A Guide on Catching Legendaries - Pokemon Forum

Eiyoko · #1 05-28-2007, 05:21 PM

This is a guide I previously wrote on catching the legendaries in Pokemon: Diamond/Pearl. I am re-posting and updating it here in the appropriate forum, and I hope someone finds it useful.

Things in italics I still need to test out.

Note: This is the guide for those of you whom don't clone Master Balls. That being said, do not contact me asking about that!

Now on with the guide.

~*~*~

A Guide on Catching Legendaries

By Eiyoko

~*~*~

First of all, you want to save your game before you pick on your target legendary. Sometimes when the odds are in your favor it's for the worse (i.e. You critical hit and faint the legendary), and then there's always that full-party wipe that some people tend to get. You know who you are.

Have you saved your game? Good! Now, on to more important stuff.

POKEBALLS

You can't catch a pokemon without using a pokeball, no matter how hard you try. No, none of Team Rocket's methods will work, so don't ask. ^^;

Here's a list of pokeballs that come in handy when hunting those (usually) elusive legendaries. All capture rates are assumed to be default unless otherwise stated. I'm listing any and all possible options, just to be safe.

Dive Ball
-Heightened rate of success when surfing.

Dusk Ball
-Heightened rate of success in caves and at night. A favorite for catching Uxie and Azelf in particular. If you're hunting legendaries at 11:45pm, make sure you have plenty of these. ^.~

Master Ball
-Captures any wild pokemon without fail. Use only as a last resort. Even then, it's usually wise to be stingy with using this thing, including on runners if you want to be that stingy.

Nest Ball
-The lower the wild pokemon's level is compared to your currently released pokemon, the higher the catch rate goes. If it is above, it resumes the normal catch rate.

Net Ball
-Higher catch rate against bug- and water-type pokemon.

Pokeball
-When all else fails...

Quick Ball
-If you can somehow manage to put a legendary into low HP within the first few turns, this pokeball will be of some use to you. For the best effect, use within the first five turns.

Timer Ball
-I'd like to call this a "second-to-last resort," not because they are bad but because they're only effective after time has passed (hence the name). The longer the battle is taking, the higher the catch rate goes. If the battle has gone on for a very long time and it's down to your timers and your masters, timers just might save you.

Ultra Ball
-A very popular choice for all-round legend hunting. Doesn't have as high a success rate as "environmental" pokeballs (when in respective environments).

Aside from pokeballs, you will also want to get plenty of medicine, a fit and able team of (preferably equipped) pokemon, and knowledge of what you're about to get yourself into.

Note: If you have a pokemon with the move "False Swipe", you're going to have an easier time at this than if you go without it.

Got all that? Great! Time to do the actual catching.

GENERAL STRATEGIES

Good stuff to do:
Lower accuracy
Lower attack
Lower special attack
Lower evasion
Lower speed
Paralysis
Sleep (not permanent)
Charm
Freeze (not permanent)
Mean Look (a godsend for those annoying runners!)

BAD stuff to do:
Lower defense (unless it's ridiculously high)
Lower special defense (again, unless it's way too high)
Poison
Burn
Confuse
Fire Spin/Wrap/Leech Seed, etc
And any other damage-over-time ability!

The Basic Strategy
The goal here isn't really about the tactics. Just focus on getting the legendary to as low count of HP that you can manage without fainting it; in the meantime keeping your own team from fainting. Then chuck pokeballs at it nonstop. Very common strategy, nothing really special about it.

PP Burn
This strategy may cause your wallet to spontaneously combust, but as far as I can see it works. Wild pokemon have PP too, and they use it the same way your own pokemon do. (Ever look at the pp usage on a freshly-caught pokemon at the beginning of the game?) The tactic is to have the legendary use up all the PP on its good moves (i.e. Dialga's Roar of Time) by simply sitting by and taking the beating like some old punching bag. You may end up fainting alot depending on your level, though. Once the legendary has used up its omfglolawesomez move, you'll have a bit more freedom to punch him around. If you find yourself in a position where there's nothing to heal, status effects and changes are good to have around (lowering accuracy is a splendid idea in this tactic).
---I used this when catching Dialga while underleveled a bit. It saved me alot of stress and worked well for me.
---Warning: This strategy is very risky to use, as the pokemon in question may use Struggle if worn out too much. Use with caution.

Runners
Some legendaries run all over the map, and it's more of a game of tag than having to battle them. Preferably, get a pokemon with high speed and give it a move that keeps opponents from fleeing (like "Mean Look"). You can track where the runner is using the marker map on your Poketch. Once you've trapped your runner, the battle continues as normal. Contrary to popular belief, runners in D/P do indeed appear over water, but never in dungeons. Use a rule of thumb: if you can fly, it will appear there. If you can use an escape rope, it won't.

When all else fails...
A) Reset and try again
B) Use your Master Ball (not recommended x.x)
C) Use any other ball you may possibly have. Who knows? You might catch Arceus in a standard Pokeball (sure, chances are low, but it's possible, believe it or not!)

~*~*~

INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES
For those whom are otherwise stuck

Sinnoh Dex

Dialga, the Ruler of Time
Requirements: N/A, part of the main plot in Pokemon: Diamond
Level 47
Type: Dragon/Steel
Abilities: Pressure
Attacks:
Metal Claw (Steel): 35
Dragon Claw(Dragon): 15
AncientPower(Rock): 5
Roar of Time(Dragon): 5 (Requires recharge after use)
Dialga is a part of the plot in Pokemon Diamond, fought at the peak of Mount Coronet (The Spear Pillar). He isn't too terribly difficult to catch, but since he's part of the plot you may walk in on him under-leveled, and that means a very chapped hide if you don't know what you're up against.
Be sure to have some pokemon that he's not weak against; in the plot you're coming from a previous boss fight that's about as tough if you came unprepared, and you're not allowed to leave the area when given time to prepare for the Dialga fight. Sorry, no Pokemon Center runs for you.
Aside from Dragon Claw, Dialga is capable of raising all of his stats through use of AncientPower. He may also raise his attack by using Metal Claw. Take care when fighting him.
Since Dialga is partly a Steel type, he tends to be annoying when you try to use False Swipe on him since it gets resisted. Save False Swipe for when he's in red and use other moves in the meantime.
The fight itself isn't too rough so long as you keep your wits about you. If you can, try to PP Burn Roar of Time so it doesn't get in your way too much. It has only five uses and requires a recharge after use, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it seriously hurts. It doesn't have THE highest accuracy, but it hits often enough to be considered a serious hazard. Be sure to keep your pokemon healthy long enough to wear out the deity of time, then he's all yours for the taking.
Note: It has come to my attention that you can indeed just let Dialga wipe you and you'll end up in a pokemon center, where you can hike back up the mountain where Dialga is waiting for you. Personally, I wouldn't recommend this, so do it at your own risk.

Palkia, Ruler of Warp-Space
Requirements: N/A, part of main plot of Pokemon: Pearl
Level 47
Type: Water/Dragon
Abilities: Pressure
Attacks:
Water Pulse (Water): 20
Ancient Power (Rock): 5
Dragon Claw (Dragon): 15
Spacial Rend (Dragon): 5
Much like Dialga, Palkia is part of the main plot in Pokemon Pearl and is found at the Spear Pillar on Mount Coronet. Again, sometimes you may find yourself walking in on this part of the game under-leveled and that can make things VERY annoying, especially since you are not allowed to run to the Pokemon Center once you get the opportunity to face him.
While Dialga has Metal Claw to accomodate his Steel Type, Palkia has Water Pulse. Don't forget that Water Pulse may confuse your pokemon, so if you can have some full heals or Persim Berries on hand you're in good shape. Palkia may be able to increase his stats with Ancient Power so be careful with that. As usual, Dragon Claw can be a threat if you don't know what you're doing.
As far as I can see, Spacial Rend does not have a recharge like Roar of Time does; it is slightly less powerful but with the same accuracy and PP count, but it does have a high critical hit ratio, making it a more considerable threat than Dialga's mega-move. Be very wary of this attack and heal any pokemon that is hit with it immediately, as Palkia does not need to rest after using it.
Palkia is not harder than Dialga when it comes to capture rate (though he tends to be somewhat easier; he isn't partly a Steel type to hinder False Swipe's effectiveness). Take care when fighting him, and make sure to heal any pokemon hit with Spacial Rend immediately. After wearing him down, the deity of Space and Dimensions is all yours.

Azelf, the Being of Willpower
Requirements: Defeat/capture Dialga/Palkia
Level 50
Type: Psychic
Abilities: Levitate
Attacks:
Confusion (Psychic): 25
Uproar (Normal): 10
Future Sight (Psychic): 15
Nasty Plot (Dark): 20
Azelf is the more offensive one of the pixie trio. Keep some weak pokemon with you, as her defense isn't very high. She also tends to have the highest speed. Bring along plenty of dusk balls - in my experience, Azelf tends to be stubborn about being caught - and you'll definitely need a way to lower her Sp.Attack stat, even if you plan to PP Burn her; Nasty Plot is a dangerous move that sharply raises that stat. Lowering her speed is also a good idea.
Uproar negates any form of sleep, so don't bother with trying it; use Paralysis or similar moves instead. Confusion can and will hurt if you're not careful, and it also causes Confusion. Azelf also likes to use Future Sight, which causes a decent amount of psychic damage two turns after use. This basically means that she can hand you a two-for-the-price-of-one deal, so be sure to have plenty of medicine. If she has raised her Sp.Attack enough times, Future Sight will hurt very badly. Once her HP is low, throw pokeballs at her like there's no tomorrow. You can't risk being wiped after coming this far!

Uxie, the Being of Knowledge
Requirements: Capture/Defeat Dialga/Palkia
Level 50
Type: Psychic
Ability: Levitate
Attacks:
Confusion (Psychic): 25
Yawn (Normal): 10
Future Sight (Psychic): 15
Amnesia (Psychic): 20
Uxie is the defensive one of the three pixies, and because of that she can be downright annoying. While tending to have the lowest speed, Uxie can use Confusion and Future Sight like her sisters. Uxie can be slept, but she can do the same to your own pokemon with Yawn, which sleeps the target on the next turn after use.
One main thing to look out for, strangely enough, is Amnesia, which raises her Sp.Defense. Let it get out of hand and she'll be the one PP Burning you. Ouch.
In my humble opinion, Uxie is the easier to catch of the trio. The key is to be patient and slowly whittle her HP down while not letting her defenses get too high.

Mesprit, the Being of Emotion
Requirements: Capture/Defeat Dialga/Palkia
Level 50
Type: Psychic
Ability: Levitate
Attacks:
Confusion (Psychic): 25
Lucky Chant (Normal): 30
Future Sight (Psychic): 15
Charm (Normal): 20
Mesprit is a runner. That being said, you can't just waltz up to her and chuck ultra balls at her when her HP is low. She'll be running around the world, trying to play tag with you. Oh, how nice.
No, not really.
Have a bunch of Ultra Balls, Dusk Balls (if it's nighttime), Dive Balls (if she decides to go surfing) and Quick Balls on hand. Run back and forth between two routes until she appears in your vincity. Then run around in some tall grass (or surf if that be the case) and she should appear shortly.
Mean Look and Block are godsends. Make sure the pokemon you're using has higher speed than Mesprit, otherwise she will flee before you get a chance to act.
More coming soon

National Dex
In order by Pokedex Number

Heatran
Requirements: National Pokedex
Level 70
Type: Fire/Steel
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks:
Scary Face (Normal): 10
Lava Plume (Fire): 15
Fire Spin (Fire): 15
Iron Head (Steel): 15
Heatran is a quirky Legendary Pokemon, as he is male. This means that if you use a female pokemon that has Attract or Cute Charm, he will be infatuated/fall in love. This can make things much easier for you since he doesn't have a large amount of PP. He's in a cave, so Dusk Balls are a great option here. Watch out for burns and Fire Spin.

Regigigas
Requirements: National Pokedex, Possession of all three "Regis" in your party
Level 70
Type: Normal
Abilities: Slow Start
Attacks:
Confuse Ray (Ghost): 10
Stomp (Normal): 20
Superpower (Fighting): 5
Zen Headbutt (Psychic): 15
To awaken Regigigas, you must have Regice, Regirock, and Registeel in your party. You could go all that way just to have him snooze in front of you. If that happens, at least take note of how you navigated that ice puzzle.
None of Regigigas's moves are an enormous threat but Confuse Ray can get annoying. Even so, Regigigas has very little PP, so don't plan on PP burning him as without such a strategy he will still end up struggling after a short time even without. If you have any trained up Pokemon with the Pressure ability, keep them out of your party unless you can get him down extremely fast! If you must bring them, keep them out as little as possible. Slow Start will give you an edge in the first five turns, but if anything get his HP down as quickly as possible and then chuck pokeballs like there's no next Tuesday. You have to catch him quickly before he KO's himself.

The following tactic has been submitted by Deoxys Ribonuke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deoxys Ribonuke

Here are the things you need:

Pokemon
A high-level Pokemon to whittle his HP down into the red (In the Lead)
A high-level Pokemon with False Swipe
A Spiritomb who knows Hypnosis
Regirock
Regice
Registeel

Items
Plenty of berries that cure Confusion
MANY Dusk Balls
MANY Timer Balls
Plenty of Ultra Balls

Here are the steps (Make sure you keep track of the turns on a piece of paper or something):

1) Challenge the beast, then lower his HP. (His Attack and Speed will be greatly lowered in the first few turns via his Ability, so be a farmer and make hay while the sun shines!)

2) Once his HP is in the red, send out your False-Swiper. Use False Swipe to ensure his HP is down to 1.

3) Send out Spiritomb. Now, the lovely thing about Spiritomb is that it is immune to ALL of Regigigas's moves except for Confuse Ray.

4) Put him to Sleep using Hypnosis, then start throwing Dusk Balls at him.

5) If he wakes up, put him back to sleep, unless he confuses you. If he does, then use one of the Confusion berries to cure it. Once cured, put him back to Sleep.

6) If you're running low on Dusk Balls and 30 turns have passed, commence the usage of Timer Balls!

With this technique, hopefully you will have caught him within a few minutes. ^_^

A very good strategy. While Paralysis may be a nice choice for a status effect, Sleep will keep Regigigas from taking any action whatsoever, reducing the Struggle danger.

Girtana
Requirements: National Pokedex, Rock Climb, Rock Smash (sometimes), Surf
Level 70
Type: Ghost/Dragon
Ability: Pressure
Attacks:
Shadow Force (Ghost): 5
Heal Block (Psychic): 15
Earth Power (Ground): 10
Slash (Normal): 20
Giratina can be either easy or @#$%ing hard/annoying/frustrating depending on how you go about fighting him. Since he's part Ghost, you can't use False Swipe on him. Bummer.
On the other hand, if you're using a Staraptor for the battle, you'll have a really easy time fighting him, since Staraptors are immune to ghost and ground attacks. This is due to their being Normal/Flying type, so other similar Pokemon will also work.
Giratina's number one threat is probably Shadow Force. Basically, it's the Ghost version of Fly, Dig, etc. If that isn't a threat to you, then Earth Power probably is. Heal Block will stop you from using recovery items, but it's not that big an issue if you've got a Staraptor. Slash can deal critical hits more often than other moves, so keep an eye out for that, though it shouldn't be too difficult to avoid.
As for the catching, many recommend saving your Master Ball for him, but some folks tend to use it on runners, so usually it's down to the Quick Balls (LAWLZ), Ultra Balls, Dusk Balls, and Timer Balls. I must say, he looks really cool when you use a Dusk Ball to capture him.

Cresselia
Requirements: National Pokedex
Level 50
Type: Psychic
Ability: Levitate
Attacks:
Mist (Ice): 30
Aurora Beam (Ice): 20
Future Sight (Psychic): 15
Slash (Normal): 20
Can be caught on water. I saw her there myself.
Cresselia is one of the post-national 'dex legendaries to be caught (there are four). Cresselia is a runner, so be prepared to run around trying to find her.
You can use Mean Look or similar abilities to keep Cresselia from running to make this a lot easier. When I caught Cresselia I never used it, so I ended up just chasing her all over the place (I wanted a challenge, anyway). She does not start out with her self-KO move, as far as I have seen anyway, so don't worry about her killing herself.
Note that if a pokemon uses Mean Look, swapping them out cancels the effect, so if it has Mean Look make sure it has False Swipe or other useful moves as well.

Eiyoko · #2 05-28-2007, 05:22 PM

Darkrai
Requirements: National Dex, Membership Card key item from a Nintendo Event
Level: 40
Type: Dark
Ability: Bad Dreams
Attacks: TBA

Shaymin

Arceus
I do not currently have 100% confirmed information; however, jabpoké has sent me a few tips which I will quote here:

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabpoké

Getting Arceus
The God Pokémon, Arceus, is again a Pokémon that can only be obtained via a Nintendo Event special (unless you hack the game). The only known current way to get Arceus is by cheating, since the event hasn't yet taken place. This is to help you to get to Arceus.

Climbing to the peak and Azure Flute
First of all, a special item is required to meet Arceus. That happens to be the Azure Flute. Now, this is the item that is required to get to Arceus. You must confirm that you have it in your Items pocket of your rucksack. Have it? OK, next, you must climb up Mount Coronet to Spear Pillar (where you encountered Dialga/Palkia, do you remember?). This could take a while. Make absolutely sure you are prepared for the trip (Full Restores, Full Heals, Revives and Ultra/Timer/Dusk balls are strongly recommended) so you are ready for Arceus when you encounter it.[/COLOR]

Entering the Hall of Origin
Once you reach Spear Pillar, walk a few steps north, and the textbox will say that the Azure Flute is glowing, and asks you if you wish to play it. Select yes (getting the Azure Flute via Action Replay might not work!), or no if you're not ready. You'll play a song on the flute, and a glowing staircase will appear. Climb up it (WARNING! SAVE YOUR GAME before you fully climb up the staircase! You will not be able to go back after you climb up the last step, and you will automatically walk forward to Arceus) and save before you get up the last step. When you do, you will fight Arceus.

Battling Arceus
This is it! Arceus is a normal type and knows Recover, Refresh, Hyper Beam and Future Sight. Fight types will be super effective, but it is at lv80, so beware. GOOD LUCK!

Arceus Element Plates
Ancient plates (such as the dread plate, fire plate, etc) can be attached to Arceus to change its type in battle. This can turn the tables on opponents.

Judgement
At lv100, Arceus learns the move Judgement. It is an exceptionally powerful attack.

Guide by jabpoké

Alright, I got my hands on a youtube video and apparently the flute can only work if you obtain it through mysterygift at the event. Once you step off the staircase you will engage in battle with Arceus (much like taking a few steps north engaged you in battle with Dialga/Palkia), so watch out.

~*~*~

Hope someone finds this useful. If anyone else has strategies or whatnot, lemme know; I'll credit you if you'd like.

Special Thanks to the following people for encouragement and help creating this guide:
Deoxys Ribonuke
Bloody TC
Hyper Blaze
MagmarMan
PhantomKat7
blazer43
rebelde33
mootixguy
uxie
Haelleah
PokeSpriter
Eeveeking929
jabpoké

Night Cherrim · #3 06-01-2007, 02:00 AM

hi i want to battle an/or trade

Jammin360 · #4 06-01-2007, 08:35 PM

Hmm... not a bad guide at all. Clearly detailed, coherent, and easy to understand. Nice job.

Oh, and Night Cherrim, I can see that you're new here. If you want to battle check with the Battling Center or Trading Center sections of the Forums.

Deoxys Ribonuke · #5 06-02-2007, 05:02 PM

Ooh! I have a way for catching Regigas! ^_^

(Tried to put it in your format.)

Regigas, the King of the Regis
Requirements: Having all of the Regis in your Party
Level 70
Type: Normal
Abilities: Slow Start
Attacks:
Confuse Ray (Ghost): 10 (Confuses you)
Stomp (Normal): 20
Superpower (Fighting): 5 (Lowers Atk and Def after use)
Zen Headbutt (Psychic): 15
Regigigas can be found in the Snowy Temple in Snowpoint City after you have gotten the National Dex and obtained all of the Regis via trade and/or by transferring them from one of your GBA games. You have to navigate across icy floors in order to get to him, and you need some HMs in order to get some good items, but you can always get them later.
The ugly thing about catching Regi is the fact that you HAVE to have all three Regis in your party in order for the statue to come to life. But I have found a surefire strategy to capture the beast. Here are the things you need:

Pokemon
A high-level Pokemon to whittle his HP down into the red (In the Lead)
A high-level Pokemon with False Swipe
A Spiritomb who knows Hypnosis
Regirock
Regice
Registeel

Items
Plenty of berries that cure Confusion
MANY Dusk Balls
MANY Timer Balls
Plenty of Ultra Balls

Here are the steps (Make sure you keep track of the turns on a piece of paper or something):

1) Challenge the beast, then lower his HP. (His Attack and Speed will be greatly lowered in the first few turns via his Ability, so be a farmer and make hay while the sun shines!)

2) Once his HP is in the red, send out your False-Swiper. Use False Swipe to ensure his HP is down to 1.

3) Send out Spiritomb. Now, the lovely thing about Spiritomb is that it is immune to ALL of Regigigas's moves except for Confuse Ray.

4) Put him to Sleep using Hypnosis, then start throwing Dusk Balls at him.

5) If he wakes up, put him back to sleep, unless he confuses you. If he does, then use one of the Confusion berries to cure it. Once cured, put him back to Sleep.

6) If you're running low on Dusk Balls and 30 turns have passed, commence the usage of Timer Balls!

With this technique, hopefully you will have caught him within a few minutes. ^_^

Phantom Kat · #6 06-07-2007, 01:03 AM

Wow, a lot more detailed yet still very helpful. By reading this, I remembered about False Swipes. I need to teach it now that I made my Mismagius forget Mean Look for the Elite 4.

Keep the up the good work.

justin6825 · #7 06-10-2007, 03:08 AM

This is a pretty good guide compared to the other legendary guides that I have used.

Flaming Zigzagoon · #8 06-10-2007, 04:50 PM

I really think you should go into detail of the capturning formula and the catch rate.

Venusaur456 · #9 06-10-2007, 08:01 PM

I know it isn't a legendary, but maybe you should add Spiritomb.

Eiyoko · #10 06-18-2007, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhantomKat7

Wow, a lot more detailed yet still very helpful. By reading this, I remembered about False Swipes. I need to teach it now that I made my Mismagius forget Mean Look for the Elite 4.

Keep the up the good work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by justin6825

This is a pretty good guide compared to the other legendary guides that I have used.

Thank you! It's good to hear my guides are well-written; everyone hates those guides that don't do you any good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flaming Zigzagoon

I really think you should go into detail of the capturning formula and the catch rate.

I don't think that's really necessary. This is merely a guide on capturing legendaries; it's not necessarily having the highest catch rate, even though I will be pointing out the best tools to use, this guide mainly covers dealing with the legendary and not wiping (for now anyway).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venusaur456

I know it isn't a legendary, but maybe you should add Spiritomb.

I cannot add Spiritomb to this guide; however, I will be making a seperate guide for catching "notorious" pokemon in the near future, so stay tuned!

~*~

Guide updated. If anyone has the nerve to give me a link to Gamefaqs and call it helping me, bear in mind that I'm sick of receiving it. Getting information from other guides defeats the purpose of writing one, so if you think for the slightest moment that I'm going to do it, do yourself a favor and define "plagiarism".

Alakazam_Ray · #11 06-20-2007, 03:22 PM

Nice guide that was awesome!

looks cool

Matt

Lord Fedora · #12 06-23-2007, 03:33 AM

I may not have a guide for the Legendaries you didn't cover, but I can help you out with some stuff I noticed was just teensy bit incorrect and/or outdated. Not your fault at all, jus saying, I've plkayed through my Diamond game many many times before and I've found some fun little shortcuts and ways to slip around some stuff.

Quote: