Catching Pokémon

Learn the best strategies for catching Pokémon in Sun and Moon! Discover how to lower HP, inflict status conditions, and use the right Poké Balls for success.

Alright, let’s talk about catching Pokémon in Sun and Moon. It sounds simple, right? You throw a Poké Ball, and hopefully, it stays in. But there’s definitely an art to it, and I can help you master it so you don’t miss out on any cool Pokémon!

The Art of Capture:

When you run into a wild Pokémon, your goal is to get it into a Poké Ball. If it stays in, awesome, you’ve caught it! If it breaks free, well, you try again. To really boost your chances, you’ll want to lower the wild Pokémon’s HP. The lower its health, the easier it is to catch. Just be super careful – if you knock it out completely (HP hits 0), it’s gone for good and you can’t catch it. So, keep an eye on that HP bar!

Here’s the strategy: start with your stronger moves, but maybe avoid ones that are super-effective against the wild Pokémon. As its HP gets lower, switch to weaker attacks. This way, you’re less likely to accidentally faint it.

Pro Tip: If you have moves like False Swipe or Hold Back, use them! They’re amazing because they’ll always leave the wild Pokémon with at least 1 HP. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of it and prevents those pesky critical hits from ruining your capture attempt.

Want to make it even easier? Inflicting a status ailment like Paralysis or Sleep on the wild Pokémon can really help your odds. And of course, using better Poké Balls like Great Balls or Ultra Balls, or specialized ones like Dusk Balls at night, can make a big difference too.

After Capture:

Once you catch a Pokémon, it’s immediately ready to join your team for battles. Though, you’ll probably want to heal it up and train it a bit before it’s a solid party member. Remember, you can only have six Pokémon in your active party at any time. If you catch more, they’ll be sent to your Pokémon Box, which you can access from any PC in a Pokémon Center. You can swap Pokémon between your party and your boxes anytime you need to adjust your team.