The catch loop, step by step
- Find a wild Pokémon. Walk into tall grass, explore caves and hillsides, fish in water, or go out at night.
- The battle opens on the spot. The wild Pokémon runs in, faces your trainer and cries, and your trainer throws out your first Pokémon.
- Weaken it in real time. Lower HP raises the chance; sleep or freeze doubles it, and other status conditions add half again. Higher-level Pokémon are much harder to catch.
- Throw a Poké Ball with C, the Poké Ball on the battle bar, or the Poké Ball button on a touchscreen. Your trainer calls your Pokémon back and throws straight at the target. There is nothing to aim.
- Watch the shakes. A catch joins your party, or goes to the PC when your party already has six. If it breaks free, throw again or go back to the battle.
Where wild Pokémon live
- Tall grass on the routes between towns.
- Caves such as Mt. Moon and Rock Tunnel.
- Rocky patches on the hillsides, home to Geodude, Onix, Sandshrew, Rhyhorn, Machop and others depending on the region.
- Water, with the Old Rod, Good Rod and Super Rod.
- Graveyards and routes at night: Gastly and Haunter appear around Lavender Town’s graves and Routes 8, 10 and 12 only after dark.
- Hidden places worth exploring, such as a glade in Viridian Forest where Pikachu lives.
Every species has a rarity tier: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very rare, or Legendary and mythical. A rare wild Pokémon within 60 metres glints every few seconds, and its battle opens with “A rare wild … appeared!”. Legendary Pokémon wait in one place rather than wandering.
Poké Balls and your catch chance
The battle bar shows your current chance before you throw. The C key tries your best ordinary ball first (Poké Ball, then Great Ball, then Ultra Ball, then any other ball you carry, with the Master Ball last), and the Bag lets you pick an exact one.
Specialised balls reward the right moment: Net Balls for Water and Bug types, Dive Balls for a Pokémon you have hooked, Nest Balls for low levels, Repeat Balls for species you have caught before, Timer Balls for long battles, Dusk Balls at night and in caves, and Quick Balls in the first five seconds. A Master Ball never fails. Only wild Pokémon can be caught; trainers’ Pokémon cannot.
Building your collection
You carry up to six Pokémon, and the rest wait in the PC. The Pokédex tracks the species you have caught, with details for each one. Pokémon evolve by level, by evolution stone, or with a Linking Cord for those that evolve by trade, and the Day Care on Route 5 breeds Pokémon you leave there. Duplicates are allowed.
Becoming Pokémon Master means winning the Kanto Champion’s title and the Orange League, and catching all 152 species.
Bulbasaur
Charmander
Squirtle
Pikachu
Gastly
Onix
Lapras
Chikorita
Questions and answers
Can you catch every Pokémon in the game?
Every one of the 152 species can be caught or received in Story Mode, and catching all of them is one of the three requirements for becoming Pokémon Master.
Can I catch Pokémon in Battle Mode?
No. Battle Mode lets you choose any of the 152 for your team directly, so there is nothing to catch. Catching belongs to Story Mode.
What happens if the Poké Ball breaks?
The ball is used up and your Pokémon stays recalled. Throw another ball, choose a different one, or return to the battle to weaken the Pokémon further.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Pokémon Fight is a browser monster-catching game: it runs in the tab on a computer, or on a phone or tablet in landscape, once you sign in with Google. See the browser guide for what you need.
How do I catch Pokémon on a phone?
In a wild battle, tap the Poké Ball button. The throw goes straight to the wild Pokémon, so there is no aiming to do on a small screen.
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