Pokémon X and Y encounter methods
How each encounter method in Pokémon X and Y works: grass, flowers, Horde Encounters, ambushes, fishing, Rock Smash and the Friend Safari.
Original Pokémon X and Pokémon Y for Nintendo 3DS. Version-specific encounters, Mega Stones and legendary Pokémon are labelled. Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire additions and later Kalos games are outside this guide.
Encounter methods
- Tall grass and caves — the usual walking encounters.
- Coloured flowers — yellow, red and purple flowers can have their own encounter lists.
- Horde Encounters — five wild Pokémon at once. Good for EV training and for some Hidden Abilities.
- Ambushes — Pokémon jump from shaking bushes, trees, the ground or the sky.
- Fishing — Old, Good and Super Rods find different Pokémon.
- Rock Smash — breaking rocks can start a battle.
- Friend Safari — postgame, see the Friend Safari guide.
Catching tips
Use False Swipe and a sleep or paralysis move. Quick Balls work best on the first turn, Dusk Balls in caves and at night, and Repeat Balls on species you already own. The base capture rate on each species page shows how hard a Pokémon is to catch.
Check whether a record applies to X, Y or both. These guides cover the original Nintendo 3DS games, not Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
References
Covered edition: Original Pokémon X and Pokémon Y for Nintendo 3DS. Version-specific encounters, Mega Stones and legendary Pokémon are labelled. Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire additions and later Kalos games are outside this wiki.