How to Catch Zapdos in Pokémon Fire Red: 5 Steps (with Pictures)

This article was co-authored by Madeleine Flamiano. Madeleine Flamiano is a Role-playing Game Enthusiast based in Berkeley, California. She has over 20 years of gaming experience and is an avid gamer in all parts of her life—she’s especially fond of tabletop board games and the world of Pokémon. Pokémon Crystal Version is her favorite game in the franchise. Some of her greatest feats were evolving Eevee to a Level 99 Umbreon and collecting every legendary bird Pokémon. Her professional path started at NaNoWriMo, where she scripted a summer-long world-building series and hosted its Virtual Write-Ins. She has written seven books for DDCO Publishing, which specializes in LitRPG and is operated by New York Times Bestseller JA Cipriano. She has ranked in the Top 100 list for Dark Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, and Fantasy Romance. She was voted by her peers as “The Perfectionist” on Roleplay Adventures, a SERP for forum roleplaying. Madeleine graduated from Mills College with a B.A. in English with a concentration in Literature and a Minor in Philosophy.

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This article will show you how to get Zapdos in Pokémon Fire Red.

Steps

1. 1Fly to Route 10, outside of Cerulean. If you don’t yet have HM Fly, obtain it.
2. 2Surf to the Power Plant.Advertisement
3. 3Battle or avoid Scientist Greg.
4. 4Enter the Power Plant. Proceed counterclockwise to reach him.
5. 5Save the game before attempting to catch Zapdos!
   • You’ll need 30+ Ultra Balls. Reset to your save point if you accidentally faint him or run out of Pokeballs.
   • The only attacking move Zapdos knows is Drill Peck. This means he is easier to catch if you bring a Pokémon who resists Flying attacks. Geodude, Graveler or Golem are perfect for this as they’re Rock type, have high defense, and are immune to Thunder Wave. Give them Leftovers and have them use Defense Curl a few times, if you like.
   • Bring Zapdos’ health down to the red and apply a status condition such as sleep or paralyze before attempting to catch him. Sleep and freeze are most effective, but are difficult to use because they’re not permanent. A Thunder Wave user will usually do the trick.

Community Q&A

• QuestionWhat can I do if I killed Zapdos and didn’t save it in Pokemon FireRed?Community AnswerYou only have one chance to catch him. If you’ve killed him, the only way to get another chance at catching him is through resetting a save point previous to you killing Zapdos.
• QuestionCan I catch Zapdos with a Pokeball?Community AnswerIt’s possible, but much more challenging than with an Ultra Ball or a Great Ball. You will need a lot of Pokeballs.
• QuestionWhat happens if Zapdos fainted and I forgot to save before the battle?Community AnswerIf you have not advanced too much in the game or have not done any transcendental accomplishment such as defeating the Elite Four for the first time or captured Mewtwo, turn off the game and start over from your last saving point.

Video

Tips

• Bring a few Pokémon at lvl. 50-100; Zapdos is super strong. You should also bring a rock type to battle.⧼thumbs_response⧽
• Teach one of your Pokémon False Swipes so Zapdos can be left with 1 HP.⧼thumbs_response⧽
• Zapdos is Level 50.⧼thumbs_response⧽

Warnings

• Zapdos knows Thunder Wave, which paralyzes your Pokémon. Bring 15 Paralyze Heals(or more) in case.⧼thumbs_response⧽