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How to Catch Raikou Easily in Pokemon SoulSilver

With their release in 2000, Raikou and the other legendary dog Pokémon introduced a new twist to the video game series: wild Pokémon that flee when you find them. In "Pokémon SoulSilver Version," Raikou is one of the most difficult legendary Pokémon to capture because of its tendency to run away. Trying to catch a running Pokémon without proper preparation can be terribly frustrating, but you can take a few steps to make the process easier.

Things You'll Need

Master Ball, Ultra Balls, or Dusk Balls
Pokémon with Mean Look or Shadow Tag
Pokémon with a status-inflicting attack

Instructions

- 1
  Complete the Burned Tower if you haven't already. Once you do so, the three legendary Pokémon will run away and you can encounter Raikou in the wild.
- 2
  Put a Pokémon that knows Mean Look or has the Shadow Tag ability at the front of your party. Both stop wild Pokémon from running away, which is the first thing Raikou will try to do when you encounter it. Gengar and Wobbuffet have Mean Look and Shadow Tag, respectively, and each is a good option for trapping a runner.
- 3
  Choose a location where two or more routes connect. Raikou changes location every time you move to a different route or city (you can track its location on your PokeGear map). Walk back and forth between two routes until you and the Pokémon land on the same route.
- 4
  Encounter Raikou. Once you're in the same location as Raikou, enter any area with wild Pokémon; it can appear in water as well as tall grass, but never inside caves. Additionally, if your lead Pokémon is below level 50, you can use Repel to avoid encounters with other Pokémon.
- 5
  Catch Raikou with the Master Ball, which has a 100-percent catch rate, before it has a chance to get away. If you have already used your Master Ball or want to save it, you will have to capture Raikou by weakening it and throwing other Poke Balls.
- 6
  Trap Raikou using Mean Look or Shadow Tag. If you use Mean Look, it must be your first attack; Raikou's first move is always to try to escape. You can start weakening the Pokémon once it's trapped.
- 7
  Use an attack that inflicts a special condition. Putting Raikou to sleep not only increases your chances of capturing it, but also prevents it from using Roar, which ends the battle immediately. If your Pokémon doesn't know a sleep attack, paralysis is a good substitute.
- 8
  Lower the Pokémon's health and try to catch it. Once Raikou's health bar turns red, you can start throwing balls at it; Ultra Balls and Dusk Balls (at night only) are the most effective. Any damage or special conditions you inflict will stay on the Pokémon as long as it's in the wild. If Raikou escapes or uses Roar, track it down again and pick up where you left off.

Nintendo DS