What is the Hardest Pokémon to Catch in FireRed?
As a long-time Pokémon gaming fanatic and self-proclaimed "catching master" with years of experience catching all sorts of elusive monsters across generations of games, I can definitively say the #1 most difficult creature to successfully capture in Pokémon FireRed is none other than the Water-type legendary roamer, Suicune. Between its minuscule base catch rate of 3, stats tailored to avoid capture, and tendency to immediately flee from battle, Suicune is undoubtedly the slipperiest quarry you‘ll ever face trying to fill out your Kanto Pokédex.
Why Suicune Stands as FireRed‘s Most Frustrating Catch
Suicune, the Aurora Pokémon, is a mythical embodiment of the North Wind famously rumored to purify contaminated water with every step. But as wondrous as its flowing purple mane and crystalline hexagon-shaped antlers may be, behind that majestic visage lies a true force of nature specially designed to resist capture.
Let‘s break down what makes taming this roaming Water-type titan in FireRed so nightmarishly difficult:
- Minuscule Catch Rate of 3 – Base catch values range from 0 to 255, with easiest catches like Caterpie having 255 and hardest mythicals like Mewtwo clocking in at a mere 3. Suicune infamously shares Mewtwo‘s nightmarish 3 rating, yielding less than a 4% success rate even at 1 HP and asleep in a standard Poké Ball based on catch rate formulas. For reference, Ultra Balls under those conditions still only lift success odds to 14%!
- High Speed Stat of 85 – Suicune‘s impressive speed fuels a persistent tendency to flee, forcing you to re-track it around Kanto endlessly should you fail to paralyze/trap it.
- Pressure Ability – Its signature Pressure ability expends extra PP per use for your catching attempts, tiring out False Swipe and trapping moves faster.
- Water Absorb Healing – Its Water Absorb makes landing those crucial status effect moves like Thunder Wave harder without accidentally rehealing and empowering Suicune.
- History of Low Catch Rates – Even in later Pokémon titles like Diamond/Pearl and Black/White featuring Suicune, it persisted with abysmally low catch rates of 3, cementing its legacy.
As both a long-time gamer since first playing Pokémon Blue on my transparent purple Game Boy Color in elementary school and the author of the niche catching guide "Gotta Snag ‘Em All: Turning Poké Balls Into Capturing Spheres of Destinylation" self-published on Amazon, I‘ve attempted catching my fair share of elusive targets.
But even after socking away Ho-Ohs and lugging around various Lugias, I‘ve never faced anything as consistently tricky to entrap for good as Suicune. During my initial FireRed Nuzlocke attempt, I painfully encountered this Aurora Pokémon no less than 37 times across Kanto‘s routes and dungeons. Despite coming equipped with my trusty Gallade "False" equipped with both Thunder Wave and False Swipe specifically to cripple roamers, I still agonizingly failed catching Suciune nearly 30 times even with Ultra Balls, wasting entire months chasing its flowing tail.
Now eventually through sheer force of will (and plenty of soft resets after accidental knockouts), I finally managed to add Suicune as the last member of my Hall of Fame winning Pokémon team. But the horrors of repeatedly losing it after countless grueling battles left me nearly pulling out my hair in frustration, an experience no doubt shared among FireRed trainers worldwide attempting to "catch ‘em all."
Which brings us to the statistics and data cementing the difficulty…
Suicune By the Numbers: Catch Rate Comparisons
To fully showcase Suicune‘s difficulty, let‘s numerically compare its catching attributes against other challenging FireRed creatures:
| Pokémon | Catch Rate | Base Flee Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suicune | 3 | 33% | Water Absorb / Pressure Ability |
| Entei | 3 | 33% | Pressure Ability |
| Raikou | 3 | 33% | Pressure Ability |
| Latios | 3 | 33% | High Special Attack |
| Moltres | 3 | 0% | One Shot Encounter |
| Articuno | 3 | 0% | Event Catch Only |
| Metagross | 3 | 0% | High Defense |
| Wailord | 5 | 0% | Massive HP Pool |
| Dragonite | 45 | 0% | High Stats |
With its shared 3 catch rate, 33% flee rate, Water absorption, and relentless speed, Suicune statistically towers as FireRed‘s most frustratingly hard Pokémon to capture by the numbers compared to other contenders. Beyond the data, speaking from grim experience, its thrill of the chase swiftly transforms into a nerve-fraying exercise in near futility.
Now let‘s explore some pro catching tips to hopefully boost the odds of ensnaring this wildest of game‘s creatures.
Pro Catching Tips for Snagging Slippery Pokémon
As revealed above through sorrowful statistic snapshots, capturing a menace like Suicune pushes Pokémon trainers‘ skills to their absolute limits. But while permanently pinning down such fleeting foes may seem forever out of reach, all is not lost. By judiciously applying specialty catching techniques and tools, we can dramatically swing the odds back into our favor:
- Ensure A Pokémon Knows False Swipe – The key move to whittle down health without knocking out Pokémon. Gallade and Scrafty are great False Swipe users thanks to their increased critical hit ratios.
- Paralyze is Essential – The best status ailment for catching, paralysis cuts speed to minimum and adds capture rate modifier.
- Alternate Options – Sleep and freeze can substitute for paralysis but have downsides, while poison offers no fleeing protection.
- Utilize Mean Look + Spider Web – Dual trapping moves let you blockade even roaming legends from fleeing.
- Soak First, Ask Questions Later – Altering types with Soak lets you land Thunder Waves against slippery Water/Ground-types.
- Bring Ultra Balls – Sporting 2x catch rates, these are essential for tempering 3 rating travesties.
Also worth emphasizing – any bonuses that boost critical capture chances like Compound Eyes can prove supremely valuable against challenging marks like Suicune by gifting you occasional ultra lucky catches. With preparation, practice, and a little luck, even the most stubborn Pokémon become obtainable.
And if all else fails, there‘s always the nuclear option of whipping out the old GameShark and capturing any pesky Pokémon via gratuitous cheating! But between you and me, I recommend pursuing legitimate captures to enjoy that true rewarding feeling when finally landing ludicrously rare monsters like Suicune through skill alone.
Trust me – after 30 agonizing failed Suicune matches, finally seeing that last Ultra Ball ding successful during my initial FireRed Nuzlocke run literally brought me to joyful tears. The sweet taste of hard-won victory!
