Pokemon Gen 8 Catch Rate Calculator

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Pokémon Gen 8 Catch Rate Calculator

Legendaries: 3, Common: 255
Poké Ball (1x) Great Ball (1.5x) Ultra Ball (2x) Dusk Ball (Night/Cave) (3x) Net Ball (Water/Bug) (3.5x) Repeat Ball (Caught before) (3.5x) Quick Ball (Turn 1) (5x) Love Ball (Same species, diff sex) (8x) Master Ball (Auto)
None (1x) Paralysis/Burn/Poison (1.5x) Sleep/Freeze (2.5x)

0%

function calculateCatchRate() { var hpMax = Math.max(1, parseFloat(document.getElementById('hpMax').value)); var hpCurrent = Math.max(1, parseFloat(document.getElementById('hpCurrent').value)); var baseRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('baseRate').value); var ballMod = parseFloat(document.getElementById('ballMod').value); var statusMod = parseFloat(document.getElementById('statusMod').value); var wildLevel = parseInt(document.getElementById('wildLevel').value); var leadLevel = parseInt(document.getElementById('leadLevel').value); if (hpCurrent > hpMax) hpCurrent = hpMax; // Gen 8 Modifier: If wild level > active level, catch rate is significantly harder var levelMod = 1.0; if (wildLevel > leadLevel) { levelMod = 0.1; } // Standard Formula: a = (((3 * MaxHP – 2 * CurrHP) * Rate * BallMod) / (3 * MaxHP)) * StatusMod var a = (((3 * hpMax – 2 * hpCurrent) * baseRate * ballMod) / (3 * hpMax)) * statusMod; // Apply Level Penalty a = a * levelMod; // Master Ball Check if (ballMod >= 255) a = 255; var finalProb = 0; var shakesLabel = ""; if (a >= 255) { finalProb = 100; shakesLabel = "Guaranteed Catch! The Pokémon is caught immediately."; } else { // b = 65536 / (255/a)^0.25 var b = 65535 * Math.pow((a / 255), 0.25); // Final prob = ( (b+1) / 65536 ) ^ 4 // This accounts for the 4 shake checks finalProb = Math.pow((b + 1) / 65536, 4) * 100; if (finalProb 100) finalProb = 100; var avgBalls = Math.ceil(100 / finalProb); shakesLabel = "Statistically, you should catch it in about " + avgBalls + " throw(s)."; } var resultDiv = document.getElementById('catchResult'); var probText = document.getElementById('probPercent'); var shakeText = document.getElementById('shakeInfo'); var probBar = document.getElementById('probBar'); resultDiv.style.display = 'block'; probText.innerText = finalProb.toFixed(2) + "% Catch Chance"; shakeText.innerText = shakesLabel; probBar.style.width = finalProb + "%"; if (finalProb < 20) probBar.style.backgroundColor = "#f44336"; else if (finalProb < 60) probBar.style.backgroundColor = "#ffeb3b"; else probBar.style.backgroundColor = "#4caf50"; }

How Pokémon Catch Rates Work in Gen 8

In Pokémon Sword, Shield, and the Isle of Armor/Crown Tundra DLCs, the mechanics for catching wild Pokémon are based on a series of mathematical checks. Unlike earlier generations, Generation 8 introduced a specific penalty if your lead Pokémon's level is lower than the target's level.

Key Factors:

  • HP Status: The lower the wild Pokémon's HP, the higher the catch rate. False Swipe is the ideal move for this, as it leaves the target with exactly 1 HP.
  • Base Catch Rate: Every Pokémon has an inherent "catch rate" value from 1 to 255. Legendaries like Zacian or Eternatus have very low rates (3 or 10), while common species like Rookidee have high rates (255).
  • Status Conditions: Sleep and Freeze are the most effective, providing a 2.5x multiplier. Paralysis, Burn, and Poison provide a 1.5x multiplier.
  • Level Penalty: In Sword and Shield, if the wild Pokémon's level is higher than your current active Pokémon's level, the "a" value in the catch formula is multiplied by 0.1, making the capture nearly 10 times harder.

Gen 8 Ball Modifiers Table

Ball Type Multiplier Condition
Quick Ball 5.0x Used on the very first turn.
Dusk Ball 3.0x Inside caves or between 8:00 PM – 3:59 AM.
Net Ball 3.5x Against Water or Bug types.
Repeat Ball 3.5x Against Pokémon already registered in Pokédex.
Ultra Ball 2.0x Always applies.

Catching Example

Imagine you are trying to catch a Level 70 Galarian Moltres (Base Rate: 3) with an Ultra Ball (2x). Its HP is at 1/200, it is Paralyzed (1.5x), and your lead Pokémon is Level 100.

  1. The "a" value: ((3 * 200 – 2 * 1) * 3 * 2) / (3 * 200) * 1.5 = 8.97.
  2. Shake Probability: 65535 * (8.97/255)^0.25 = ~28,380.
  3. Final Chance: (~28,381 / 65536)^4 = 3.52% per ball thrown.

Using this calculator, you can optimize your strategy by switching to a Dusk Ball (if at night) or applying Sleep to significantly increase your odds.

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