For many Pokémon players, Magikarp is synonymous with the word useless. Magikarp’s signature move is Splash, which literally does nothing. Really, Magikarp can’t do much until it evolves into Gyarados. It’s bad enough that even Pokédex entries tend to drag Magikarp through the mud. But if you go into Pokémon Legends: Z-A expecting every Magikarp to merely flounder in your presence, you’re about to have another thing coming.
To be sure, most Magikarp that you find in Lumiose City will fit the standard stereotype. “It is virtually worthless in terms of both power and speed,” reads the latest Pokédex entry in the action-oriented pocket monster game. “It is the weakest and most pathetic Pokémon in the world.”
There’s one notable exception, and that’s an alpha encounter that presents the player with a giant Magikarp whose eyes glow red. That appearance typically means the encounter will be harder than the average fight in Z-A, but anyone who played the first Legends might go in with low expectations. In that game, alpha Magikarp might look scary, but it still only seems to know splash. At first, the awkwardly flopping Magikarp in Z-A will appear to follow suit. But give it enough time, and Magikarp will blast you with Hydro Pump, one of the most powerful water-type moves in the entire compendium.
Mind you, Magikarp has a wider repertoire than just Splash. If you level it up enough, it can learn Tackle, a weak attack move. You can also use TMs to teach Magikarp Hydro Pump, which some players might do in anticipation of evolving it. But absolutely no one expects to find a Magikarp in the wild already knowing Hydro Pump, even if alpha monsters are supposed to know at least one move that their cohort typically doesn’t. What makes it especially funny is that Hydro Pump sometimes targets the player, not the Pokémon on the field. This Magikarp is really out here trying to kill you!
“You know there was a dev chuckling when they put that in,” one TikTok commenter says.
“That was the first way I got knocked out in this game,” another commenter writes, appending a crying laughing emoji. Apparently, they’re not alone. A number of people in the comments say this specific Magikarp took them down, or claim that they had a close call as they got swarmed by alphas. Some fans are trolling others by suggesting they seek out the Magikarp without telling them what’s really in store.
It’s clear that Game Freak had fun with this one, as the alpha encounter isn’t the end of the hijinks. If you capture the deadly alpha and show it to the Magikarp guy, he’ll be flabbergasted:
So, fair warning. See a Magikarp in Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Be ready for disaster.
