You don’t have to do much to receive your first Pokemon in Nintendo’s Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for 3DS. In fact, Professor Birch gives it away, letting you choose between Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip. After that, however, you’re on your own.
Considering there are hundreds of battle monsters to collect, figuring out how to catch them all, and perhaps most importantly where to find them is a tall order. You’ll soon discover that wild Pokemon don’t simply crawl into Poke Balls willingly. With that in mind, here are some tips to finding these elusive creatures.
Catching Pokemon is very important in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire because one of the keys to success involves creating a team of balanced types (grass, fire, water, etc.) to make sure you’re prepared for any situation. In other words, the more diverse your team, the better chances you’ll have in battles.
Ideally, you should search for Pokemon in the following locations: in tall grass, very tall grass, inside caves, deserts, water surfaces, seaweed, while fishing, in cracked rocks and while flying. Some will attempt to hide, which is why the DexNav App is really important; this Prima article tells you how to use the DexNav to catch wild Pokemon.
Other Pokemon will attack. In this situation, you want to weaken the Pokemon just enough and then throw a Poke Ball to catch it. Thing is, you won’t always be successful, especially your first time out. Should a Pokemon escape, you lose the Poke Ball. We don’t want that to happen.
Thankfully, there some things you can do to increase the odds of catching Pokemon. First, lower its HP, or hit points. Think of HP as a Pokemon’s level of fatigue. The higher the HP, the more energy the Pokemon has. You should use physical and special moves to lower the HP so the energy bar is red, indicating the Pokemon is at its weakest. That’s when you throw the Poke Ball.
Another great way to defeat a Pokemon is to inflict status conditions. In other words, some attacks may poison or paralyze a Pokemon, thus making it easier to catch.
Finally, make sure you use the best Poke Ball for the job. You’re free to throw the standard red and white Poke Ball, but you’ll increase the odds in your favor by throwing a cave Poke Ball to catch cave-dwelling Pokemon, or a water Poke Ball to catch a water Pokemon. You can only buy specific Poke Balls in certain towns or cities, so make sure you stock up before continuing the adventure.
If you need to know more, we have the full list of Poke Balls, what they do and how much they cost below.
| Poke Ball Type | What does it do? | Where do I get one? | Cost |
| Poke Ball | The standard Poke Ball. Nothing fancy. | Buy these at Poke Marts after getting one from May and Brendan. | 200 |
| Great Ball | Better chance of catching Pokemon than the usual Poke Ball. | You can buy these at Poke Marts after getting your first Gym Badge. | 600 |
| Ultra Ball | Even better than the Great Ball. | Available at Poke Marts after you receive your third Gym Badge. | 1,200 |
| Master Ball | You will always catch a Wild Pokemon with this. | In Team Magma Hideout (B3F) in Omega Ruby, in Team Aqua Hideout (B3F) in Alpha Sapphire. | n/a |
| Premier Ball | Super rare, and made to celebrate an event. | Purchase 10 or more Poke Balls at once. | n/a |
| Dive Ball | Great for catching Pokemon underwater. | Get it at the Poke Mart in Fallarbor Town. | 1,000 |
| Dusk Ball | Use it to catch Pokemon in caves or at night between 8PM-3:59AM. | Available at the Poke Mart in Fallarbor Town. | 1,000 |
| Heal Ball | Restores the captured Pokemon’s HP and cures status effects. | At the Poke Mart in Verdanturf Town. | 300 |
| Luxury Ball | Catch a wild Pokemon with this and it will become friendlier. | Also available at the Poke Mart in Verdanturf Town. | 1,000 |
| Nest Ball | Very effective against Pokemon with low HP. | Another Poke Ball available at the Poke Mart in Verdanturf Town. | 1,000 |
| Net Ball | Use it to catch water or bug type Pokemon. | At Poke Mart in Rustboro City, but first you must open Rusturf Tunnel and speak to the scientist outside. | 1,000 |
| Quick Ball | Use this Ball at the beginning of a wild Pokemon encounter. | You’ll find it at the Poke Mart in Fallarbor Town. | 1,000 |
| Repeat Ball | Great against Pokemon species you’ve caught before. | At Poke Mart in Rustboro City, but first you must open Rusturf Tunnel and speak to the scientist outside. | 1,000 |
| Timer Ball | Becomes stronger the more turns taken during a battle. | At Poke Mart in Rustboro City, but first you must open Rusturf Tunnel and speak to the scientist outside. | 1,000 |
If you’re still having trouble, read Prima’s biggest mistakes new Pokemon players make, and be sure to study our Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Beginner and Advanced tips. Finally, we have locations for every Mega Stone. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll eventually become a master trainer and complete your Pokedex.
Explore a world filled with Pokémon in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. Pokémon Omega Ruby & Pokémon Alpha Sapphire: The Official Hoenn Region Strategy Guide provides a complete walkthrough of all the Gym battles, the Elite Four, becoming the Champion, and beyond!
Plus, the guide includes a pullout map of the Hoenn region! Get your copy today!
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Published: Dec 15, 2014 06:20 pm