Pokemon: The Hardest Hoenn Pokemon To Catch, Ranked

Generation Three of Pokemon was a turning point for the franchise. With new graphics, new mechanics, and a brand new adventure overall, Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald were fantastic entries in a phenomenal series. What remained the same, though, was the core thesis; Catch all of the Pokemon! The only trouble is that some of the Pocket Monsters aren't too fond of being found, let alone caught.

But those are the most memorable encounters to handle, so we've put together a list of the eleven Pokemon in Hoenn that refuse to be easy. For our purposes, we won't be taking any changes made in Pokemon Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire into account, and will only be focusing on the original entries.

Updated December 1, 2021, By Cameron Roy Hall: At the time of this update, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have just been released for the Nintendo Switch, and the original Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire versions are nearly two decades old, with Emerald falling just marginally behind them in age. What we're saying is that there's never a bad time to look back because Nintendo is always encouraging it. For this particular update, we have revised and clarified some information, as well as added another hard-to-get Pokemon to the list.

11 Wynaut

There are exactly two ways, outside of trading, to obtain a Wynaut in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. One of those ways is to breed a Wobbufett. We recommend this way for anyone looking for a simple time because the other method is a tad more complicated. It involves an impossibly random determinant number attached to the Pokemon in your party and a disappearing island. This method is cooler, but like we said... more complicated.

Here's the trick; Each day an in-game number, between 0 and 65535 (no, we're not kidding), will be randomly selected. If the number matches a certain value attached to any of the personalities of the Pokemon in your current party, then the Island will appear on Route 130. The odds are very low, but there's an elderly gentleman in Pacifidlog Town who can inform you as to whether or not the numbers line up. If the fates are kind, then Mirage Island magically shows up, gifting you the only place in Hoenn where wild Wynaut roam.

10 Tropius

While not necessarily a Pokemon with a particularly low catch rate, finding a Tropius tends to be the challenging part about it. Calling the tall grass along Route 119 home, this flying sauropod can be startling to encounter and worth catching if trainers need to fill a niche role in their team.

That aside, the primary appeal of Tropius is that it just doesn't show up too often so encountering one is usually more than worth the Pokeball you'd burn to grab it if only for the sake of filling out your Pokedex. Well... that, or using it as an HM Pokemon. Remember those ancient relics? Still, that aside, it's not too impressive beyond being uncommon.

9 Chimecho

Chimecho is a rare psychic type that makes its home on Mt. Pyre, the token spooky location for the Hoenn region. These little guys are incredibly rare, so brace for what could very well be an extended stay among the gravestones, should you want one for yourself.

To be fair, there usually isn't a particular motivation to find one aside from its rarity; Chimecho isn't some powerhouse that's going to help you sweep the Elite Four or anything. Still, anything that can capture the heart of Team Rocket's resident softie James is good enough for us.

8 Absol

The disaster Pokemon Absol is unique; it has one of the lowest catch rate values of the non-legendary Gen Three Pokemon at 30. While these catch rates aren't hard and fast rules by any means, as play into a larger equation when it comes to catching Pokemon, we can broadly assume that a low catch rate means that a Pokemon is more challenging to catch.

Because of that, having an Absol in tow is a great show of skill and commitment to a central tenant of Pokemon games. Your journey through Route 120 isn't going to be complete without nabbing one!

7 Bagon

Bagon is not that difficult to catch once you're finally facing one down, but the trek through Meteor Falls is what earns it a place on this list. If you aren't familiar with what goes into catching a Bagon, here's a slight glimpse: to first even begin your journey to catch one, you have to be able to use HM07 Waterfall outside of battle. To do that, you need to have beaten the Sootopolis gym leader... the last gym in the Hoenn League.

Considering that Bagon is the first stage evolution of one of the two Gen Three pseudo-legendary Pokemon, it actually isn't that surprising that it's challenging to find. We will say, of course, that the work it takes pays off; Bagon's final evolved form Salamence is a Pokemon worth having.

6 Relicanth

Looking for a non-legendary Pokemon with a catch rate lower than Absol's? Then you're going to have to dive and explore the seafloor of Routes 124 and 126. Relicanth is an ancient Pokemon with a unique water/rock typing and it's also exhaustingly tough to hunt down and catch.

If you happen across one, though, taking the time to catch one is worthwhile; while Relicanth may not end up being a staple member of your team, it's one of several keys to getting a shot at Hoenn's legendary golems, which also have an entry later on in this list.

5 Altaria

While it's probably easier to catch a Swablu on Route 114 or 115 and train it up to evolve into an Altaria, this Pokemon is actually available in the wild once players earn access to Sky Pillar. For trainers that have no particular interest in training a Swablu, catching an Altaria may seem like an enticing alternative.

The problem, though, is that Altaria is surprisingly beefy; its defense stats are nothing to sneeze at, and players who hadn't picked up on that while facing Winona's ace or Drake's Altaria are in for a less than pleasant surprise if they decide they want to add an Altaria to their team. Paring down its hit points may be a challenge if trainers aren't properly prepared.

4 Latios & Latias

The version of the game that you have will determine which of the legendary birds ends up roaming the Hoenn region as a random encounter. But regardless of that, the experience of hunting them down and catching them is the same in all of the Gen Three games. Once available, Latios/Latias can be randomly encountered anywhere that Pokemon can be found.

That's right; similar to the legendary dogs of Johto, Latios/Latias is a random encounter. It's hard to prepare for, meaning that trainers have to be ready to spring into catch mode at a moment's notice if they don't want to miss out on a chance at adding one of these legendary Pokemon to their team.

3 Regirock, Registeel, & Regice

While battling and capturing the legendary golems is optional once they're available, it's really the preliminary work of making these Pokemon available that earns them a spot here. Trainers will find themselves pursuing what is essentially a full-blown sidequest, mastering the braille alphabet and deciphering ancient messages and riddles to track down these elusive ancient Pokemon. It's both ridiculous and ridiculously cool.

Once the challenges have been satisfied, these are still legendaries... and the task of weakening them and spamming Ultraballs can still be as grueling as most legendary encounters in the Pokemon series are known to be.

2 Feebas

Feebas is a shabby-looking Pokemon, not unlike Magikarp. It's not hard to catch and can be fished up with any rod. Like Magikarp, too, its evolved form of Milotic is formidable and well worth the effort. Feebas takes a spot on this list not because of its combat ability or catch rate, but because of its elusiveness.

Available on Route 119, Feebas can only be fished up on one of six water tiles. To make things more complicated, there's no discernible way to identify which tiles those are. If players are committed to finding a Feebas instead of trading for it, the old-fashioned way involves a lot of fishing to rule out tiles... one... by one... by one. Talk about rare.

1 Rayquaza

Easily the most impressive legendary Hoenn has to offer, Rayquaza earns its place on the list because players had to work to reach it. While nowhere near as in-depth as the legendary golems' sidequest, Sky Pillar instead housed the pinnacle of Gen Three's encapsulated puzzles. After solving the confusing labyrinth, players were then confronted with the most difficult battle with a legendary Hoenn region Pokemon.

For all the work it takes, saving the Masterball for this encounter was, of course, a great idea, but for those that went after it the traditional way, capturing Rayquaza was a true testament to a trainer's ability and commitment to the tenant of "Gotta catch 'em all!"

NEXT: Pokemon: Every City & Town In Hoenn, Ranked