Every generation of the Pokémon games comes with a handful of ‘mons that are near impossible to find or catch, either from their rarity or their low catch rate. While Generation VI, which included X & Y, is notoriously easy, there are still a few creatures you might have some trouble with.
Game Freak and The Pokémon Company didn’t make these games very difficult, meaning nothing on this list will give you the type of challenge that some other generations, like the Regi trio in Gen III, would give. But, here are the most difficult Gen VI Pokémon to catch.
10 Horde Exclusives
Generation VI introduced horde battles, which take place at random and see the player try to take on five wild Pokémon at a time. Typically, the five Pokémon are all the same species, but there are some mixed hordes that will have four of one species and one of another.
Some Pokémon, however, are exclusive to horde encounters, meaning you can only find them in one of these random encounters and nowhere else, making them pretty hard to find compared to a regular wild Pokémon. Some examples include Starly, Larvitar, and Hoppip.
9 Dedenne
Any Pokémon fan who watched the anime might be pretty annoyed when they think about Dedenne, since one of the main characters, Bonnie, repeatedly squealed at her brother’s Dedenne through almost every episode.
However, if you’re looking to complete your Pokédex, you’re going to have to tough it out and hunt one down. Head to Route 11, where Dedenne can be found. Keep at it, as it only has a 5 percent encounter rate.
8 Cryogonal
This Generation V Ice-type is notorious for being a difficult catch in X & Y. They can be found in Frost Cavern on a couple of levels as a wild encounter.
Many players have reported having a tough time finding one. According to game data, Cryogonal has only a 4 percent chance to spawn. Even though this isn’t the lowest encounter rate in Pokémon history, many have said it’s a very difficult find.
7 Politoed
It’s usually pretty easy to find a Politoed. Simply trade a Poliwhirl holding a King’s Rock and it’ll evolve into Politoed. However, if you really want a challenge, X & Y have a single place where Politoed can spawn in the wild, albeit very rarely.
On Route 19, the player is actually able to fish up a Politoed with a Super Rod. However, the chances are very low, at 5 percent. You’ll probably have a box full of Poliwhirl and Whiscash before you finally nab that Politoed.
6 Noibat
Part of one of the most beloved evolutionary families in Generation VI is Noibat, which will one day evolve into the very powerful Noivern. If you’re looking to add this strong Pokémon to your team, you’ll have to spend a significant amount of time trying to catch a Noibat.
There are two places where one can find a Noibat: Terminus Cave and Victory Road. In both places, Noibat can be found as one of the shadows that drop from the ceiling. There’s a 20 percent chance it’ll be Noibat, but those semi-good odds don’t help with how frustrating and annoying of a process it is.
5 Hydreigon/Zweilous
While you’re waiting for a Noibat to drop down on your head, you might want to look for a Hydreigon as well. This pseudo-legendary is amazingly found in the wild in X & Y, swooping in from the sky in areas outside of Victory Road’s caves.
There’s only a 5 percent chance of this happening, so it’ll take a while before you can find one. You can also find its pre-evolution, Zweilous, as a random encounter at the same rate.
4 Zangoose/Seviper
As game exclusives, Zangoose and Seviper can both be found on Route 8 pretty easily. But, if you don’t have both games or a friend to trade with, you’ll have a tougher time finding the one from the other game.
Luckily, they can appear in horde battles, but it’s not super common. All Seviper raids have a 35 percent chance to contain one Zangoose and vice versa. As natural enemies, the other horde members can attack the out-of-place Pokémon, meaning you’ll want to knock them all out and catch it before they knock it out instead.
3 Legendary Birds
It’s understandable that Legendaries should be difficult to find and catch, and the Generation VI games definitely ensured they would be when it comes to the Legendary Birds. These Kanto Legendaries are available in Kalos, but with some difficulty.
All three of the Legendary Birds are found in the Sea Spirit’s Den, but only after they’ve been encountered 11 times as a roaming encounter (annoying enough on its own). But, only one is available, and it depends on the starter you chose. You’ll have to trade a friend for the others. Hopefully the same isn’t true for their upcoming Galarian forms.
2 Super-Sized Pumpkaboo
One of the most interesting Pokémon to be introduced in Generation VI was Pumpkaboo. This child-stealing Grass/Ghost-type (yikes) comes in a few “forms,” which are based on its size. There’s four in total: Small Size, Average Size, Large Size, and Super Size. These forms have some differences in stats but not typically in appearance.
Each size also has a different rate of appearance. All appear on Route 16, but Super Size has just a teensy 1 percent chance to appear.
1 White Flower Flabébé
Like Pumpkaboo, Flabébé can be found in a few different forms, specifically colors, with five in total. Also, like Pumpkaboo, Flabébé has one form that’s much harder to find than the others.
While Red, Yellow, Blue, and Orange Flower Flabébé can be found pretty commonly, White Flower is very hard to find. Every color can be found on Route 4 or Route 7, but White Flower Flabébé only has a 1 percent chance to appear.
NEXT: The 10 Coolest Purple Shiny Pokémon
