Master Pokémon X and Y catching with essential preparations: Poké Balls, False Swipe, status moves, and key items like the PokéRadar and Fishing Rod.
The PokéRadar is available from Sycamore’s lab after beating the Elite Four. A Fishing Rod (Super preferred, but Good and Old are acceptable) is needed for Chain Fishing.
Walkthrough
- 1Bring a large variety of Poké Balls. Recommended options include Dusk Balls (quadrupled catch rate at night) and Quick Balls (effective for the first four turns).
- 2Consider Repeat Balls for previously-owned species and Net Balls for Water/Bug Pokémon. Dive Balls are useful for Chain Fishers. Aim for Poké Balls with a catch rate multiplier above x2.0.
- 3For higher-level Pokémon (Level 30+), ensure a Pokémon knows False Swipe, which reduces a target's HP to 1 without knocking it out. This move is less effective on Ghost-types.
- 4Include a Pokémon capable of inflicting non-damaging status moves. Sleep Powder or Hypnosis can double the catch rate temporarily.
- 5Thunder Wave or Stun Spore can inflict Paralysis, offering a x1.5 catch rate (75% as effective as Sleep or Frozen, though Frozen is rarely induced without damage).
- 6The general strategy is to immediately inflict status on the target Pokémon, use False Swipe until its HP is very low, reapply status if necessary (especially Sleep), and then throw a Poké Ball. This is similar to catching Legendary Pokémon, and significantly more crucial for rare Shinies.
Tips
- Dusk Balls are extremely effective when playing at night.
- Quick Balls are best used at the start of an encounter.
- Repeat Balls are efficient if you already own the species you are trying to catch.
- Net Balls and Dive Balls are specialized for certain Pokémon types or fishing.
- False Swipe is a critical move for safely lowering a Pokémon's HP.
- Status moves like Sleep Powder and Thunder Wave significantly increase catch rates.
- Chain Fishing requires a Fishing Rod and is a method for encountering specific Pokémon.
Successful preparation leads to a higher chance of catching Pokémon, including rare Shinies and Legendaries.
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