The most important thing to learn is how to capture a wild Pokémon to raise as your own. Fortunately, it's very simple. Once in the battle screen, go to your Bag and select a Poké Ball of your choice, and cross your fingers! If your capture is successful, the ball will rattle three times before sealing. Congratulations! If not, the Pokémon will break free and you'll have to try again.
Tips for Capturing Pokémon[edit]
- Weaken your target first. The closer you can get it to fainting, the easier it will be. Status conditions such as paralysis or sleep will also significantly increase your chances of a capture.
- Keep in mind the conditions of your battle and remember to use the right Ball for the situation. A Net Ball is best used against Bug or Water-type Pokémon, while a Dusk Ball should only be used at night or in caves.
- Work out roughly how difficult a Pokémon is to catch. As a general rule of thumb, the rarer a Pokémon, the lower the catch rate will be (the chance of a Poké Ball succeeding), and vice-versa, (although there are many exceptions). For example, Zigzagoon, one of the most common Pokémon in the game, has a catch rate of 33.3%--that means throwing a Poké Ball at it while it's at full health will be successful one-third of the time, so you don't have to go to much effort to ensure a successful capture. Meanwhile, Absol, a rare Dark-type, has a catch rate of 3.9%, so it's best to go all out.
- A Pokémon's level has nothing to do with its catch rate.
- Pressing buttons does not improve your chances of catching a Pokémon.
- You cannot capture a Trainer's Pokémon, and trying will lose you your Ball.
- Before battling a Legendary Pokémon, save your game, so if you accidentally knock out the Legendary you can quickly reset and try again. If you haven't done this, don't worry--most Legendaries will reappear even if defeated.
- When battling, it's best to use a Pokémon similar in level to the one you're trying to catch. Also, don't use a Pokémon with a high Amie level, as they'll have a higher chance of critical hits, which can mean you accidentally knock out your target. If you don't have any Pokémon of the right level, teach one the TM move False Swipe, which cannot KO, instead just leaving them at 1 HP.
Poké Ball effectiveness rates[edit]
| Ball | Rate | Notes (if applicable) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poké Ball | 1x | ||
| Great Ball | 1.5x | ||
| Ultra Ball | 2x | ||
| Master Ball | N/A | Never fails | |
| Net Ball | 1x or 3x | 3x only if the target is Bug or Water type | |
| Nest Ball | 1x to 4x | (41 - Pokémon's level) / 10)x, minimum 1x (reached at level 31) | |
| Repeat Ball | 1x or 3x | 3x only if target has been previously caught | |
| Timer Ball | 1x to 4x | (1 + number of turns passed in battle * 0.3)x, maximum 4x (reached at 10 turns) | |
| Premier Ball | 1x | Given after purchasing 10 Poké Balls at a Mart | |
| Luxury Ball | 1x | Makes Pokémon friendlier | |
| Dive Ball | 1x or 3.5x | 3.5x only if diving, surfing, or fishing | |
| Dusk Ball | 1x or 3.5x | 3.5x only if inside a cave or at night | |
| Quick Ball | 1x, 4x, or 5x | 5x only on first turn of battle | |
| Heal Ball | 1x | Fully heals Pokémon once caught |
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The DexNav is an integral app of your PokéNav that allows you to search for a Pokémon of your choice in the wild. Initially, it will be blank. Encountering a Pokémon that lives in the route you're currently in will insert its black silhouette on the DexNav. Capturing it will show its full sprite, and you will be able to select it and direct the DexNav to search for one nearby. This is not always successful--if it doesn't work, try waiting a while before attempting again. If there are no wild Pokémon in the area, the DexNav will just show a red screen with a Pikachu on it. After catching all the Pokémon in an area that is currently available to you, a small crown will appear in the top right of the Touch Screen. Note that this does not mean you've caught all the Pokémon in the area; more may appear once you gain access to Fishing Rods and Surf. After defeating/capturing either Groudon or Kyogre, more species of Pokémon will appear in all the routes. A diamond crown will appear in the corner if you've truly completed an area.
Your DexNav's main function is to pick up on the positions of Hidden Pokémon. If it finds one, it will alert you with a sound and a magnifying glass will appear on the Touch Screen. If it's a Pokémon you've caught before, a small white Poké Ball will be attached to it. If it has a special trait, there will be a red exclamation mark in the middle. You can then tap the screen to be directed to the Pokémon's location. Once the screen says "Try walking more slowly", begin sneaking by pressing lightly on the Circle Pad in its direction. You'll see a part of the Hidden Pokémon and hear its cry. Moving too quickly will scare it away. Getting close will reveal its level, its Potential, and its first move.
Hidden Pokémon can sometimes be very different from their normal counterparts, and this will be noted with an exclamation mark next to the altered information. They may have special moves that the Pokémon ordinarily does not learn (selected from the Egg Moves of its first evolution), hidden abilities, special items, be at much higher levels than it is normally found at, and have perfect IVs, represented by the stars (one star = 1 perfect IV, two stars = 2 perfect IVs, etc). How likely these special traits are to appear depends on your search level, which is raised by encountering the Pokémon in question. The higher the search level, the more information the DexNav can give you on a Hidden Pokémon. This caps at search level 25.
Chaining will also make these special traits become more common. Chaining is performed by successively capturing or defeating any Hidden Pokémon. It does not need to be found via the Search mechanic, and failing to Search for a Pokémon will not break the chain. Fleeing, being defeated, teleporting, or using Roar, Dragon Tail, or Whirlwind, will.
Your DexNav can identify Pokémon you meet in the overworld; this counts as an encounter and will improve your search level.