PokeTools
Playthrough

Catch Rate Calculator

Exact capture probability for any Pokémon, ball and condition - using the real shake-check formula.

Pokémon
grasspoison
bulbasaur
bulbasaur
grasspoison
Base Catch Rate45
Generation
Current HP 50%
Status Condition
Ball Type

Standard

Special

Critical Capture (Gen V+)

Pokedex Pokémon caught: 0

0150300450600
Catch Probability · Ultra Ball
33.8%
~3Expected Balls
2.0xBall Modifier
1xStatus Modifier
Probability by HP Level
100% HP
20.1%
75% HP
27.2%
50% HP
33.8%
25% HP
39.9%
10% HP
43.5%
5% HP
44.6%
1% HP
45.6%

Current selection highlighted. Lower HP = higher catch chance.

Ball Comparison
Love Ball
95.6%8.0x
Quick Ball
67.2%5.0x
Ultra Ball
33.8%2.0x
Great Ball
27.2%1.5x
Timer Ball
24.5%1.3x
Poke Ball
20.1%1.0x
Premier Ball
20.1%1.0x
Luxury Ball
20.1%1.0x
Net Ball
20.1%1.0x
Dusk Ball
20.1%1.0x

Top 10 balls ranked by effectiveness for current conditions. Conditional bonuses assume their conditions are met.

Probability of Catching Within N Attempts
33.8%1 ball
56.2%2 balls
71.0%3 balls
87.3%5 balls
98.4%10 balls
99.8%15 balls
100.0%20 balls
100.0%30 balls
100.0%50 balls
100%100 balls
100%200 balls
100%500 balls

Pokémon Catch Rate Calculator and Formula Guide

Pokémon catch rates range from 3 (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and most legendaries) to 255 (Terapagos and many common species). This calculator uses the exact Gen III-IX formula to compute your real probability of catching any Pokémon under any conditions.

The Standard Catch Formula

From Generation III onward, the game calculates a modified catch value: a = ((3*maxHP - 2*currentHP) * catchRate * ballMod * statusMod) / (3*maxHP). It then runs four "shake checks" - the Pokémon is caught only if all four pass. Gen 1 and Gen 2 used different formulas that this calculator does not cover.

Key Modifiers

  • Status Conditions: Sleep and Freeze give a 2.5x bonus. Paralysis, Burn, and Poison give 1.5x. Always inflict a status before throwing.
  • Ball Types: This calculator models 20 ball types with their conditional bonuses - Net Ball (3.5x for Water/Bug types), Dusk Ball (3x at night or in caves), Timer Ball (scaling with turn count), and more.
  • Critical Capture (Gen V+): A special single-shake-check throw whose chance scales with your Pokedex completion. More registered Pokémon means more frequent critical captures.
  • HP Percentage: Lower HP dramatically improves catch odds. The probability curve panel shows exactly how each HP threshold affects your chances.

The ball comparison chart ranks all available balls by effectiveness for your current target, and the attempt simulator shows cumulative probability across 1 to 500 throws - so you know whether to stock up at the Poke Mart before heading into a legendary encounter.