Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Guide | How to Catch Articuno and Shiny Articuno

To reach Articuno in Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen, you need Surf and Strength first. You get Surf from the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City. You also need the Gold Teeth from the Safari Zone. Give them to the Warden, and you will receive Strength. You also need to beat Koga so you can use Surf outside battle.

Before starting the trip, stock up on useful items. Bring lots of Ultra Balls, healing items, and Max Repels. Wild Pokémon appear often on the way, so Max Repels will save time. It also helps to bring a Pokémon that can inflict Sleep or Paralysis to make Articuno easier to catch.

How to Reach Seafoam Islands

Start at the Pokémon Center in Fuchsia City and head south to Route 19. There are many swimmers along the water path, so move carefully to avoid extra battles. Keep going and turn left onto Route 20. You should continue dodging trainers as much as possible.

Soon, you will find the cave entrance that leads to Seafoam Islands. There is another cave entrance on the south side of Cinnabar Island, but that is not the route used here. Enter the correct cave and follow the path carefully, because it is easy to get lost inside.

Seafoam Islands Path to Articuno

Inside Seafoam Islands, go up, then head down the ladder at the back. After that, move across and drop through the hole. This sends you into the water. Let the current carry you, then come out on the next section. Go up the steps and take the left path.

From there, go up the ladders and continue forward until you reach the area with the Strength boulders. This section is a simple puzzle, but you need to place the rocks correctly. Push the first boulder up. Then move the next ones into place, and keep pushing the rock that blocks the path all the way across. After that, move the last boulders into position and drop down.

Once the rocks are set, they block the tide and stop it from pulling you away. That opens the final path. Go up from there, and you will find Articuno waiting.

How to Catch Shiny Articuno

When you stand in front of Articuno, save the game before starting the battle. This is the best way to shiny hunt it. The shiny odds are 1 in 8,192, so this can take a long time.

Start the battle and check if Articuno is shiny. If it is not, perform a soft reset by holding X, Y, A, and B. After the reset, load the save and interact with Articuno again. Each reset gives you a new chance at the shiny.

If you do not want the shiny version, you can simply catch the regular Articuno once you reach it.