4th Gen What is your strategy for catching the legendary dogs?

[TheBestOne]

For me to catch a roaming Raikou, I first use an electric Pokemon with the move ThunderWave that has a higher speed stat than Raikou (this is important as it will guarantee the first move) and then use it on Raikou. Raikou will flee the first time.

The second time you battle it, have a Dugtrio in handy (one with the ability Arena Trap) and Raikou's attacks will be completely useless against your Dugtrio. On top of all that, the paralysed Raikou sometimes won't be able to attack you and that would mean they won't be able to use the move roar to get away.

Anyway, what are your strategies for catching them? I'd probably expect lots and lots of replies to this thread but be sure to post some really useful ones!

 

[Fever]

The arena trap strategy isn't a bad one.
Also anything that has high speed that can use hypnosis or mean look would work well also.
For example, if you wanted to catch a Gastly in sprout tower early on and train it, Gengar has pretty decent speed, so you should get to attack first. Mean Look + Hypnosis + Shadow Ball until its health is right down. Then Ultra Ball the crap out of it and hope for the best ha.

 

[Amore]

My tactic...I have two:

- Encounter 1:Sleep. Encounter 2:Arena Trap + Dig (Dugtrio is incredibly under-powered, this never OHKOs), Ultra Balls.

- Encounter 1: Master Ball (clone from Emerald)

 

[Cataclysmic]

I didn't have a great strategy by any means, but after I decided to hunt them, the first thing I did was get my Ampharos to paralyze it before it fled. When I found it again, I'd use Haunter's Mean Look then damage it as much as I could without fainting it. After that, I just spammed whatever type of Pokéball I happened to have at the time. The thing is, Mean Look's effects go away when the Pokémon that used it faints, so I'd have to keep finding them again. >_<

 

[TheBestOne]

I didn't have a great strategy by any means, but after I decided to hunt them, the first thing I did was get my Ampharos to paralyze it before it fled. When I found it again, I'd use Haunter's Mean Look then damage it as much as I could without fainting it. After that, I just spammed whatever type of Pokéball I happened to have at the time. The thing is, Mean Look's effects go away when the Pokémon that used it faints, so I'd have to keep finding them again. >_<

A good way of making sure that Pokemon with Mean Look doesn't faint is to keep using Potions on it. Use the enemy's Paralyzed status to your advantage.

 

[Veronika]

Mean Look
False Swipe
Dusk/Ultra balls

 

[PlatinumDude]

For getting the legendary beasts to come to the route I want, I just move from Ecruteak to the next adjacent route (that isn't a gatehouse) until it shows up there. When it shows up there, I spray a Repel to prevent weak wild Pokemon from attacking. And, when the legendary Pokemon shows up, I just Master Ball it (I transferred multiple Master Balls from Platinum).

 

[wingyee]

usually just put them to sleep then catch it

 

[dragonite149]

1.I False Swipe 'em till they have low HP, using multiple encounters.
2.Then I put them to Sleep.
3.Then I use Wobbufet to trap 'em, then I throw Ultra/Dusk Balls till they wake up and use Roar.
4. Steps 2 and 3 are repeated till they stay in a ball.


I was lucky, I got Entei AND Raikou before I got the Masterball.

 

[rstevenson1976]

Umbreon with Mean Look. pick a route, walk back an forth between that route and the next one, then hit it with mean look and ware down it's hp and spam it with dusk balls

 

[redkaittu]

with raikou and entei... use any pokemon which is fast enough to strike first and has mean look and hypnosis/thunder wave.... go to gate between route 37 and ecruteak city and just switch from ecruteak to route 37 and the other way round... check pokegear map every time u switch to route 37... its a fast way to get them there... then just do mean look and put on sleep/paralyze and weaken em... and capture...

 

[Porygon Z]

For Raikou, I used a Quick Ball the first time I saw him, and I caught him successfully (otherwise I would used my Crobat :D)
Entei was more harder to catch. I weakened him, but he won't enter in any Ultra Balls.
Also, he was Poisoned, so I had a big risk, but at the last UB before he dies, I catched him! :D

 

[TheBestOne]

For Raikou, I used a Quick Ball the first time I saw him, and I caught him successfully (otherwise I would used my Crobat :D)
Entei was more harder to catch. I weakened him, but he won't enter in any Ultra Balls.
Also, he was Poisoned, so I had a big risk, but at the last UB before he dies, I catched him! :D

Wow you're one lucky Italian. :P

But I guess catching them in Gen IV involves a lower risk than trying to catch them in Gen III where if they used Roar they would disappear forever.

 

[Lati-Fan95]

My strategy? If I happen to run in one of them, I attack it with a weak attack and let it escape. When its HP bar is red, I'm starting the hunt: Usually with Wobbuffet or Gengar, I'm flying to Ecruteak and run to the route south of Ecruteak and back until it is in the south route (where I am) or, in case I'm in Ecruteak and Raikou/Entei is in the eastern/western route, I just go through one of the gatehouses to the route!^^ After I sent in Wobbuffet or used Mean Look, I just spam Ultra Balls or Dusk Balls when it is night!^^

 

[Pokemon Champion Red]

I just use Master Balls that I get from doing the lottery on every game from ruby/sapphire upwards daily.
Aside from being cheap, try mean look [and hope they don't use roar].

 

[Assault]

Quick balls seemed to work for me.

 

[The Corrupt Plague]

Catch them as shadow Pokemon in Colosseum, purify them, trade to Emerald and import them into HeartGold through Pal-park.

 

[butterbiscuit]

I use Mean Look, switch out to my level 100 Zangoose, use False Swipe, switch again, Thunder Wave or some sleeping move, and then start chucking Pokeballs. :b

 

[Spikey-Eared Pichu]

I don't really have any grand strategy to capture these two. What I usually do is:

1. Encounter
2. Throw Fast/Heavy Ball
3. Hope for capture.

In my first SS playthrough, this worked for both of them.

 

[TheBestOne]

I use Mean Look, switch out to my level 100 Zangoose, use False Swipe, switch again, Thunder Wave or some sleeping move, and then start chucking Pokeballs. :b

Doesn't Mean Look lose its effectiveness once that Pokemon who used that move gets switched out?