Roaming Pokémon

Roaming Pokémon are a type of legendary Pokémon that, instead of remaining in one place as a special event, run around the region they appear in, seemingly at random. Roaming Pokémon have appeared in every main series game since Generation II.

In addition to their changing of routes (something that happens every time the player passes through a route boundary), they will also, on every turn of battle, attempt to flee. The only way to prevent this is to either use a trapping move such as Mean Look or have the Pokémon sent out have a trapping ability such as Shadow Tag or Arena Trap. If they try to flee and fail, they attack on the same turn.

In Generations II and III, a Trainer can use his or her Pokédex to check the ever-changing location of their target after they have seen the target. However, in Generation IV, the Pokétch's Marking Map application and the Pokégear's map card serve this purpose, relieving the player from having to change through a multitude of screens, as was the case in past generations.

List of roaming Pokémon

Generation II

These Pokémon are found roaming Johto in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal; however, Suicune is found at the Tin Tower in Crystal. They can be captured at any point after they are disturbed by the player in Ecruteak City's Brass Tower.

Pokémon		Games			Location	Levels	Rate
	Raikou	G	S	C	Grass	40	Event
	Entei	G	S	C	Grass	40	Event
	Suicune	G	S	C	Grass	40	Event
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Generation III

Hoenn

The Eon Pokémon can be caught in Hoenn after defeating the Elite Four for the first time. Only one will roam Hoenn (the other can be obtained on Southern Island with the Eon Ticket), depending on version, or in Emerald, depending on the color of Pokémon the player tells his or her mother. In Ruby and Sapphire Versions, the roaming Pokémon will have low IVs due to the Roaming Pokémon glitch.

Pokémon		Games			Location	Levels	Rate
	Latias	R	S	E	Grass	40	Event
	Latios	R	S	E	Grass	40	Event
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Latias

	Types: Dragon Psychic Ability: Levitate Held item: None
Latias♀ Lv.40
Safeguard Normal   --       DragonBreath Dragon   --       Water Sport Water   --       Refresh Normal   --

Latios

	Types: Dragon Psychic Ability: Levitate Held item: None
Latios♂ Lv.40
Safeguard Normal   --       DragonBreath Dragon   --       Protect Normal   --       Refresh Normal   --

Kanto

These Pokémon are only present in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. The only one that will appear will be the one whose type weakens the type of the player's chosen starter Pokémon (Raikou for Squirtle, Entei for Bulbasaur, Suicune for Charmander). They will have low IVs due to the Roaming Pokémon glitch.

Pokémon		Games		Location	Levels	Rate
	Raikou	FR	LG	Grass	50	Event
	Entei	FR	LG	Grass	50	Event
	Suicune	FR	LG	Grass	50	Event
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Raikou

	Types: Electric Unknown Ability: Pressure Held item: None
Raikou Lv.50
ThunderShock Electric   --       Roar Normal   --       Quick Attack Normal   --       Spark Electric   --

Entei

	Types: Fire Unknown Ability: Pressure Held item: None
Entei Lv.50
Ember Fire   --       Roar Normal   --       Fire Spin Fire   --       Stomp Normal   --

Suicune

	Types: Water Unknown Ability: Pressure Held item: None
Suicune Lv.50
BubbleBeam Water   --       Rain Dance Water   --       Gust Flying   --       Aurora Beam Ice   --

Generation IV

Sinnoh

Sinnoh has five roaming Pokémon, each of which is available in the wild after certain events have taken place. Mesprit will roam after the player goes to Lake Verity after defeating Team Galactic at Mt. Coronet, Cresselia will appear after the player helps cure Eldritch's son's nightmares, and the legendary birds will appear in Platinum after the player first talks to Professor Oak in Eterna City.

Pokémon		Games			Location	Levels	Rate
	Mesprit	D	P	Pt	Grass	50	Event
	Cresselia	D	P	Pt	Grass	50	Event
	Articuno	D	P	Pt	Grass	60	Event
	Zapdos	D	P	Pt	Grass	60	Event
	Moltres	D	P	Pt	Grass	60	Event
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Mesprit

Diamond and Pearl

	Types: Psychic Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None
Mesprit Lv.50
Confusion Psychic Special   --       Lucky Chant Normal Status   --       Future Sight Psychic Special   --       Charm Normal Status   --

Platinum

	Types: Psychic Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None
Mesprit Lv.50
Swift Normal Special   --       Lucky Chant Normal Status   --       Future Sight Psychic Special   --       Charm Normal Status   --

Cresselia

	Types: Psychic Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None
Cresselia Lv.50
Mist Ice Status   --       Aurora Beam Ice Special   --       Future Sight Psychic Special   --       Slash Normal Physical   --

Articuno

	Types: Ice Flying Ability: Pressure Held item: None
Articuno Lv.60
Agility Psychic Status   --       Ice Beam Ice Special   --       Reflect Psychic Status   --       Roost Flying Status   --

Zapdos

	Types: Electric Flying Ability: Pressure Held item: None
Zapdos Lv.60
Charge Psychic Status   --       Agility Unknown Unknown   --       Discharge Electric Special   --       Roost Flying Status   --

Moltres

	Types: Fire Flying Ability: Pressure Held item: None
Moltres Lv.60
Flamethrower Fire Special   --       Safeguard Normal Status   --       Air Slash Flying Special   --       Roost Flying Status   --

Johto and Kanto

In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Raikou and Entei will roam Johto after meeting them in the Burned Tower, and after leaving the Vermilion City Pokémon Fan Club house with Copycat's doll, Latios or Latias will roam Kanto.

Pokémon		Games		Location	Levels	Rate
	Raikou	HG	SS	Johto	40	Event
	Entei	HG	SS	Johto	40	Event
	Latias	HG	SS	Kanto	35	Event
	Latios	HG	SS	Kanto	35	Event
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Raikou

	Types: Electric Unknown Ability: Pressure Held item: None
Raikou Lv.40
Roar Normal Status   --       Quick Attack Normal Physical   --       Spark Electric Physical   --       Reflect Psychic Status   --

Entei

	Types: Fire Unknown Ability: Pressure Held item: None
Entei Lv.40
Roar Normal Status   --       Fire Spin Fire Special   --       Stomp Normal Physical   --       Flamethrower Fire Special   --

Latias

	Types: Dragon Psychic Ability: Levitate Held item: None
Latias♀ Lv.35
DragonBreath Water Status   --       Water Sport Water Status   --       Refresh Normal Status   --       Mist Ball Psychic Special   --

Latios

	Types: Dragon Psychic Ability: Levitate Held item: None
Latios♂ Lv.35
DragonBreath Water Status   --       Protect Normal Status   --       Refresh Normal Status   --       Luster Purge Psychic Special   --

See also

Game locations of Legendary and Mythical Pokémon

Kanto Seafoam Islands • Power Plant • Victory Road • Cerulean Cave Route 10 • Route 25 • Pewter City • Roaming Pokémon Sevii Islands Mt. Ember • Navel Rock • Birth Island Johto Ilex Forest • Bell Tower • Whirl Islands • Mt. Silver Cave Burned Tower • Embedded Tower • Roaming Pokémon Hoenn Desert Ruins • Island Cave • Ancient Tomb • Cave of Origin • Marine Cave Terra Cave • Sky Pillar • Southern Island • Sea Mauville • Scorched Slab Pathless Plain • Nameless Cavern • Fabled Cave • Gnarled Den Trackless Forest • Crescent Isle • Sky • Roaming Pokémon Sinnoh Acuity Cavern • Valor Cavern • Spear Pillar • Turnback Cave Rock Peak Ruins • Iceberg Ruins • Iron Ruins • Snowpoint Temple Stark Mountain • Newmoon Island • Flower Paradise • Hall of Origin Ramanas Park • Floaroma Town • Roaming Pokémon Unova Guidance Chamber • Trial Chamber • Rumination Field • N's Castle • Abundant Shrine Giant Chasm • Dragonspiral Tower • Liberty Garden • Route 11 • Route 13 • Route 22 Route 23 • Celestial Tower • Nacrene City • Underground Ruins • Twist Mountain Dreamyard • Marvelous Bridge • Reversal Mountain • Coastal Biome • Roaming Pokémon Kalos Sea Spirit's Den • Team Flare Secret HQ • Terminus Cave Unknown Dungeon • Roaming Pokémon Alola Route 16 • Altar of the Sunne • Altar of the Moone • Mount Lanakila • Mahalo Trail Ruins of Conflict • Ruins of Life • Ruins of Abundance • Ruins of Hope Aether Paradise • Ancient Poni Path • Lake of the Sunne • Lake of the Moone Ten Carat Hill • Resolution Cave Galar Tower summit • Battle Tower • Master Dojo • Crown Shrine • Max Lair Rock Peak Ruins • Iceberg Ruins • Iron Ruins • Split-Decision Ruins • Giant's Bed Frigid Sea • Lakeside Cave • Ballimere Lake • Freezington • Roaming Pokémon Hisui Seaside Hollow • Temple of Sinnoh • Acuity Cavern • Valor Cavern • Verity Cavern Lava Dome Sanctum • Moonview Arena • Snowpoint Temple • Turnback Cave • Bonechill Wastes Cobalt Coastlands • Ramanas Island • Scarlet Bog • Coronet Highlands • Floaro Gardens Paldea Grasswither Shrine • Icerend Shrine • Groundblight Shrine • Firescourge Shrine Poco Path • Area Zero • Area Zero Underdepths • Glaseado Mountain South Province (Area One) • Asado Desert • West Province (Area One) • East Province (Area Three) Casseroya Lake • North Paldean Sea • South Province (Area Four) • North Province (Area Two) Alfornada Cavern • Great Crater of Paldea • Tagtree Thicket • East Province (Area One) South Province (Area Five) • Dalizapa Passage • Pokémon League • Socarrat Trail Kitakami Paradise Barrens • Wistful Fields • Oni Mountain • Dreaded Den • Loyalty Plaza Other Faraway Island • Distortion World • Sinjoh Ruins • Ultra Space Wilds