Wild Pokémon

A wild PokémonIn game dialogue, the word "wild" is written in , such as in "wild Pokémon" and "A wild Pikachu appeared!" In some early official materials, this word has also been occasionally capitalized as "Wild" with an initial capital letter: "You will travel North into the grassy area where you will run into many Wild Pokémon." (manual of , page 16) "Soon you find [Professor Birch] being attacked by Wild Pokémon on a road outside town." (manual of , page 4) (Japanese: ポケモン wild Pokémon) is any that is not currently owned by a Pokémon Trainer.
==In the core series games==
Wild Pokémon are encountered in most parts of the Pokémon world, most commonly outside of cities and towns, often in tall grass, in caves, or on water. A Trainer may choose to a wild Pokémon or run from it. If a Trainer chooses to battle, they may either attempt to the Pokémon with a Poké Ball or to defeat it outright.
===Generation I===
Since Generation I, wild Pokémon will appear to the player in a variety of locations, most often when the player is walking through or near tall grass. Other methods of encountering wild Pokémon include walking through caves or abandoned buildings, fishing, ing on water, and interacting with Pokémon in the overworld. The species and level of the Pokémon both depend on both the location and encounter method.
Each tile has a number that affects the chance of finding a wild Pokémon. Tall grass varies from 15 to 25 (except the , which has 30), caves vary from 10 to 15 (except 's room in Cerulean Cave, which has 25), and all water tiles use the number 5. Each time the player takes a step in a tile with wild Pokémon, the game generates a random number from 0 to 255 (inclusive). If that random number is less than the tile's encounter number, the game generates a species and level. prevent encounters with any Pokémon of a lower level than the party's first Pokémon.
When encountered, a wild Pokémon's moveset will generally consist of the most recent four moves its species would know by leveling-up; for example, a level 4 will know and when encountered in the wild in , while one encountered at level 22 will know Tackle, , , and .
At the beginning of every turn, wild Pokémon have an equal chance of selecting each move that they can use. If all the Pokémon in the player's party faint while battling a wild Pokémon, the player will drop some money in panic.
===Generation II===
Generation II introduced four encounter methods, namely smashing breakable rocks, ing Headbutt trees, using , and roaming Pokémon. Additionally, the species of wild Pokémon depends on the current time and mass outbreaks.
In this generation, tall grass varies from 15 to 25, and both caves and water have encounter numbers between 5 and 15 (except Diglett's Cave in the daytime, which has 2). Pokémon March and the Ruins of Alph signal, played on the Pokégear, will double the encounter rate, and the Pokémon Lullaby and Cleanse Tag halve the rate. All of these multipliers stack with each other.
 prevent encounters with any Pokémon of a lower level than the party's first conscious Pokémon. Wild Pokémon can hold items, which can be obtained by catching the Pokémon or using one of a , like . Wild Pokémon that use one of those moves can steal the player's Pokémon's held item.
===Generation III===
Wild Pokémon can appear in deep sand. The random number varies from 0 to 2879. Tall grass and Rock Smash have 320 (except , which has 240, and , which has 400), caves and deep sand have 160 (except Seafloor Cavern, which has 64, Cave of Origin, which has 64, and Altering Cave, which has 112), and water and seaweed have 64 (except Safari Zone, which has 144, and Petalburg City, which has 16, and Sootopolis City, which has 16).
Bicycles, White Flute, Black Flute, and Cleanse Tag multiply the encounter number by 0.8, 1.5, 0.5, and 0.66, respectively. Additionally, affect wild Pokémon in various ways—many only gaining these effects in . Unlike Repels, these modifiers ignore whether the first Pokémon in the party is fainted.
Wild Pokémon cannot steal the player's Pokémon's held item regardless of what moves they use.
===Generation IV===
Honey has the same effect as Sweet Scent in the overworld. However, using Honey on a Honey Tree will attract a Pokémon from a different encounter table. From Generation IV onward, multiple wild Pokémon can appear at once. All but one of the Pokémon will have to be defeated before that one can be caught. In Generation IV, the only way to encounter multiple wild Pokémon at once is walking while accompanied by another Pokémon Trainer.
In only, running raises the chance of encountering wild Pokémon each time the player takes a step.
===Generation V===
Starting in Generation V, wild Pokémon can appear in puddles or phenomena. There is the chance of two Pokémon appearing at once in . Two types of Pass Powers (Encounter Power ↑ and Encounter Power ↓ ) modify encounter chances. Wild Pokémon can steal the player's Pokémon's held item.
===Generation VI===
In Generation VI, wild Pokémon can appear in snow, ambush encounters, and while soaring. Hordes of five Pokémon may appear. Two O-Powers (Encounter Power and Stealth Power) modify encounter chances. prevent encounters with any Pokémon of a lower level than the party's first Pokémon.
===Generation VII===
In Generation VII, a wild Pokémon can call for an ally, turning the battle into a 2-on-1 scenario. In , encounters can be prevented by using Roto Stealth, even if the player's lead Pokémon is lower than the level of the potential encounters.
While the player is riding a Poké Ride, the encounter rate will be adjusted:
Pokémon	Encounter rate
 	50%
 	55%
 	20%
 	65%
 	15%
 	100%
===Generation VIII===
 prevent hidden encounters with any Pokémon of a lower level than the party's first Pokémon. They have no effect on other encounters.
In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the camera view might show the before the wild Pokémon. In that case, the wild Pokémon has two or more s of 31.
=== Generation IX ===
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, there are fixed encounter locations where the same Pokémon always spawns at the same location, even when de-spawned by going off-screen. This includes wild Tera Pokémon, which always have the same Tera Type when encountered on the overworld. After a fixed encounter is defeated, it will not respawn until the clock rolls over to the next day.
===Encounter messages===
There are times when the usual message will be replaced by another message:
Game 	Situation 	Message
All Generation I and II games 	when a wild Pokémon is fished out 	The hooked <Pokémon> attacked!
All Generation II games 	when a wild Pokémon is encountered using 	<Pokémon> fell out of the tree!
 	Pokémon in Battle Bingo 	Oh! <Pokémon> appeared!
All Generation IV games 	wild Double Battle when with a Stat Trainer 	A wild <Pokémon> and <Pokémon> appeared!
All Generation IV games 	encountering a Pokémon in Pal Park 	Wow! <Pokémon's OT>'s <Pokémon's nickname> is drawing close!
 	battle against immediately after picking the first partner Pokémon 	Whoa! A wild <Pokémon> came charging!
 	when checking out a shaking Honey Tree 	A wild <Pokémon> appeared from the tree you slathered with Honey!
 	battle against in the Distortion World 	The Distortion World's <Pokémon> appeared!
All Generation V games 	wild Double Battle initiated by dark grass or with a partner NPC 	Oh! A wild <Pokémon> and <Pokémon> appeared!
All Generation V games 	Entree Forest encounter 	The <Pokémon> your Pokémon saw in the dream appeared!
All Generation V, , , and games 	battle against a non-roaming or Mythical Pokémon, in Relic Castle, disguised in Lostlorn Forest, an Ultra Beast that is registered in the Pokédex, or Max Raid Battle Pokémon	<Pokémon> appeared!
 	encountering one of N's Pokémon 	A wild <Pokémon> appeared?!
 	Routes and 	Whoa! The <Pokémon> you stepped on attacked!
 	walking into a shadow in caves 	Whoa! A wild <Pokémon> swooped down from above!
 	walking into a shadow next to a tree in the outdoor part of 	Whoa! A wild <Pokémon> dived out of the sky!
 	encountering a Pokémon by interacting with a trash can 	Whoa! A wild <Pokémon> leaped out of the trash can!
 	bushes on Routes and 	Whoa! A wild <Pokémon> leaped out of the tall grass!
All Generation VI and games 	during the catching demonstration 	Oh! A wild <Pokémon> appeared!
 	roaming Articuno, Zapdos, or Moltres 	Oh! A wild <Pokémon> appeared!
All Generation VI games 	Horde Encounters 	Whoa! A horde of <Pokémon> appeared!
, 	Totem Pokémon 	You are challenged by Totem <Pokémon>!
, 	encountering an Ultra Beast (before registering it in the Pokédex) 	??? appeared!
 	encountering a Pokémon whose level is too high for the player to catch 	You encountered a very strong-looking <Pokémon>!
 	encountering two wild Pokémon of different species 	You encountered a wild <Pokémon> and <Pokémon>!
 	encountering two wild Pokémon of the same species 	You encountered two wild <Pokémon>!
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl	Encountering a Legendary Pokémon 	<Pokémon> appeared!
===Availability===
Encounter type 	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation	Generation
Encounter type 	I 	II 	III 	III 	IV 	IV 	V 	V 	VI 	VI 	VII 	VII 	VIII 	VIII 	VIII 	IX
Encounter type 	I 	II 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	/ 	 	 	 	 	IX
Random encounter 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Fishing 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Overworld interaction	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Breakable rock 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Headbutt tree 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Roaming Pokémon 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Mass outbreak 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Sand/Deep sand 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Honey Tree 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Wild Double Battle 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Puddle 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Phenomenon 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Snow 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Ambush encounter 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Soaring 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Horde Encounter 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
SOS Battle 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Symbol encounter 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Wanderer 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Hidden encounter 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Pokémon Den 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Tera Raid Battle 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==In the spin-off games==
======
In Pokémon GO, wild Pokémon appear on a map of the real world (based on the crowdsourced OpenStreetMap project),Niantic Switches to OpenStreetMap in Pokémon GORecommendations for new (Pokémon GO) mappers by community members with the player moving in the game by traveling in the real world. When a Pokémon is nearby, the player's phone vibrates. The player can encounter a nearby Pokémon by tapping it in the Map View. Different kinds of Pokémon will appear in different environments; for example, Pokémon are more common near water. Weather also affects which Pokémon are common.
In a wild encounter, the player attempts to catch a wild Pokémon in a Poké Ball before it runs away. Unlike in the core series games, these encounters do not involve battle. At higher levels, the player can use various Berries to make wild Pokémon easier to catch or use more powerful Poké Balls like Great Balls and Ultra Balls. While pressing and holding a Poké Ball, a ring will appear around the Pokémon. This ring shrinks over time; once it reaches its smallest size, it immediately returns to full size, and the cycle repeats. If the Poké Ball is thrown while the ring is very small, the capture is more likely to be successful. Throwing the ball while the ring is as far out as it can be, or halfway in the outer circle also provides small bonuses.
====Encounter messages====
There are times when the usual A wild <Pokémon> appeared! will be replaced by another message: encountering a defeated or a will yield this message: Bonus Challenge! Catch <Pokémon>!
===Pokémon UNITE===
In Pokémon UNITE, wild Pokémon spawn in fixed locations across the stages. Each game mode has its own specific Pokémon, and the more important ones are detailed on the map overview of Casual and Quick Battle selections in the lobby.
Ordinary wild Pokémon appear on the minimap of a battle as yellow dots. They yield different amounts of experience and Aeos energy depending on the species and time within the match and since the last captured wild Pokémon in their respective spots. Their spawning may be influenced by the number of goal zones on either team's side. During a match's Final Stretch, regular wild Pokémon may evolve or despawn.
A special class of "objective" wild Pokémon appear as yellow generic enemy faces on the minimap. These Pokémon spawn at set times and provide various team-wide benefits, and thus are one of the focal points of a match.
In Catch 'Em and Panic Parade Quick Battles, certain wild Pokémon can be caught. In the former's case, they can be played as with a unique moveset, while in the latter, it is possible to temporarily send them out to fight alongside Trainer Pokémon.
===Pokémon Ranger series===
In the s, the wild Pokémon are not caught. Instead, it is possible to direct them to perform a task with a Capture Styler.
===Pokémon Pinball series===
In Pokémon Pinball and Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, during the Catch 'Em Mode, a wild Pokémon appears at the bottom of the field and can be caught by the player.
===Pokémon Battle Trozei===
According to the manual of Pokémon Battle Trozei, the puzzle game is about catching wild Pokémon: "Pokémon Battle Trozei is a puzzle game in which you clear puzzles in order to battle against and Trozei the wild Pokémon that appear in each stage. [...] In this game, the word Trozei means reducing a wild Pokémon's HP to zero and catching it so you can use it."
This is unlike the preceding game Pokémon Trozei!, in which the puzzle game was about recovering Pokémon stolen from their Trainers.
===Pokémon Trading Card Game Live===
In Pokémon Trading Card Game Live, one of the text strings displayed as the game loads is "Catching Wild Pokémon"
==In animation==
===Pokémon the Series===
Wild Pokémon are not typically a central feature of , which focuses mostly on the Pokémon belonging to , , and other Trainers that he encounters. Most of the Pokémon belonging to the group were shown in the wild at some point, but are usually at a later point in the same episode, most often at the end. Despite this, there have been several recurring wild Pokémon who appear over a length of time without being caught. Of all of these Pokémon, a , a , an , a , a , a , a , a , a , a , an Eevee, a , two , a , a , an , and a all went on to be caught several episodes after they appeared. As demonstrated on a number of occasions, is also a wild Pokémon.
There are, however, numerous examples of wild Pokémon being featured in debut episodes that introduce their species, such as Clefairy in Clefairy and the Moon Stone and Sudowoodo in Type Casting.
In the first episode, Ash's Pokédex states that wild Pokémon tend to be jealous of human-trained Pokémon, this being one of the reasons that the Ash hit with a rock attacked instead.
====Pokédex entries====
===Pokémon Horizons: The Series===
In , a , a , and a were all caught after first appearing as recurring wild Pokémon.
==In the manga==
===Pokémon Adventures===
Wild Pokémon have been seen in Pokémon Adventures since the start of the , though prior to the , they mostly served the role of being by one of the Pokédex holders or the antagonists, especially with , whom tasked with completing the Pokédex. In later arcs, wild Pokémon have become more common. In some cases, the possibility of controlling wild Pokémon without catching them has been demonstrated, such as with the being controlled by and the Hoenn Elite Four during the climax of the Ruby & Sapphire arc, or Colress controlling a wild in the due to Team Plasma's inability to place it inside a Poké Ball. Examples of Pokémon that have appeared in the wild outside the chapters they were caught in include , the legendary giants, and Pearl's Luxray.
==In the TCG==
The Pokémon Trading Card Game does not really address the distinction between wild Pokémon and Pokémon owned by trainers. As written in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Rules, the cards in one's deck are that player's Pokémon.Pokémon Trading Card Game Rules, , "Your deck of cards represents your Pokémon as well as items and allies that help you on your adventures." However, much of the game's art does not contain any traces of humans. One could interpret a card that does not show a human, a location associated with a human such as a house, or an organized battle as depicting a Pokémon in the wild.
The Poké Catch game depicts players catching Pokémon. Therefore, all of the Pokémon used in it can be assumed to be wild Pokémon.
==Trivia==
* In pre-release versions of , the wild encounter rate was so high that players would encounter wild Pokémon every two steps. Combined with the fact that Trainers would battle the player every time the player walked past them regardless of whether they had already been defeated, it would take players half a day to get through a single cave. Game Freak adjusted the wild encounter rate and changed Trainer battles for a more reasonable experience before the game was released.Shōko Nakagawa: Pokémon Taught Me The Meaning of Life (p155) via Dogasu's Backpack
* Prior to Generation IV, due to the fact that Pokémon hatched from Eggs at level 5, several wild Pokémon found in early routes had lower levels than newly-hatched Pokémon.
* is the core series game with the lowest maximum level available for a wild Pokémon, having no higher than level 60 and .
* The only level 100 wild Pokémon available in the core series are in , , (with The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero), in , and in Pokémon Sword and Shield (with Expansion Pass).
==In other languages==
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Terminology
Category:Methods of obtaining Pokémon
es:Pokémon salvaje
fr:Pokémon sauvage
it:Pokémon selvatico
ja:野生ポケモン
zh:野生宝可梦