon Adventures manga, which actually featured the fusion of the three Legendary Birds of Kanto.

The being known as Thu-Fi-Zer was created by Team Rocket as a trump card, which they could attempt to use to overpower Mewtwo. This led to them performing experiments on Eevee and its evolutions, in order to create the process that would allow them to fuse the three Legendary Pokémon. They would later catch Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos, so that the fusion could take place.

It took the combined might of Blue, Green, and Red to defeat Thu-Fi-Zer. They used the power of their starter Pokémon to shatter the creature and restore the three Legendary Birds to their original forms.

3 Mew's Birth

via: buzzfeed.com

No one knows for sure how Pokémon breed with each other. All you need to do is dump two Pokémon in a day-care center, walk a bunch of steps, and an egg will appear.

We won't ever officially see how Pokémon procreate unless the DeviantArt people buy Game Freak. 

There is only one canon example of a Pokémon giving birth in a similar manner to humans. The journals within the Pokémon Mansion describe how Mew gave birth to Mewtwo, despite its seeming lack of a reproductive system.

Mewtwo's Pokédex entries describe it as being the result of horrific experiments. One can only wonder what happened to the poor Mew that was forced to carry a baby to term, even though it isn't supposed to be able to give birth.

2 The Power Of Yveltal

Via: gamefaqs.com

We have already established that Yveltal is one of the few Pokémon that is willing to take the lives of living beings. This is reflected in the power of its signature move, which is known as Oblivion Wing.

Oblivion Wing is an attack that hits like a truck and also restores Yveltal's health by 75% of the overall damage dealt by the attack. This is one of the most feared and powerful moves in the competitive scenes that allow Legendary Pokémon.

Oblivion Wing is far more fearsome in Japan, where it is known as Death Wing. It seems that Game Freak was fine with supporting the notion that Yveltal will slay anyone who crosses it. This is also the same company that refers to Dark-type Pokémon as Evil-type Pokémon.

1 The Truth About Victini

14- Victini
Via: Amino Apps

Bulbasaur used to be the first Pokémon listed in the Pokédex. Its index number was #001, which meant that it would become the first in every National Dex when they were unlocked. Everything changed in Pokémon Black & White when a Legendary Pokémon named Victini was listed as #000 in the Pokédex. This was a strange decision, considering how unimportant Victini was to the overall plot of the game.

So, what's the deal with Victini? Why is it so important?

The Pokédex entries for Victini claims that it possesses endless power within its body. It's name and signature pose also suggest victory. Victini was introduced in the region that was based on America. So, what's the deal with Victini? It's meant to represent a nuclear bomb.