Johto - Red Gyarados

[Sheep]

The Red Gyarados can be obtained at the Lake of Rage in GSC and HGSS. What did you do with yours - did it make it onto your team? Did you box it forever? Maybe it became an 'HM Slave'?

 

[Devalue]

Probably boxed it. Knew it was special. Likely decided on a team already.

 

[WaterLily]

I think I have put it on my team before. It is a pretty strong pokemon but I don't think it's actually "Legendary." I think there was 6 Legendary Pokémon in this game. I can't even remember how I got Celebi if at all.

 

[Rock_Salazar]

In gen 2 I boxed it. The changes to Gyarados' stats really hurt it so I saw no usage in it because what physical moves can it use? Might as well use slowbro or the easily obtainable Lapras on Fridays. In gen 4 however, I almost always use it to steamroll Lance. Specifically because of the physical special split, Gyarados gaining dragon dance + ice fang + waterfall, and the fact that Lance always starts with his own Gyarados gives you time to set up and sweep him.

 

[RMVNZ]

I boxed it when I first got it in GSC. My team was already in their LV40s and I was too impatient to train a LV30 to catch up to them.

 

[ReKoil]

Catch and box. Don't think I ever used one of them.
Too late in the game by that point to add something to the team on a normal playthrough as well.

 

[Nah]

Pretty sure I've done all 3 things with it over the decades. Probably only actually used it as a team member once or twice though, most of the rest of the time was probably just boxing it or using it as an HM slave. Which it does make for a pretty decent one in the late game if you need that since it gets all 3 water HMs plus Strength.

 

[Corveone]

Never had a Gyarados in any of my teams, not when I was new to the series, not after learning how broken it is either. I just considered it banned nowadays.

Funny that the free shiny Gyarados was given in the games were Gyarados was actually at its worst (except for HGSS of course)

 

[Missy Oak]

I boxed it, I already had a water type lol.

 

[Megan]

I don't think I used it. I either put it into a box or I might have used it as an HM slave on the odd occasion. Same with the remakes.

 

[VisionofMilotic]

I remember using the red Gyarados on my first playthrough of Gold, and being really excited by her. She became a permanent teammate that went down in the Hall of Fame at the Pokemon league with me.

I also used the red Gyarados as a full-time player when I revisited Johto in HGSS and remember even saving space on my team in anticipation of this pokemon's arrival, deliberately not training up any other major water pokemon. He was with me till the end battling Red by my side.

In Gold my starter was Typhlosion and in Soul Silver it was Meganium, so Gyarados was easier to fit on the team, but when I played Crystal I remember choosing Feraligatr, and as a result Gyarados didn't see as long of a tenure, but I did still use it in battles sometimes, and made a point of battling Team Rocket with it in Mahogany Town. It deserved at least the chance to take revenge for how they destroyed it's habitat.

Gyarados is a pokemon I like in general, all things reminiscent of dragons appeal to me, and having played with it in many games in various generations, I just see it as a reliable attacker and I like to go to it when in doubt, and if I have the option of a magnificent-looking red shiny variant that is not something I will put aside lightly. No sir.

 

[_confused_piplup_]

I think i boxed it on my first run, then I think i played some sort of challenge on HgSS later on and i kept it in my team.

 

[LeadRain]

I had it on my team for the entire time the first playthrough, then I boxed it everytime after that.

 

[ThePKMNSyndicate]

Tend to pick Typhlosion so I used it unless I used Wooper or caught poliwag near cherrygrove when I played at night.

 

[Zeostar]

I haven't used the Red Gyarados, however, I would like to do so next time.

 

[SteCisGreendog]

Not sure, honestly. It may have been part of my team in one gameplay or two for the novelty factor.