Magikarp

[[Category:{{{egggroup1}}} group Pokémon]]

**Magikarp** (Japanese: **コイキング** *Koiking*) is a Water Pokémon introduced in Generation I.

It evolves into Gyarados starting at level 20.

## Biology

Magikarp is a medium-sized fish Pokémon with large, heavy reddish-orange scales. It has large, vacant eyes and pink lips. Its pectoral and tail fins are white, but it has a stiff, three-peaked fin on its back and stomach that are both yellow. It also has long barbels. The barbels are white on a female and tan on a male.

A long-lived Magikarp is able to utilize its immense splashing power to leap high enough to scale mountains. It also has a strong enough immune system to survive in the most polluted of waters. However, it is usually overlooked by Trainers because of its perceived weakness: even in the heat of battle it will do nothing but flop around. It is not a strong swimmer, and currents in the water will sweep it downstream. It is normally seen using its former signature move, Splash, to leap out of the water, which makes them easy targets to predators such as Pidgeotto and Pidgeot. It is believed that the ancestors of Magikarp were actually much stronger than modern Magikarp, and this led scientists to research this species. Magikarp is found in many bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, and ponds. However, due to its weak swimming ability it usually lives downstream of the water's flow.

## In the anime

### In the main series

 File:Magikarp anime.png
 File:Golden Magikarp.png
#### Major appearances

##### James's Magikarp

James's Magikarp debuted in *Battle Aboard the St. Anne!*, where he purchased it from the Magikarp salesman. It evolved into a Gyarados in the next episode, after James abandoned it for its uselessness.

##### Magikarp salesman's Magikarp

Several episodes, the first one being *Battle Aboard the St. Anne*, involved a particular salesman trying to sell certain Pokémon to someone. The person he is usually trying to con is James, and he usually sells Template:TP, claiming that they are very valuable.

##### Other

In *The Joy of Pokémon*, a Nurse Joy from the Orange Islands befriended a giant Magikarp that saved her as a child. It evolved into an equally large Gyarados, but it remained friendly.

In *The Wacky Watcher!*, Template:Ash, Template:An, and Template:Tracey helped a Pokémon Watcher named Quincy T. Quackenpoker observe the migration and evolution of a school of Magikarp.

Three Magikarp appeared in *Mantine Overboard!*, under the ownership of Luka. They were used to aid her, Template:Ash, and later Template:An in their underwater exploration.

A Template:Shiny Magikarp appeared in *Judgment Day!*, under the ownership of Jimmy. It was later traded for a Charmeleon.

Oralie, a member of the B-Button League, claims her Magikarp is the strongest. It appeared in *Ya See We Want An Evolution!* and was unique in that it was able to battle surprisingly well, even giving Ash's Pikachu a hard time.

In *One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team!*, Jessie used a Magikarp in the second leg of the Pokémon Triathlon.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *Going for the Gold!*, including one Shiny that appeared at the end of the episode. Template:An tried to lure the Shiny one in with an invention, but wound up attracting a horde of Sharpedo instead.

#### Minor appearances

Magikarp debuted in *Pokémon - I Choose You!*, where one was seen swimming in the river that Template:Ash jumped into while attempting to escape a flock of Spearow that were chasing after him.

A Magikarp appeared in *Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village*, where it was one of the Pokémon under Melanie's care. It reappeared in a flashback in *Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!*.

A Magikarp appeared in *Hypno's Naptime*, where it was seen in HopHopHop Town's Pokémon Center.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in a fantasy in the banned episode EP035.

Magikarp appeared in *Holy Matrimony!*, *The Ultimate Test*, *The Evolution Solution*, *A Friend In Deed*, and *Friend and Foe Alike*.

A Magikarp appeared in *Pikachu's Vacation* as one of the Pokémon seen at the Pokémon Theme Park.

Multiple Magikarp were among the Pokémon seen at Professor Oak's Laboratory in *Showdown at the Po-ké Corral*.

A Magikarp appeared in *Poké Ball Peril*, where it was being carefully studied by Template:An.

A Magikarp appeared in *Pikachu Re-Volts*, where it was among the Pokémon controlled by Cassidy and Butch at Mandarin Island North.

Schools of Magikarp appeared in *The Power of One*.

A wild Magikarp appeared in *Pikachu's Rescue Adventure*.

A Magikarp appeared in a fantasy in *The Totodile Duel*.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *Love, Totodile Style*. Totodile juggled three of them with its Water Gun in an attempt to impress the female Azumarill it had fallen in love with.

A Magikarp appeared in *Snorlax Snowman*.

A Magikarp appeared in *The Light Fantastic*, where it was seen swimming in a river.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in Template:An's dream in *Sick Daze*.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *Celebi: The Voice of the Forest*. One briefly reappeared in a montage in *The Rise of Darkrai*, which chronicled the preceding nine movies.

A Magikarp appeared in *The Joy of Water Pokémon* as an inhabitant of Lake Lucid.

A Magikarp appeared in *Around the Whirlpool* as one of the Pokémon stolen from the Pokémon Center of Blue Point Isle.

A Trainer's Magikarp appeared in *Octillery The Outcast* as one of the Pokémon participating in the Whirl Cup. Misty's Poliwhirl went up against it in a qualifying match and won. It reappeared in the following episode.

A Magikarp appeared in *Dueling Heroes*.

A Magikarp was seen swimming in a lake in *The Legend of Thunder!* and *Journey to the 1ing Line*.

A Magikarp appeared in a flashback in *Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution*, where it evolved into Red Gyarados.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *Enlighten Up!* as residents of Lake Slowpoke.

A Magikarp appeared in a flashback in *The Ties That Bind*.

A Magikarp appeared in Gary's explanation in *Johto Photo Finish*, where it evolved into a Gyarados.

A Magikarp was used by a competitor in the Tour de Alto Mare, a water chariot race, in *Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias*.

A Magikarp appeared in *Whiscash and Ash*.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *Destiny Deoxys*.

A Magikarp appeared in *On Olden Pond* as a resident of an old lake.

A Magikarp appeared in *Three Jynx and a Baby!*.

A Coordinator's Magikarp appeared in *Channeling the Battle Zone!*.

A Coordinator's Magikarp appeared in *Once More With Reeling!*, where it was seen participating in the Terracotta Contest.

A Magikarp appeared in *Following A Maiden's Voyage!*.

A Stylist's Magikarp appeared in *Arriving in Style!*, where it was seen participating in the Hearthome Collection.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *Giratina and the Sky Warrior*.

A Magikarp appeared in PK19.

A Magikarp appeared as part of Lila's famous "Tiger Lily Smile" in *Battling the Generation Gap!*.

A Magikarp appeared in *Historical Mystery Tour!*. It was among the Pokémon Template:An encountered in Xatu's Forest.

A school of Magikarp appeared in *The Needs of the Three!*.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in a flashback in *Bucking the Treasure Trend!*.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *Zoroark: Master of Illusions*.

A Magikarp appeared in *Best Wishes Until We Meet Again!*.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!*.

Two Magikarp appeared in *An Undersea Place to Call Home!*.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction*.

A Magikarp appeared in a flashback in *Day Three Blockbusters!*.

A Magikarp appeared as a painting in *Battling at Full Volume!*.

A Magikarp appeared in *Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel*.

A Magikarp appeared in SS037.

A Magikarp appeared in *Yo, Ho, Ho! Go, Popplio!*, where Pikachu caught it by fishing with its tail, only for it to attack Template:Ash before swimming away.

Three Magikarp appeared in *Rocking Clawmark Hill!*, where they were flopping about on the beach near Template:An's house, having been washed ashore by the tide.

A Magikarp appeared in *A Shivering Shovel Search!*.

Six Magikarp appeared in *Pulling Out the Pokémon Base Pepper!*.

A Magikarp appeared in *Big Sky, Small Fry!*.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *I Choose You!*.

Multiple wild Magikarp appeared in *Alola, Kanto!*, with one appearing in a photo taken by Template:Rotom.

A Magikarp appeared in *Dewpider Ascending!*, where it swam along a river.

A Magikarp appeared in *The Power of Us*.

Four Magikarp appeared in the Eevee, Where Are You Going? segment at the end of SM096, where they were seen swimming in the ocean.

A Magikarp appeared in SM099.

#### Pokédex entries

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 File:Red Magikarp PO.png
 File:Gorebyss Magikarp Spheal Corsola PG.png
### In Pokémon Origins

#### Red's Magikarp

The Magikarp salesman sold Red a Template:TP in *File 2: Cubone*.

### In Pokémon Generations

A wild Magikarp appeared in the waters that surrounded the Seafloor Cavern in *The Cavern*.

### In the Pokémon Adventures manga

 File:Bill Magikarp Splash Adventures.png
Magikarp debuted in *What a Dragonite* where multiple wild ones were escaping from a Dragonite.

Two Magikarp appeared in a river in Viridian Forest in *Sea Sea Seadra* where Yellow was fishing.

In *Whacked by Marowak!*, Erika is seen teaching a class about Magikarp that can learn Dragon Rage.

Magikarp appeared in *Breath of the Dragonair Part 1* where it was used by a trainer in a surfing contest, before the it was interrupted by Lance controlling the winning prize, a Dragonair.

Bill has a Magikarp that appeared in *Make Way for Magikarp*. Its resilient body saved Bill from acidic Victreebel saliva.

Lance's Magikarp appeared in a flashback in *The Legend* as a Pokémon harmed by human industrialization. It evolved into Gyarados sometime before *Extricated from Exeggutor* and it was used to shield him from the lava on Mt. Cerise.

In *Teddiursa's Picnic*, a Magikarp appeared in its Poké Ball after a wild Granbull had spit out all the Poké Balls it stole. It was returned to its owner by Wilton afterwards.

Multiple Magikarp had evolved into Gyarados at the Lake of Rage from the Radio waves emitted by Team Rocket in *Raise the Red Gyarados*.

A Magikarp is seen as one of the Pokémon at Earl's Pokémon Academy in Violet City in *Slugging It Out with Slugma*.

Magikarp has appeared in aquariums belonging to Mr. Briney and Team Aqua in *Stick This in Your Craw, Crawdaunt I*.

A blind boy owned a Magikarp nicknamed Karpy which debuted in *The Beginning of the End with Kyogre & Groudon VI*.

Diamond and Lax dress up as Magikarp in the Diamond and Pearl Chapter. They eat rice balls and Diamond calls himself a Munchikarp.

### In the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! manga

A Magikarp appeared in *In Search of the Legendary Pokémon Dialga!!* and *The Mystery Boy, Jun!!*.

Multiple Magikarp appeared in *The Legendary Pokémon, Captured*.

A Magikarp appeared in a fantasy in *Look for Giratina!*.

### In the Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All manga

A Magikarp appeared in the sixth chapter of Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All. This Magikarp knew the event-exclusive move Dragon Rage.

Shu caught a Magikarp in GDZ51.

### In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga

Template:GnB owns six Magikarp in The Golden Boys manga.

### In the Pokémon Zensho manga

Template:Zensho has multiple Magikarp in the Pokémon Zensho manga.

## Game data

### NPC appearances

* Magikarp is the focus of the mobile game Pokémon: Magikarp Jump. The player can fish for many patterns of Magikarp, then train their Magikarp and compete with others to see whose Magikarp can jump the highest.

### Game locations

#### In side games

Magikarp will not appear in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team until a rescue mission involving it has been completed, using a Wonder Mail code such as the following:

X ? ? S ? ? X ? 4 6 8 ?
♀ + ? ? 9 7 5 6 S Y ? ?
Objective: Rescue Magikarp on floor 12 of Stormy Sea.

### Held items

 Events\* | Heart Mail Heart Mail (100%)
 Stardust Stardust (100%)

### Stats

#### Base stats

 * Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.

* Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.

* This Pokémon's  Special  base stat in Generation I was **20**.

### Learnset

#### By TM/HM

 * **Bold** indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Magikarp
* *Italic* indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Magikarp
* Click on the generation numbers at the top to see TM moves from other generations

#### By breeding

 * Moves marked with an asterisk (\*) must be chain bred onto Magikarp in Generation VII
* Moves marked with a double dagger (‡) can only be bred from a Pokémon who learned the move in an earlier generation.
* Moves marked with a superscript game abbreviation can only be bred onto Magikarp in that game.
* **Bold** indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Magikarp
* *Italic* indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Magikarp
* Click on the generation numbers at the top to see Egg moves from other generations

#### By tutoring

 * A black or white abbreviation in a colored box indicates that Magikarp can be tutored the move in that game
* A colored abbreviation in a white box indicates that Magikarp cannot be tutored the move in that game
* **Bold** indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Magikarp
* *Italic* indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Magikarp
* Click on the generation numbers at the top to see Move Tutor moves from other generations

#### By events

 * A superscript level indicates that Magikarp can learn this move normally in Generation VI
* **Bold** indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Magikarp
* *Italic* indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Magikarp
* Click on the generation numbers at the top to see moves from other generations

### Side game data

Template:Spindata/PinballTemplate:Spindata/PinballRSTemplate:Spindata/TrozeiTemplate:Spindata/MDRBTemplate:Spindata/MDTDSTemplate:Spindata/RangerTemplate:Spindata/RumbleTemplate:Spindata/RumbleBlastTemplate:Spindata/PokéParkTemplate:Spindata/PokéPark2Template:Spindata/ConquestTemplate:Spindata/GO

### Sprites

Template:Spritebox/Header
Template:Spritebox/1
Template:Spritebox/2
Template:Spritebox/3
Template:Spritebox/4/Gender
Template:Spritebox/5/Gender
Template:Spritebox/6/Gender
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## Trivia

* Magikarp is tied with Gyarados and Regigigas for being the lowest level Pokémon encountered in the wild, as well as also tied with Gyarados for the highest level Pokémon encountered in the wild. In Platinum, Magikarp can be found at levels ranging from level 1 to 100 in the Resort Area, and in Black 2 and White 2, it can be found at the same levels in the Nature Preserve; both require a Super Rod.
* Magikarp and its evolution require the fewest Egg cycles to hatch, with five.
	+ Magikarp and its evolution are the only Pokémon with a unique base Egg cycle.
* Magikarp was the first Pokémon featured in Professor Oak's Pokémon Lecture in EP061.
* Magikarp and its evolution's Egg Group combination (Template:Egg and Template:Egg) is unique.
* Magikarp is one of fourteen Pokémon that one could collect foreign Pokédex entries for in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
* Magikarp shares its category name with Feebas. They are both known as the Fish Pokémon.
* Magikarp is the only Pokémon which can be found in every course in the game Pokémon Snap except Rainbow Cloud (which features only Mew).
* Together with Pichu, Rattata, and Seedot, Magikarp is the easiest Pokémon to catch in Pokémon Ranger, with only one loop necessary.
* Magikarp is tied with Feebas for having the largest increase in total base stat of 340 (from 200 to 540) when it evolves into Gyarados.
* Magikarp is tied with Carvanha for having the lowest Special Defense stat of all Water Pokémon and is tied with Attack Forme Deoxys, Carvanha, Igglybuff, Caterpie, and Weedle as having the lowest Special Defense stat of all Pokémon.
* Magikarp is the only Pokémon in Pokémon Conquest that uses a move that would not give it same-type attack bonus in the main series games, as it uses Splash.
* On July 28, 2016 and May 12, 2017, The Pokémon Company and The Pokémon Company International respectively posted a Magikarp-themed music video onto their YouTube channel titled the Magikarp Song.
* Magikarp has the most variants of any species.

### Origin

Template:Bulbanews
Magikarp is based on the Asian carp, which are easily frightened by disturbances in water and can jump 8–10 feet (2.5–3 m) in the air.

Magikarp's evolution into Gyarados is based on a legend about how carp that leapt over the Dragon Gate would become dragons. Several waterfalls and cataracts in China are believed to be the location of the Dragon Gate. This legend is an allegory of the drive and efforts needed to overcome obstacles. This may have inspired an element in Pokémon Snap where, after certain steps are taken, a Magikarp will splash its way into a waterfall where it evolves.

#### Name origin

Magikarp's name is a combination of *magic* and *carp*, possibly mocking the Magikarp as a species, as someone with 'magic' powers is generally thought to be quite powerful, which Magikarp is not (though carp are said to be able to transform into dragons, which is magical in its own way).

Koiking is a combination of 鯉 *koi* (carp) and *king*, giving its name an ironic slant similar to its English name.

## Related articles

* Misty's Gyarados
* James's Magikarp
* Magikarp salesman
* Magikarp salesman's Magikarp
* Silver's Gyarados
* Dylan's Gyarados
* Red Gyarados