We know it says that these Pokémon are impossible to catch, but we all know that nothing in video games is really impossible, especially when it comes to the challenge of controlling them all. Isn’t that the phrase? Gotta control them all? It’s got to be close to that, and we think that if it’s actually not that slogan it should be.
These are the Pokémon that we all remember and many of us love, because they offer something unique in-game. Whether it has something to do with the story or the Pokémon in question has a skill set or attribute that is rare. And just to clarify, we are talking about the real Pokémon games on the Game Boy, not the cell phone-driven Pokémon Go nonsense that makes us walk outside. No one wants to play outside and no one wants to walk. Except for maybe people who physically can’t, like old peeps.
So yeah, we said that these fellas are impossible to catch, but that’s just the phrase we use to describe how difficult some of them are to seal inside the Great Ball. Not to mention that when Pokémon Natures were introduced, catching a rare Pokémon became way more difficult due to the fact that they may not have the base stats or nature that you desire. That adds rarity and time to your process. But if you’re playing Pokémon, then nothing else matters because you’re doing the Arceus’ work.
25 Abra: The Psychic
Anyone who knows about Abra knows that he’s a complete savage when it comes to wild encounters. He’s constantly trying to bounce out of danger with his teleport move. And no matter how strong or fast your current Pokémon is, Abra is ready to merk.
The way to catch this nerd is to either quickly put him to sleep or get lucky with an Ultra Ball on a lower level Abra.
He may only be level 5, but if he gets a chance to make a move, he’s gone. And then there goes your chance at having a spoon master Alakazam that wrecks most rival trainers.
24 Mew: The Ancient
So Mew is a bit tricky and most likely everyone knows about this little purple cat dude. He was in one of the most intense films of all times. And if you’ve never seen it then your childhood wasn’t as cool as ours.
Mew is an event Pokémon, which means you can’t capture him in the game normally without either cheating or getting the code from developers. It’s sort of annoying but if you have a Action Replay or GameShark type thing you’re good. So he actually is impossible to catch and if you don’t cheat, you’re stuck with his much more evil clone.
23 Mewtwo: The Clone
Speaking of Mew’s much more evil clone, Mewtwo is probably one of the most famous Pokémon besides Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Not that any of those bros we just mention even hold a candle to Mewtwo, but fame is fame.
To capture Mewtwo, you need the Master Ball.
In fact, Mewtwo is the reason the Master Ball was created since he is so hard to catch without it. Trust us, we’ve thrown 300 Ultra Balls at his psycho behind while he was asleep with one hit point while using struggle. Mewtwo was not meant to be caught without the Master Ball. But a true Pokémon Master will try.
22 Articuno, Moltres, And Zapdos: The Original Legendaries
We’ll get to the point on these three chickens. Zapdos is in the Power Plant that can only be reached by having one of your Pokémon know the HM Surf. Articuno is chilling on the Seafoam Islands way down south on route 20. And Moltres is on the second floor of Victory Road.
For those of you who know about these birds, they are powerful. And by the time you are able to even capture them, they are level 50 and have ridiculous stats. Chances are you’re going to lose 2-4 of your squad trying to weaken them but not end them. It’s best to go in with a gameplan for them all and have a solid sqaud that’s strong against their respective types.
21 Dratini: The First Form
Though Dratini looks like a worm with a dragon’s face, he happens to turn into one of the most solid Pokémon in the game ever: Dragonite. Dragonite is one of a few Pokémon known as a Pseudo-Legendary.
That means they have fit the criteria of being Dual-Type, stats over 600, and be the third rank in the evolutionary chain.
Dratini is not an easy Pokémon to capture. He’s either in the Safari Zone, you win him at the Rocket Corner, or he’s found in the Dragon’s Den in later games. When found in the wild, or Safari Zone, he needs to be caught with a fishing pole. And everyone knows how annoying that can be. But keep at it because he turns into a straight up beast.
20 Shuckle: The Elusive
So this guy isn’t really fair to put on this list, but we put him on anyway because we feel he’s a Pokémon that is too often overlooked for his really weird stats. Shuckle has the highest base Defense and Special Defense of any classic Pokémon. But he also happens to have the lowest health, speed, attack, and special attack.
The easiest way you get a Shuckle is by talking to the PokéManiac in Cianwood City, but if you talk to him again while you have Shuckle, he’ll take him back. Had to find that out the hard way and I hadn’t saved for like a year. Scumbag. But other than that you can find Shuckle by using Rock Smash on the Ice Path or in Safari Zone in Emerald.
19 Heracross: In The Trees
So Heracross is the type of dude that you can only capture if you have a certain type of move. That move is called Headbutt and it’s a Normal-type move that can be used outside of battle as well as during battle.
And it’s not like HM moves that can be used outside of battle, because it’s not essential.
The way to catch this powerful fighting bug is to go on Routes 29-33, 42-44, and the Safari Zone. But you have to Headbutt trees on the routes to even find him. And even then it’s not a guarantee. So not only do you need to have a special move to find him, it’s not even a sure thing. But he’s worth it.
18 Scyther: Worth The Trade
Scyther is one of the most popular Pokémon in the game because he evolves into one of the most powerful Pokémon in the game. Scizor. Scizor is a tank. He has amazing stats and he’s only weak to fire. So basically without a fire attack, you’re getting wrecked by Scyther’s older bro.
Scyther is famous for being one of the most sought after Pokémon in the Safari Zone. And even then, you might spend hours going back and forth into the Safari Zone to find him. Other than that you either need to trade for him or catch him in the National Bug Catching contest. He’s so deadly that they need to keep him locked away. Look at those claws.
17 Pinsir: Safari Life
Pinsir is another dude who is only really found in the Safari Zone. He’s a lot like Heracross and Scyther in that he’s really powerful and not the easiest thing to capture. He doesn’t evolve into anything but he doesn’t need to.
Though he is outclassed by Scyther and Scizor, he has a pretty sweet moveset if you like to live dangerously.
Pinsir is caught almost the same exact way as Scyther as they are both very strong, exotic bugs that only come around in certain situations. He can either be caught at the National Bug Catching Contest or in the Safari Zone in the earlier games. In later versions, Diamond and Pearl, he can be found on route 229.
16 Porygon: The Accused
Porygon isn’t a Pokémon that you can capture in any of the early games. The only way to get him is at the Rocket Game Corner or the Celadon Game Corner. And anyone who’s spent time there knows that it’s a pain in that face.
The thing about Porygon is that he has a really cool moveset and he evolves into Porygon Z after Porygon 2. Porygon Z has a base special attack of 135 which is up there with legendaries and Alakazam. Definitely worth the hours spent gambling in a kids game.
15 Raikou And Entei: The Beasts
So Raikou and Entei are two of the Legendary Beasts and to most of us, they are the easier of the three legendary beasts to capture. There isn’t a specific place where you can catch them.
With the exception of Kanto, they can be everywhere and anywhere.
If you use Fly while on the prowl for them, they will move again, so don’t use the HM Fly and just take the time walking around. Eventually, you’ll get lucky and find one. Use a ghost Pokémon that knows mean look and you have a good chance of catching one of these dogs.
14 Suicune: The Monsoon
Suicune is sort of the same as catching Raikou and Entei, but for some reason ends up being way way more difficult. He is technically the same catch rate as the other two but there are a few techniques that could work against him as well as the other two beasts.
Suicune just seems to be faster. But if you use a Quick Ball at the beginning of the encounter you may get him. Also, if you use Dusk Balls at night that could also work. Just make sure you have a Pokémon with the move False Swipe which always leaves 1 HP left no matter what. That should make him weak enough to Ultra Ball.
13 Larvitar: Pickle Jar
Larvitar is another Pokémon that turns into something amazing. And although he’s nothing really special himself and he takes forever to evolve, it’s totally worth it.
On top of all that, he’s only found really late in the game so the leveling up process is a pain.
That being said, the place to find this little pickle jar of power is on Mt. Silver. He’s definitely a late game Pokémon since he evolves at level 30 and then again at 55 into Tyranitar who is an absolute savage. Though he turns into Rock/Dark with a lot of weaknesses, he has a strong attack set and great stats.
12 Celebi: The Tiny
Celebi is a Pokémon that can only be caught a few different ways. Or rather can only be acquired a few distinct ways. Two of those ways is by either trading for him or by getting him from an event. And events are basically cheating so if you have to opportunity to cheat then you might as well do that.
But if you hate cheating and you want to play the game the right way, you can find him in Ilex Forest in Crystal. The way you capture him is with the GS Ball. Once you find the GS Ball you take it to Kurt who analyzes it. Then when you get it back you place it on an altar in Ilex Forest and it summons a Celebi. Good luck with that.
11 Ditto: The Chameleon
Ditto isn’t really a difficult Pokémon to capture for one reason. He likes to take the form of random Pokémon or the Pokémon that you happen to be using. So chances are you’re going to either get caught off guard or smash this random encounter without realizing it’s a Ditto.
Ditto has no real battle uses, he’s super weak and his main move is to change to the Pokémon that you’re currently battling.
Ditto’s real use is in the daycare. Which is gross. But to catch him is really just a matter of patience and common sense. If your first Pokémon is a Gyarados and you’re in the tall grass, chances are the Gyarados you run into is a Ditto. Know what we’re saying?
10 Ho-oh And Lugia: Flying High
So, to deal with these giant turkeys, you’re going to need to beat the Rocket Admin Archer and get the Silver Wing or The Rainbow Wing depending on which version of the game you’re playing. So after you get the 8th badge you go and talk to Prof. Elm and get the Master Ball. But don’t use it on these guys if you can help it.
Then you have to heal up and get ready to fight the Ecruteak City Kimono Girls. After you beat them, you get the Clear Bell or Tidal bell and then the hunt is on. Head to the giant bird’s nest and battle. You can get the counterpart bird of the version of the game you play by getting the Wing Key Item from the old man in Pewter City.
9 Shedinja: The Anomaly
Shedinja can’t really be caught. The way to get him is through an evolutionary process that is considered special. You may be wondering why we would even tell you about this Pokémon. It’s because it only has 1 max hp. But can only be damaged by super effective attacks. Get it?
So the way you get this dude is by evolving your Nincada into a Ninjask at level 20. But the only way you can obtain this Pokémon is by making sure you have a spare Poké Ball in your inventory and an extra open slot in your party. When you evolve Nincada, Shedninja will show up in your party.
8 Beldum: The Strong
Beldum is another Pokémon like Larvitar and Dratini where they evolve into a Pseudo-Legendary. But this guy evolves into something ridiculously strong, perhaps the most devastating non-legendary Pokémon in the entire series.
So how do you catch him or find him? Well, there’s no way to catch him other than in a swarm on route 228. But the only normal way to achieve this beast is by going to Steven’s house in Mossdeep City and he literally just gives you one. It turns into such a beast. And that beast’s name is Metagross.
7 Bagon: The Pre-Legendary
Bagon is another homie that rolls into the game late like Larvitar and evolves into a Pseudo-Legendary named Salamence. We’re not really sure why this game gave us two Pseudos in the same game. Metagross and Salmence. But Salamence is the true Pseudo of this game. Metagross is on a different level. But we feel it might have something to do with Salamence being so similar to Dragonite.
So you find Bagon at Meteor Falls which is a very late game location. Similar to Larvitar. But if you happen to find a good one, and also get that Beldum we talked about earlier and mix that with a Slaking in this game, you’re going to wreck everyone you battle. Emerald has the best Pokémon.
6 Kyogre And Groudon: Opposing Forces
Groudon and Kyogre are two heavy hitters that you definitely want to have in your PC in game. You can roll around with them in game but they end up just making the game to0 easy. Especially if you teach Groudon Solar Beam. Look up why that’s so awesome.
So after you beat the Elite Four, you head to the Weather Institute and the guy in there by the second door will tell you where to go. Save before you battle them in case you defeat them. But even if you do, apparently you have a 20% chance of finding them again. Just make sure to find the Cave or Storm that these guys are in and you have your Legendary battle.
