How to Stop Latias from Fleeing: A Comprehensive Guide

Latias, the elusive Dragon/Psychic-type Pokémon, is notorious for its tendency to flee in the wild, making it a frustrating catch for even the most seasoned trainers. To prevent Latias from running away, you’ll need to use abilities or moves that trap it, such as Shadow Tag (Wobbuffet is a great choice!), Mean Look, or Block. Alternatively, you can inflict a status condition like paralysis or sleep to hinder its escape. Keep your trapping Pokémon in the battle and wear Latias down with attacks, using False Swipe to avoid knocking it out. Then, liberally use Ultra Balls and Timer Balls to increase your chances of a successful capture!

Mastering the Art of Latias Capture

Catching roaming legendaries like Latias requires a blend of strategy, patience, and a little bit of luck. Simply throwing Poké Balls and hoping for the best usually won’t cut it. Instead, a calculated approach focusing on preventing its escape is paramount. Let’s dive into the most effective methods.

The Trapping Technique: Shadow Tag and Beyond

The most reliable way to keep Latias from fleeing is to utilize an ability or move that prevents switching or running.

• Shadow Tag: Pokémon with the Shadow Tag ability, like Wobbuffet, will prevent wild Pokémon from escaping. This is by far the most consistent method. Lead with Wobbuffet, and Latias will be stuck!

• Mean Look/Block: These moves achieve a similar effect, preventing the target Pokémon from switching out or fleeing. However, the effect is lost if the Pokémon using Mean Look or Block switches out. Use Baton Pass to keep the effect!

• Arena Trap: While normally very effective, Arena Trap will not work on Latias due to its Levitate ability.

Status Conditions: A Temporary Solution

Inflicting a status condition can slow Latias down and give you more time to weaken it and throw Poké Balls.

• Paralysis: Reducing Latias’s Speed makes it easier to get multiple turns and throw more balls.

• Sleep: Putting Latias to sleep completely prevents it from acting for a few turns, offering a generous window for capture.

• Freeze: Similar to Sleep, Freeze immobilizes Latias. However, Freeze is more difficult to inflict reliably.

• Poison/Burn: These damaging status conditions are less ideal. Because they slowly deplete Latias’s HP, you risk accidentally knocking it out before you can catch it.

Weakening Latias: The Importance of False Swipe

Before you start throwing Poké Balls, you need to weaken Latias. However, you want to avoid knocking it out. This is where False Swipe comes in.

• False Swipe: This move will always leave the target Pokémon with at least 1 HP, preventing you from accidentally defeating it. Scyther, not Scizor, is fast enough and learns False Swipe!

Poké Balls: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job

Once Latias is trapped, weakened, and potentially suffering from a status condition, it’s time to start throwing Poké Balls.

• Ultra Balls: These are your bread-and-butter Poké Balls for catching strong wild Pokémon. They offer a decent catch rate.

• Timer Balls: These become more effective the longer a battle goes on. If the battle drags on (which it likely will), Timer Balls become an excellent choice.

• Master Ball: If you want a guaranteed catch and have a Master Ball to spare, this is the easiest option. However, Master Balls are rare, so consider whether you want to use it on Latias.

Location, Location, Location (and Patience)

Finding and re-finding Latias is a test of patience. Keep resetting Latias’s position until it appears in your area. It’s a frustrating process, but persistence pays off.

FAQs: Your Latias-Catching Questions Answered

1. Can Latias escape from Arena Trap?

No, Arena Trap does not work on Latias because it has the Levitate ability, which makes it immune to ground-based trapping abilities.

2. Does Latias ever stop running?

Latias won’t stop trying to flee unless it’s prevented from doing so by an ability like Shadow Tag or a move like Mean Look. A status condition will also buy you some time.

3. What Pokémon can learn Mean Look?

Many Pokémon can learn Mean Look, including Gastly, Haunter, Gengar, and Umbreon.

4. Can Latias run away even if paralyzed?

Yes, paralyzed Latias can still attempt to flee, but its Speed will be drastically reduced, making it much easier to act before it does.

5. Is the Master Ball the only way to catch Latias easily?

While the Master Ball guarantees a catch, it’s not the only way. With the right strategy (trapping, weakening, and using appropriate Poké Balls), you can catch Latias without it.

6. What are Latias’s weaknesses?

Latias is a Dragon/Psychic-type, making it weak to Bug, Dark, Dragon, Fairy, Ghost, and Ice type moves.

7. What is the best nature for Latias?

A beneficial Nature for Latias is Timid (Speed Up, Attack Down), or Modest (Special Attack Up, Attack Down).

8. Is Latios harder to catch than Latias?

Both Latios and Latias have the same catch rate and fleeing behavior, so neither is inherently harder to catch than the other.

9. Can a shiny Latias flee?

Yes, a shiny Latias can flee if you don’t prevent it from doing so. Shiny status doesn’t affect their fleeing behavior.

10. What level should my Pokémon be to catch Latias?

Your Pokémon should be at least level 40 to comfortably survive Latias’s attacks and inflict status conditions or use trapping moves. Higher levels are even safer.

11. What happens if I accidentally knock out Latias?

If you accidentally knock out Latias, it will respawn after you defeat the Elite Four again.

12. Is Latias always female?

Yes, Latias is a female-only species, while Latios is its male counterpart.

13. What Poké Ball has the highest catch rate?

Technically, the Master Ball has the highest catch rate (100%). However, among purchasable Poké Balls, Timer Balls used later in a battle have the potential for a very high catch rate.

14. Where does Latias roam in Pokémon Emerald?

Latias roams throughout the entire Hoenn region after you receive information about it from your mother.

15. What if my trapping Pokémon faints?

If your trapping Pokémon faints and you don’t have a way to immediately re-trap Latias, it will likely flee. Have backup strategies ready!

Conclusion

Catching Latias is a challenging but rewarding endeavor. By understanding its behavior, utilizing trapping strategies, and carefully weakening it, you can significantly increase your chances of adding this legendary Pokémon to your team. Remember, patience and preparation are key!

The Games Learning Society is a great resource to continue learning about the educational applications of gaming in general, visit GamesLearningSociety.org. Good luck, trainer!