10 hardest-to-catch Kanto Pokemon from the Pokemon games, ranked

Bulbasaur, the first critter in the Pokedex, hails from Kanto and is hard to catch in numerous Pokemon games. The Red and Blue titles released the Kanto Pokemon to the playerbase. These games were the first to segregate between easy and tough catches. The Kanto Pokedex boasts 151 Pokemon, and getting the last critter is tough for everyone.

Here, we will use the catch rate to rank the ten toughest Kanto Pokemon to capture in games.

Dratini, Lickitung, and more Kanto critters with a low catch rate in Pokemon games

10) Lickitung

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Lickitung, a solo Normal-type Pokemon, assumes the role of a tanker in many games. It has high Hit Points (HP), which allows it to endure pain. Because of this, the Licking Pokemon can easily fit into a unit to support other teammates. Red and Blue, the first game to introduce Generation 1 species, made Lickitung popular among fans.

After impacting millions of trainers, the critter became available in titles such as Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, and Legends: Arceus. Although one can find it in those games, it has a low catch rate of 45. Hence, players need to formulate strategies to snag Lickitung. One of the ways to do this is to use better Poke Balls.

9) Dratini

Dratini, the first Dragon-type Pokemon, boasts a unique design. Numerous Pokemon games include this critter, with players having several ways to get it. However, the most troubling thing is its capture odds. The catch rate of Lickitung and Dratini is similar, but grabbing the latter is slightly tricky due to its typing and battle capabilities.

According to the lore, many believed Dratini was a Mythical Pokemon. This was busted when a fisherman caught one. Not only this but there are other grounds as to why it is a highly sought-after critter. A notable reason is that it can evolve into a Dragonite, a mighty Pseudo-legendary Pokemon.

8) Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop

Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop (Image via TPC)

Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Hitmontop appear as martial arts practitioners in Pokemon games. They are single Fighting-type figures and evolve from Tyrogue. These species are complicated to locate in the wild. But if you’re looking forward to evolving Tyrogue, you must meet specific evolution conditions. As a result, trainers prefer to go with the traditional encounter approach.

The catch rate of Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan changes from 45 to 90 in XD: Gale of Darkness. But, their catch rate remains similar throughout other Pokemon games. Hitmontop is the only evolutionary line whose catch rate doesn’t differ. Anyways, one should lower their HP and throw excellent Poke Balls to collect them.

7) Poliwrath

Poliwarth is originally from the Kanto region and debuted with the launch of the Red and Blue games in 1998. However, trainers cannot find them in the wild in those installments. They must rely on the process of evolving Poliwag into Poliwhirl and then Poliwrath. In Ruby and Sapphire, as well as Sword and Shield, they have to trade or migrate the Tadpole Pokemon from other titles.

Some Pokemon games where fans can encounter Poliwrath are X and Y, Sun and Moon, and Black and White. However, they need help to get it because of its low catch rate of 45. The catch odds are low. Thus, one has to battle it, reduce its HP, and throw the right Poke Balls.

6) Ditto

Ditto, a shape-shifting creature, boasts a 35 catch rate in Pokemon games. It can change into another Pokemon or object. Because of this, Ditto is tricky to spot in the wild. Moreover, once one sees the monster, one knows they have caught it. The Transform Pokemon just knows a single move and is called Transform.

The catch rate of Ditto in Pokemon games like Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is 35. It has an HP stat of 48, and its base stat total is 288. One way to improve the catch rate is to inflict a status condition on a Pokemon, which may be inapplicable to Ditto if paralysis is used. The reason is that it has an ability named Limber, which protects it from paralysis.

5) Chansey

If this list of hard-to-catch Kanto Pokemon had taken another ground for discussion, Ditto would have ranked higher than Chansey. Increasing the latter's catch rate means utilizing great Poke Balls and counters. One must stock up on the items and use a strong Pokemon to lower its HP. What’s more, trainers should not defeat it.

Except for the XD: Gale of Darkness, Chansey sports a catch rate of 30 in other Pokemon games. In the Gale of Darkness, the monster has a catch rate of 90, which is 60 points higher than its standard catch rate. With that said, players can spot Chansey in Desert Underpass in Emerald, Trophy Garden in Platinum, and West Province (Area Two and Area Three) in Scarlet and Violet.

4) Clefable

Clefable, also known as the Fairy Pokemon, has three different abilities: Cute Charm, Magic Guard, and Unaware. Its coloring and design are similar to that of Chansey's. Despite that, the latter is easier to catch than Clefable. After trainers encounter Clefable, they must battle it to reduce its HP. Additionally, the Fairy critter is immune to Dragon-type attacks, so one should avoid using them.

Only with the help of a Moon Stone can a Clefairy evolve into a Clefable. But, sadly, getting Moon Stone is challenging. In many Pokemon games, one has to trade or migrate the monster from other titles to add to their collection.

And titles where it appears in the wild, trainers must visit specific places to encounter it. That is not all; it has a low wild spawn rate, and one must also catch up with the odds.

3) Snorlax

Snorlax is a sleepyhead, and Pokemon Sleep gameplay revolves around this monster. It is one of the Kanto Pokemon with a catch rate of 25, but there are a few more with the same data. 160 is the base HP of the Sleeping Pokemon. A trainer only has a 3.3% chance of catching a full HP Snorlax with Poke Balls, meaning you must lower its HP.

Another way to boost Snorlax's catch rate is to use the status condition. Pocket Monsters that are burned or paralyzed are more complex to obtain than those that are sleeping or frozen. Therefore, one should have fighters with Status effects to catch Snorlax in games such as Red, Blue, Yellow, Sun, and Moon.

2) The Legendary Bird Trio

The Legendary Bird Trio is the name of the three powerful Legendary Pokemon from the Kanto region: Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. All of these entities have a catch rate of 3. In Pokemon games like Red, Blue, Yellow, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, trainers must reach a specific location to encounter them. They are not only rare finds, but battling with them is also thorny.

Trainers must possess powerhouses with Status effects if they want the Legendary Bird Trio in their collection. Moreover, they need counters to decrease their HP and some high catch-rate Poke Balls.

1) Mewtwo

Mewtwo is the second last Pokemon registered in the Kanto Regional Pokedex. In games, it is an artificial critter created with the help of Mew’s DNA. Thanks to the genes, the Genetic Pokemon knows a wide variety of moves and has a base stat total of 680. Trainers must combat against it if they want to get it. However, finding it is not easy.

With a catch rate of 3, Mewtwo becomes the hardest-to-catch species. One has to use Master Ball if they want to get it in one go. Trainers can meet it in Cerulean Cave in HeartGold, SoulSilver, Let’s GO Pikachu, and Let’s GO Eevee. But, most of the time, you must trade or migrate Mewtwo from Pokemon games.

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Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul