Hidden Pokemon Go Legendary Raid secret discovered years after release

The Pokemon community has uncovered a major secret about Raid battles in Pokemon Go. The hidden game mechanic could change the way Trainers catch Legendary Pokemon in the mobile title. 

In 2017, Niantic added Raid Battles to Pokemon Go. The online PVE mode quickly became one of the game’s most popular features as it allowed Trainers around the world to team up to take on Legendaries such as Mewtwo and Rayquaza.

After a year of research, players have discovered a secret about Raid battles that could save users hours of time and Berries. The new trick reveals the best way to catch Legendary Pokemon after defeating them. 

Niantic / The Pokemon Company

A new discovery about Pokemon Go Raids could change how players catch Legendary Pokemon.

New Pokemon Go Raid Boss strategy discovered

The new discovery was found by a group of Go players at The Silph Road after they spent an entire year documenting thousands of raid battles. After recording 6,500 ball throws to catch Legendary Pokemon, the data and results were shocking, to say the least.

According to their findings, the 10th Premier Ball thrown had the highest % of catching Legendary Pokemon. In comparison, the first nine balls thrown had a substantially lower rate. “You are more likely to catch the raid boss on the 10th throw of the encounter than the 1st,” the website wrote.

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More importantly, the research suggests that a hidden catch multiplier is applied the more Poke Balls are thrown out. “These initial results suggest a large catch bonus after many throws. By the 8-10th throw, it’s as if you’re throwing an Ultra Ball instead of a Premier Ball!”

The Silph Road

A graph posted by The Silph Road, which shows the catch rate increasing over time.

So what does this all mean exactly? Players should not use Golden Razz Berries or other items until at least throw eight through 10. The odds for catching the raid boss before this throwing range is dramatically lower, so Trainers should save up their items and wait. 

“The increased catch rate throughout a raid boss encounter opens up new catching strategies for both hard-core and casual players. Travelers with limited berry resources might consider saving their berries for later in the encounter, rather than using them at the beginning,” the Silph Road article concludes.

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The research was conducted by Pokemon Go players  Superion and Titleist, with data collected from Trainers aniwol, DarkMighty, Draxado, jennwebb09, Jyagaimasu, LTDeadpool-Admin, natanos, Nitrodon, redwingsarebad, Sinkalingsveis, Superion, Titleist, Tober/Dave, and turtleduck.

H/T: The Silph Road