What Happens If You Don’t Catch a Tera Raid Pokémon? A Comprehensive Guide

So, you braved a Tera Raid, battled tooth and nail, saw the crystal shatter, and then… you didn’t catch the Pokémon. What happens now? The short answer: you still get rewards. That’s right, even if you whiff the capture, you’re not walking away empty-handed. This system ensures participation is worthwhile, regardless of your Poké Ball prowess (or lack thereof). However, there are nuances to consider, which we’ll explore in detail.

The Rewards You Still Receive

The primary function of Tera Raids is reward acquisition. While catching the Tera Pokémon is a nice bonus, the items you receive are often the main draw, especially for competitive players. These rewards generally include:

• Tera Shards: These are essential for changing a Pokémon’s Tera Type at the Treasure Eatery in Medali. Collecting enough shards of a specific type allows you to customize your team’s strategic flexibility.
• Experience Candies: These come in various sizes (XS to XL) and provide significant experience points to level up your Pokémon quickly.
• Vitamins: Items like Protein, Iron, Calcium, etc., boost specific stats (Attack, Defense, Special Attack, etc.) and are crucial for EV (Effort Value) training, a key aspect of competitive battling.
• Ability Patches and Capsules: Ability Patches allow you to change a Pokémon’s Ability to its Hidden Ability, while Ability Capsules allow you to switch between its standard Abilities. These items are particularly valuable for optimizing a Pokémon’s potential.
• Herba Mystica: These rare herbs are necessary ingredients for crafting sandwiches that provide boosted shiny odds and encounter rates for specific Pokémon types.
• Treasures: Nuggets, Big Nuggets, Stardust, and Star Pieces can be sold for substantial amounts of Poké Dollars, aiding in purchasing items and customizing your character’s appearance.
• Held Items: Life Orbs, Choice Specs, and other held items that boost a Pokémon’s stats in battle.
• TMs: Depending on the raid, you can receive various TMs.

The amount and type of rewards you receive largely depend on the raid’s star level. Higher-star raids (especially 6-star and 7-star events) offer better and more valuable rewards, making them highly sought after.

The Catching Caveat

While you do get rewards regardless of the catch, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• One-Time Catch: Remember that for specific event raids like the Charizard the Unrivaled raid, you can only catch the featured Pokémon once per save file. You can still participate in the raid multiple times for the rewards, but you won’t be able to catch multiple Charizards.
• Tera Type Retention: If you do catch the Pokémon, it retains the Tera Type that was revealed during the raid battle. This can be strategically significant, as it allows you to add Pokémon with specific Tera Types to your team.

The Importance of Participation

Even if your Pokémon faints repeatedly, or you’re not dealing the most damage, simply participating in the raid is beneficial. Your presence contributes to the overall effort, and you’ll still receive rewards at the end. Don’t be discouraged if you’re not the strongest player – teamwork and participation are key.

Strategy and Team Composition

Before jumping into a Tera Raid, consider your Pokémon’s strengths and weaknesses and coordinate with your teammates. A well-balanced team with diverse type coverage and strategic support moves will significantly increase your chances of success, both in defeating and catching the Tera Pokémon.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Tera Raids and Catching

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the nuances of Tera Raids and what happens when you don’t catch the Pokémon:

1. Do I get less rewards if I don’t catch a Tera Raid Pokémon?

No, there’s no evidence to suggest you get fewer rewards for failing to catch the Pokémon. The reward pool is determined by the raid level, and your participation guarantees access to that pool, regardless of the catching outcome. It seems to be the exact same rewards, with the only difference being whether you also caught the Pokemon or not.

2. What’s the point of catching a Tera Pokémon?

Catching a Tera Pokémon allows you to add it to your team with a specific Tera Type. This can be strategically advantageous for competitive battling and completing your Pokédex. Also, it’s fun to collect them!

3. Can you only catch a specific Tera Pokémon once?

For regular Tera Raids, you can catch the same species of Pokémon multiple times, each with potentially different stats and natures. However, special event raids (like Charizard the Unrivaled) are often limited to one catch per save file.

4. What are the chances of catching a Tera Raid Pokémon?

Tera Raids have a 100% catch rate. Once you get the opportunity to throw a Poké Ball, the catch is guaranteed. This eliminates the frustration of failing catches in Max Raid Battles from previous games.

5. What happens if I leave a random Tera Raid?

If you quit or disconnect during an online Tera Raid, you’ll receive a temporary penalty, preventing you from joining or hosting other online raids for at least 30 minutes. This discourages abandoning raids and disrupting other players. You can exit offline battles without penalty.

6. Will Tera Pokémon despawn?

Tera Raids despawn after they are completed (defeated or caught). New raids will randomly spawn each day. Tera Dens spawn at random locations around the map that despawn after each battle.

7. How many Tera raids per day can I do?

Every day, a new 6-star raid will become available. Each day one 6-star Tera Raid Battle den will appear on your map, noted with a black sparkling icon and a black crystal. The locations of Tera raids are not set, and once the pokemon is caught and/or defeated, the crystals will disappear.

8. Are Tera Raids shiny locked?

Yes and no. Event raids are often shiny locked, meaning the Pokémon cannot be shiny, regardless of how many times you attempt the raid. However, random Tera Raids can be shiny. Shininess is determined when the raid is generated, not when you start the battle, so resetting won’t work.

9. Why do people abandon Tera Raids?

Players might abandon Tera Raids for various reasons, including:

• Poor Team Composition: If teammates choose ineffective Pokémon.
• Lack of Strategy: A perceived lack of coordination or understanding of the raid mechanics.
• Frustration: Repeated failures can lead to players quitting.

10. How many times can I attempt a Tera Raid?

If you fail a raid or run from one, the Pokémon will not disappear, and thus the raid can be attempted as many times as is needed to catch and/or defeat the pokemon.

11. Do Tera raids respawn?

Technically, Tera Raids reset at midnight (each real-world night), depending on the player’s time zone. They can also respawn when the player receives new Poké Portal News data.

12. Can any Pokémon appear in Tera Raids?

Yes, various Pokémon can appear in Tera Raids, including Pokémon that might not normally be found in the Paldea region. Keep an eye out for event raids that feature specific Pokémon.

13. How long do 7-star Tera Raids last?

7-star Tera Raid events are limited-time events, typically lasting for three days. These raids feature incredibly powerful Pokémon and offer valuable rewards.

14. What’s the best Poké Ball to use in a Tera Raid?

Since Tera Raids have a 100% catch rate, any Poké Ball will work. However, some players prefer using Luxury Balls to increase the Pokémon’s friendship level more easily or Friend Balls since they basically work the same.

15. What moves fail in a Tera Raid?

If the raid boss attempts to use the move Self-Destruct, Explosion, Misty Explosion or Final Gambit, the move will fail. Guard Split, Power Split and Perish Song will fail if used in a Tera Raid Battle.

Conclusion

Ultimately, while catching the Tera Pokémon is a rewarding experience, remember that participation in Tera Raids is valuable even if you don’t succeed in the catch. The rewards you receive contribute significantly to your progress in the game, allowing you to strengthen your team, customize your Pokémon, and prepare for future challenges. So, don’t be discouraged if you miss the catch – keep battling, keep participating, and keep reaping those sweet rewards. Remember, understanding game mechanics and strategy is a form of learning. For more on the educational side of gaming, check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.