Tips for the Safari Zone in Pokemon SoulSilver

Mud and Bait

• You have the option to throw mud or bait at the Pokemon while in the Safari Zone. Throwing mud increases the chances of capturing the Pokemon but also raises the chance it runs away. Throwing bait decreases the chance the Pokemon runs away but increases the difficulty of capturing it. Both options are useless. Because of how the calculation for escape and capture rates works, both options are less efficient than just throwing Safari Balls. The Safari Zone has only a nominal fee, so attempting to conserve Safari Balls is not necessary.

Abra

• Many Pokemon in the Safari Zone can be captured in other areas in "Pokemon: SoulSilver." Normally, you would ignore capturing these enemies since the catch rate is less reliable in the Safari Zone. Abra is the one exception to this rule, however. Abra is difficult to capture because his only attack is "Teleport," which causes him to flee the battle. Unless you can incapacitate him without killing him in the process, he is difficult to capture. In the Safari Zone, you have approximately a 33 percent chance of capturing him per Safari Zone. This is the easiest way to reliably capture an Abra.

Baoba's Tasks

• Baoba, the Warden of the Safari Zone, asks you to capture a Geodude and Sandshrew when he first arrives at the Safari Zone. There is no obvious reward for these tasks, but do these as soon as possible. You cannot access all the different areas in the Safari Zone until you have completed both tasks. These tasks effectively function as the Safari Zone tutorial, so you should have no trouble finding both Pokemon to capture.

Items

• After acquiring the National Dex, you can start putting items into each area of the Safari Zone to customize it. Some of these objects attract more varieties of Pokemon to each area. You can put a total of 30 objects in each area. The bench, fence, sign, statue, flag, lamp, guidepost and trash can items do not attract Pokemon. Divide up your items between the grass, forest, rocky and water items to attract the most Pokemon. Over time, your blocks become more effective, so you eventually get access to all the Pokemon in the Safari Zone if you put equal amounts of those blocks into each area.