Can a Pokémon Be Impossible to Catch?

The short answer is yes and no. In the core Pokémon games, a truly impossible to catch Pokémon is extremely rare, often tied to specific glitches, event restrictions, or deliberate game design. While the core mechanics allow for every Pokémon to be theoretically catchable, even with the lowest odds, certain Pokémon have effectively been made uncatchable under normal gameplay circumstances through design choices. So while, technically speaking, most Pokémon have a chance of capture, certain conditions make it so unlikely that it is effectively impossible.

Factors Influencing Catch Rates

Understanding the factors that influence catch rates is crucial to grasping the concept of a Pokémon being “impossible” to catch. The game uses a complex formula, but these are the key elements:

• Pokémon’s Catch Rate: Each Pokémon has a base catch rate, a hidden value that directly impacts how easily it’s captured. Rare and powerful Pokémon typically have lower catch rates.
• Type of Poké Ball: Different Poké Balls offer varying bonuses to the catch rate. A standard Poké Ball is the baseline, while Great Balls, Ultra Balls, and specialized balls like Timer Balls, Net Balls, and Dusk Balls provide significant advantages under the right conditions.
• Pokémon’s Current HP: The lower the Pokémon’s health, the higher the chance of capture. Status conditions such as Sleep and Freeze dramatically increase the odds, while Paralysis, Poison, and Burn offer a smaller bonus.
• Status Conditions: Applying a status effect like Sleep or Freeze can vastly improve your chances of catching a Pokémon.
• Game Mechanics & RNG: Behind the scenes, the game uses a Random Number Generator (RNG) to determine if a capture is successful. This introduces an element of luck. Even with the perfect conditions, a capture can fail due to unlucky rolls.

The Illusion of Impossibility: Mythical Pokémon and Shiny Locks

While the game mechanics are designed to allow the catching of almost all Pokémon, some Pokémon are, in some cases, intentionally made more difficult to catch than others. In most cases, they are not impossible to catch. The true feeling of impossibility often comes from the following scenarios:

Mythical Pokémon

Mythical Pokémon are often distributed through special events and are specifically coded to be uncatchable outside of these events. This protects their exclusivity and reinforces their special status. Without attending an event or using cheating methods, capturing these Pokémon is impossible in that particular game.

Shiny Locks

Shiny Locks are a game design choice that prevents certain Pokémon from appearing in their shiny forms. While the Pokémon can be caught, its shiny variant is effectively impossible to obtain through normal gameplay. This is often applied to legendary and story-important Pokémon to prevent players from soft-resetting (repeatedly restarting the game) to obtain a shiny version, which could impact the game’s intended narrative flow.

Glitches

In the older games, particularly Gen 1, glitches could lead to unusual encounters. The most notorious example is Missingno, the glitch Pokémon. While technically “catchable,” the encounter itself was a glitch, and the consequences of capturing it were unpredictable, often leading to game corruption. Missingno highlights how unintended game behavior could result in a Pokémon that, while appearing in the Pokedex, was never intended to be caught.

Circumventing Restrictions

The pursuit of the impossible often leads players to use third-party tools and exploits. These methods can bypass shiny locks, generate event Pokémon, or manipulate RNG to force successful captures. However, these methods fall outside the realm of legitimate gameplay and can carry risks, including game instability and account bans.

Examples of Difficult Catches

While not strictly impossible under normal circumstances, some Pokémon are notoriously challenging to capture. These Pokémon test players’ patience, resourcefulness, and understanding of the game’s mechanics.

• Legendary Birds (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres): These iconic Pokémon from the first generation were known for their low catch rates and tendency to flee.
• Roaming Legendaries (Raikou, Entei, Suicune): These Pokémon from Gen 2 roam the map, requiring players to track them down and hope they stay in the encounter long enough for a capture attempt.
• Ultra Beasts (Gen 7): These powerful Pokémon from another dimension possess extremely high stats and can be difficult to weaken and catch.
• Legendary Titans (Regirock, Regice, Registeel): These Pokémon require you to solve puzzles and explore secret locations to encounter them. Once you find them, they are hard to catch.
• The Lake Guardians (Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf): In Pokemon Go, despite being the only legendary Pokémon to appear in the wild outside of events and Daily Adventure Incense, they’re three of the rarest Pokémon in the game.

The Psychology of the Impossible

The idea of an “impossible” Pokémon capture can be a powerful motivator. It can drive players to learn the game’s mechanics in-depth, experiment with different strategies, and even engage with the community to share tips and tricks. The pursuit of the “impossible” becomes a challenge that enhances the overall gameplay experience.

The element of the impossible in games is an engaging topic that is also explored at the Games Learning Society through research and events. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org for more information.

Conclusion

While the core Pokémon games are designed to be accessible, the concept of an “impossible” Pokémon capture adds a layer of depth and intrigue. Whether it’s due to specific game mechanics, event restrictions, or deliberate design choices, the existence of Pokémon that are extremely difficult or seemingly impossible to catch creates a challenge that can drive players to explore the game’s limits and engage with the community. While not impossible under any circumstances, the feeling of an “impossible” Pokémon adds an element of mystery and excitement to the Pokémon universe.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can a Pokémon faint from Struggle before I can catch it?

Yes. If a Pokémon runs out of PP (Power Points) for all of its moves, it will use the move Struggle, which damages the user. If a wild Pokémon uses Struggle and its HP drops to 0, it will faint, preventing you from catching it. This is a common problem with Pokemon that only know one move with limited PP.

2. Are Master Balls a guaranteed catch?

Yes, Master Balls have a catch rate multiplier of 255x, which in nearly all scenarios guarantees a successful capture.

3. How do shiny locks work?

Shiny locks are programmed into the game to prevent specific Pokémon encounters from ever resulting in a shiny Pokémon. The game checks for shininess before the encounter begins, and if the result is a shiny, it’s automatically rerolled until a non-shiny result is obtained.

4. Can I increase my chances of catching a Pokémon using status conditions?

Yes! Sleep and Freeze are the most effective status conditions, significantly boosting the catch rate. Paralysis, Poison, and Burn offer a smaller, but still helpful, bonus.

5. What’s the best Poké Ball to use for catching difficult Pokémon?

Ultra Balls generally offer the highest catch rate among standard Poké Balls. Specialized balls, such as Timer Balls (effective after multiple turns) and Dusk Balls (effective in caves or at night), can be even more potent in specific situations.

6. Does the Pokémon’s level affect its catch rate?

No, the Pokémon’s level does not directly affect its catch rate. However, higher-level Pokémon are typically harder to weaken, making the capture process more challenging.

7. Is it possible to catch a trainer’s Pokémon?

No, it’s generally impossible to catch a trainer’s Pokémon in the core series games. The game mechanics are specifically designed to prevent this from happening.

8. What are some tips for catching roaming legendary Pokémon?

Use moves like Mean Look or abilities like Arena Trap to prevent them from fleeing. Use Quick Balls as your first move since it has a high catch rate when used on the first turn. Bring Pokémon with the ability to induce Sleep or Paralysis.

9. Do weather conditions affect catch rates?

No, weather conditions don’t directly affect catch rates. However, certain weather conditions might influence the spawn rates of specific Pokémon.

10. Can abilities affect catch rates?

Yes, abilities like Intimidate can lower the Attack stat of wild Pokemon, indirectly lowering their chance of defeating you. There are also abilities like Wimp Out that can cause a Pokemon to switch out. Also, abilities like Arena Trap can keep Pokemon from escaping.

11. What happens if I run out of Poké Balls?

If you run out of Poké Balls during an encounter, you cannot attempt to catch the Pokémon, and it may flee, or you may need to defeat it. Always stock up on Poké Balls before venturing into the wild.

12. Are there any items that can increase catch rates?

Yes, there are held items like the Catching Charm that can slightly increase catch rates.

13. Can I use glitches to catch Pokémon that are normally uncatchable?

While glitches can sometimes be exploited, they are generally unreliable and can lead to unintended consequences, including game corruption. It’s generally not recommended to rely on glitches for catching Pokémon.

14. Is it possible to trade for a shiny-locked Pokémon?

While you can trade for a Pokémon that is shiny-locked, the trade does not bypass the shiny lock itself. The Pokémon will still be unable to appear as shiny in its original encounter, meaning it would have been obtained illegitimately.

15. Why are some Pokémon rarer than others?

Rarity is determined by spawn rates and encounter mechanics. Some Pokémon are deliberately given lower spawn rates to make them more challenging to find, adding to their perceived value and desirability. Additionally, some Pokemon are only available during certain times of the day or during special events.