You’re standing on a street corner in the rain. Your fingers are freezing. On the screen, a 100% IV Rayquaza is mocking you, breaking out of every Golden Razz-boosted Excellent curveball you throw. We've all been there. Catching Pokemon Go legendary Pokemon isn't just about showing up; it’s a high-stakes psychological battle against a random number generator that seemingly hates you.
It's frustrating. Honestly, the game doesn't do a great job of explaining the math behind the catch rates. Most people think it's just luck. It isn't. Well, it's mostly math, but you can tilt that math in your favor if you know which levers to pull.
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The Brutal Reality of the 2% Base Catch Rate
Let’s talk numbers for a second because they’re kind of terrifying. Most Pokemon Go legendary Pokemon feature a base catch rate of exactly 2%. That is tiny. If you just toss a straight Poke Ball with no berry, you’re basically praying for a miracle.
But here is where the nuance comes in. You can actually bump that percentage up significantly. By stacking a Golden Razz Berry, a Curveball throw, an Excellent hit, and having your Type Medals at Platinum level, you can get that catch chance closer to 15% or 16% per throw. That still sounds low, right? But over 18 or 20 Premier Balls, the cumulative probability swings heavily in your favor. You’re no longer gambling; you’re executing a strategy.
The game uses a specific formula for this. It factors in the ball type—though in raids you're restricted to Premier or Beast Balls—and the multiplier from your throw accuracy. If you miss the circle entirely, you're essentially wasting a ticket.
Why Your Medals Actually Matter More Than You Think
Have you ignored those little medals on your profile page? Stop doing that. The "Gold" and "Platinum" badges for specific types—like "Bird Keeper" for Flying-types or "Dragon Scale" for Dragons—provide a permanent catch bonus. If you’re hunting a Kyogre, having a Platinum medal for Water-types gives you a 1.4x multiplier. It’s passive. It’s permanent. It is arguably the most underrated mechanic for anyone serious about hunting Pokemon Go legendary Pokemon.
If you're stuck at Silver, go find a nest of common spawns. Grind out those 2,500 catches. It makes the difference between a legendary fleeing and it staying in the ball.
The Circle Lock Trick: The Only Way to Throw
If you aren't using the circle lock technique, you are playing on hard mode for no reason.
Wait for the Pokemon to attack. This is the "secret." You hold the ball until the catch circle shrinks to the "Excellent" size, then you let go without throwing. The circle is now locked at that size. When the legendary performs its attack animation—like Lugia doing a backflip or Groudon lunging—you start your curveball spin. Time it so the ball lands right as the animation ends.
The circle won't have moved. It’ll still be that tiny Excellent target.
This removes the biggest variable: the Pokemon jumping or attacking while the ball is in mid-air. It turns a chaotic encounter into a rhythm game. It takes practice. You’ll mess it up at first. You’ll throw too early and the ball will bounce off a snout. But once you nail the timing, your catch rate will skyrocket.
Where Do These Things Even Hide?
Legendaries aren't just sitting at the local park waiting for you to tap on them. Usually.
- Five-Star Raids: The bread and butter. You need a group, or at least a few high-level friends and a remote raid pass.
- Shadow Raids: These are tougher. Shadow Mewtwo is a beast that requires Purified Gems to subdue. You can't do these remotely, which is a massive pain for rural players.
- Research Breakthroughs: Remember when we used to get Legendaries for finishing seven days of tasks? Those were the days. Nowadays, it's rarer, but Niantic occasionally rotates them back in.
- The GO Battle League: If you hit Rank 20 in PvP, the current five-star raid boss enters the reward pool. It’s a grind, but it’s "free."
- The Daily Adventure Incense: This is the only way to find the Galarian Birds (Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres). But be warned: their flee rate is 90%. They are designed to run away. Don't take it personally.
The Myth of the "Tap Fast" Catch
There’s this old rumor that tapping the screen repeatedly while the ball shakes helps. It doesn't. Or that holding "Up" and "B" (a carryover from the GameBoy days) does something. It’s all superstition. The catch is determined the millisecond the ball hits the Pokemon. Everything after that is just an animation to build tension. Save your screen the wear and tear.
Elite TMs and the "Signature Move" Trap
Catching the Pokemon is only half the battle. If you catch a Kyogre but it doesn't have Origin Pulse, is it even a Kyogre?
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Niantic loves "exclusive moves." Often, the best version of a Pokemon Go legendary Pokemon is only available during a specific three-hour window. If you miss it, you're forced to use an Elite Charged TM. These items are incredibly rare, usually locked behind expensive boxes or high-level end-of-season PvP rewards.
Before you dump all your Rare Candy into a legendary, check its moveset. Some legendaries, like Regigigas, are basically trophies because their moves are terrible. Others, like Terrakion with Sacred Sword, are meta-defining gods. Don't waste resources on a "cool" Pokemon that hits like a wet noodle in raids.
Practical Steps for Your Next Raid Hour
Stop raiding blindly. If you want to maximize your haul during a Wednesday Raid Hour, you need a checklist that isn't just "have passes."
- Clear your storage beforehand. Nothing kills the vibe like having to delete 30 Pidgeys while the raid lobby timer is at 10 seconds.
- Check the weather. Weather-boosted legendaries (look for the swirling icon) are caught at Level 25 instead of Level 20. It saves you about 28 Rare Candies and a chunk of Stardust. They’re harder to catch, but worth it.
- Optimize your mega evolution. If you’re raiding a Dragon-type, have a Mega Dragon active. You get extra candy for every catch. It’s a slow burn, but it adds up over a season.
- Use an app like PokeGenie. If you don't have a local group, use a hosting app. It’s the most efficient way to ensure you actually have enough people to take down a Tier 5 boss.
Focus on the "Excellent" throws. Seriously. If you can land 10 Excellent curveballs in a row, the odds of that Pokemon fleeing are statistically very low. It’s not about luck; it’s about consistency. Get out there, lock the circle, and stop letting those Rayquazas run away.
Everything boils down to patience. The players with the biggest legendary collections aren't necessarily the luckiest—they're just the ones who stopped rushing their throws and started paying attention to the multipliers. Check your medals, practice your curve, and save your Golden Razzes for the ones that actually matter.