The objective of any Pokemon game is simple, and that is to catch em' all. While it's convenient to catch almost any Pokemon with a standard Poke Ball or Great Ball, setting your sights on the legendary Pokemon is a completely different story, as some of them aren't the easiest to obtain.
Most of the legendary Pokemon in both classic and modern titles are above Level 40 and require significant patience and skill to catch. Fortunately, experienced players with a few Ultra Balls in their inventory can get the job done without too much trouble. With a few Ultra Balls, you can catch all of these powerful, legendary Pokemon.
Updated on November 3, 2021, by Reyadh Rahaman: When trying to catch a Pokemon, the game's engine will run a formula to determine whether or not a Pokemon stays within the ball that the player is using to try and catch them. This mechanic takes into consideration the remaining health of the target Pokemon, the type of ball being used, whether or not the target has a status condition, as well as other more minor factors.
As such, players wishing to have an easier time catching legendary Pokemon should consider making use of specific methods instead of simply throwing dozens of Ultra Balls at the desired pocket monster.
11 Lugia
Lugia is the signature Pokemon in the 1999 video game Pokemon Silver. It's classified as the Guardian of the Sea, or the Diving Pokemon, and can generally be found at the Whirl Islands. With the possession of the Silver Wing, players can find Lugia deep inside the depths of the Whirl Islands at about Level 40.
Lugia isn't a difficult Pokemon to catch. Players receive the Silver Wing from the Goldenrod Radio Tower director after defeating Team Rocket. By then, a player's Pokemon should be experienced enough to do battle with Lugia and eventually capture it.
Remember that Lugia is a Physic Flying Type Pokemon. In order to successfully capture Lugia, don't use a strong, Fighting Type Pokemon, as they can inflict critical damage.
10 Suicune
Suicune is the mascot for Pokemon Crystal. It is a member of the Legendary Beast Trio, and it's a Water Type Pokemon. Without a doubt, Suicune is a powerful Pokemon. However, compared to its contemporaries, it's perhaps the easiest to catch if and when it's found.
Being a Water Type Pokemon, Suicune is easily susceptible to both Grass and Electric Type Pokemon. The only real difficulty is finding this legendary beast. In Pokemon Gold and Silver, players will have to do the hard work in finding it randomly. However, in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, gamers can simply find Suicune on Route 25.
9 Entei
Every Pokemon fan remembers Entei from the landmark movie, Pokemon 3: The Movie back in 2000. Entei made his first video game appearance in the Generation II games: Silver, Gold, and Crystal. A member of the Legendary Beast Trio, you can encounter Entei in Tin Tower.
Unfortunately, Entei will flee after players find him, and tracking him down will be extremely challenging. Unlike Suicune, Entei can only be found roaming either Johto or Kanto in classic and modern Pokemon titles. The good news is that Entei is about Level 40 and is weak against Ground, Water, and Rock Pokemon.
After encountering Entei, don't let it get away. Players should use a lower-level Ground, Water, and Rock Pokemon to weaken Entei enough for an Ultra Ball attempt.
8 Raikou
Raikou is the last member of the Legendary Beast Trio and is a Lightning Type legendary Pokemon. Like Entei, Raikou can only be encountered randomly in the wild. It's also a pure Lightning Type Pokemon that can only be affected by Ground Type attacks.
Players wanting to capture Raikou should come prepared. Like the rest of the Legendary Beast trio, Raikou will run away unless the player attacks. Therefore, if a player outright uses an Ultra Ball without weakening the Pokemon first, they'll have to start over and find Raikou again. A Ground Type Pokemon like Sandshrew, Geodude, or Diglett will be the perfect companion to weaken and catch Raikou.
7 Diagla
Dialga is the namesake of Pokemon Diamond. It's a Steel, Dragon-Type Pokemon that is a member of the Creation Trio along with Palkia and Giratina. Dialga has the power to control time and would make an excellent addition to a player's collection and Pokédex.
You can find Dialga at the Spear Pillar only in Pokemon Diamond and Platinum. Dialga can also be found in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver at the Sinjoh Ruins. Dialga is around Level 47 and is susceptible to Fighting and Ground Type Pokemon. Dialga isn't quick to run away like the Legendary Beast trio, so players can take their time damaging it until they are ready to throw your Ultra Ball.
6 Palkia
Palkia is the mascot of Pokemon Pearl and is the rival of Dialga. Palkia is also around Level 47 and can be found either at the Spear Pillar or Sinjoh Ruins. Though, Palkia has one surprising characteristic. Being a Water, Dragon-Type Pokemon Palkia is naturally weak against Fairy Pokemon.
Theoretically, strong Fairy Pokemon like Togekiss, Clefable, and Gardevoir can inflict some meaningful damage on Palkia while players try to capture it. Palkia is much faster and has a higher special defense than Dialga. Still, both Pokemon are equal in combat along with Giratina.
5 Ho-Oh
In terms of base stats, Ho-Oh is the strongest Pokemon on this list. Ho-Oh is a signature Pokemon that can be found in Pokemon Silver, Crystal, and Gold at the top of Tin Tower. Depending on when you encounter Ho-Oh, its level can range from 50-70. As you can imagine, capturing Ho-Oh can be a challenge.
Not many Pokemon, especially legendary Pokemon, at these levels can be captured by an Ultra Ball. The only caveat is that Ho-Oh is a Flying, Fire Type Pokemon. This Pokemon has several weaknesses, and gamers can easily inflict damage if they have a Fighting, Bug, Electric, or Water Type Pokemon. However, Ho-Oh is a Fire Type Pokemon, and it will be able to defeat any player's Grass Type Pokemon, no matter how strong they are.
4 Moltres
Moltres is a member of the Legendary Birds trio and can be found in a wide variety of Pokemon titles. Moltres was first introduced in Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow and was able to be found on Victory Road. In Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, players could find Moltres on Mt. Ember.
Moltres is about Level 50 and can be weakened by Rock, Electric, and Water Pokemon. With just a few standard attacks, players can conveniently capture a wild Moltres with a few Ultra Balls in their bag. Moltres, like the other Legendary Birds, are pretty one-dimensional and won't take much effort to catch.
3 Articuno
Articuno, as its name suggests, is a Flying, Ice Type Pokemon. Players can find Articuno at the SeaFoam Islands in Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow. In Pokemon Platinum, Articuno roams the wild and can be found randomly. Also at Level 50, Articuno is weak against Steel, Fire, Rock, and Electric Pokemon.
By reaching the SeaFoam Islands, a player's Pokemon should be experienced enough to capture Articuno. Articuno has similar base stats to the other members of the Legendary Bird Trio. This means that a player's Pokemon collection won't be complete without capturing its other rival, Zapdos.
2 Zapdos
Zapdos is the final member of the Legendary Bird Trio, and is undoubtedly the most powerful pure Electric Type Pokemon in Generation I. Zapdos is Level 50 and can be very tricky to catch, since its attacks can paralyze almost any Pokemon.
With that said, using Water, Rock, and Fighting Pokemon should level the competition and allow players to capture Zapdos with an Ultra Ball easily in most cases. Players should make sure that their Pokemon are at least Level 55 and above. If a player is using a Pokemon that Zapdos isn't resistant to, that Pokemon should ideally be at a lower level.
1 About The Catch Rate Mechanic In The Main Series Games
Low-HP Factor
How much HP the target has left will affect how much resilience it has to be caught, to put it simply. In terms of the catch rate mechanic's formula, the current HP of the prey will be divided by its max HP (among other things happening), meaning that the lower the foe's current HP value is, the greater the chances of catching it.
The Normal Type move False Swipe can allow its user to strike a foe but always leave them with at least 1 HP remaining, and, as such, is an excellent tool to take advantage of the low-HP factor of the catch rate formula.
Ball Bonus Factor
The type of Poke Ball used matters as much as how much HP the target has left, as is referred to as the "Ball Bonus" in the catch rate formula. A regular Poke Ball has a Ball Bonus of x1, while a Great Ball has a Ball Bonus of x1.5, with an Ultra Ball possessing a Ball Bonus of x2. Since Ultra Balls can be bought in bulk, they're the easiest to acquire, however, there are many other types that have an even higher Ball Bonus, going up to x4 and even x8 in some rare cases, albeit very situationally.
The value of the Ball Bonus will be multiplied by the target's low-HP factor and a few others to determine how easily the Pokemon in question can be snagged, though, these two are not the most important components of the catch rate formula.
Status Bonus Factor
The final step of the catch rate formula, before the modified catch rate is determined (a higher modified catch rate means a higher chance to catch the pokemon), is to take the sum of all the previous factors, including the low-hp one and the Ball Bonus, and multiply it by the value of the Status Bonus, which means the latter is the most crucial for improving the modified catch rate.
The Status Bonus is a value that is determined by whether or not the target is afflicted with a status condition. Normally, if the foe is not afflicted with a status condition, the Status Bonus will do nothing, however, if the prey is paralyzed, burned, or poisoned, this value will be 1.5. Even more potently, if the target is asleep or frozen, the Status Bonus will be 2, meaning that these status conditions are the best way to increase the modified catch rate and capture the sought-after Pokemon.