Horde Encounter

A horde of Axew

A Horde Encounter (Japanese: 群れバトル Herd Battle) is a type of Pokémon battle introduced in Pokémon X and Y. Horde Encounters consist of the appearance of a group of five wild Pokémon. Unlike wild Double Battles, Pokémon in a horde are usually of the same species, but may include a single instance of a similar Pokémon or counterpart of a different species.

Pokémon in hordes are at approximately half the level of other Pokémon in the same area and in some routes may be a lower evolutionary stage of Pokémon that normally inhabit the area (such as a horde of Geodude occurring in areas dominated by Graveler). Pokémon encountered in hordes may also have their Hidden Ability. Some Pokémon can only be found in hordes.

Hordes are encountered randomly by running through the tall grass, or they can be forcefully initiated using Honey or Sweet Scent; however, Honey and Sweet Scent cannot be used unless the weather is clear in the overworld. As in all wild battles, a Trainer cannot throw a Poké Ball unless there is only one wild Pokémon remaining.

The player's moves in a Horde Encounter act as if the player was in the center of a Triple Battle, except with all five other locations being treated as opponents instead of allies. A move like Tackle would only be able to hit one opponent, while a move like Rock Slide would be able to hit all five.

Mixed hordes

A mixed-species horde of Tauros and Miltank

In all cases of mixed hordes, four of one Pokémon species will appear, joined by one of another species.

• A Tauros horde may include one Miltank, and vice-versa.
• A Trevenant horde may include one Sudowoodo.
• A Seviper horde may include one Zangoose, and vice-versa.
• A Nidoran♂ horde may include one Nidoran♀, and vice-versa.
• A Roggenrola horde may include one Carbink, and vice-versa.
• A Durant horde may include one Heatmor, and vice-versa.
• A Plusle horde may include one Minun, and vice-versa.

Mixed hordes with enemy species

If a mixed horde includes Zangoose and Seviper or Heatmor and Durant, the wild Pokémon will ignore the player's Pokémon; instead, each Pokémon will attack the Pokémon of the other species with the exception of status moves. Once all the Pokémon of one species have fainted, the rest of the horde will begin attacking the player's Pokémon.

Unlike in Triple Battles, there is no range limit; a Pokémon in a far-left position can attack a Pokémon in a far-right position.

List of Horde Encounters

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: needs details on specific parts of caves ＆ routes

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Connecting Cave
Whismur	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Common
Zubat	X			Y			Horde Encounter	8	Average
Axew	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7-8	Rare
Reflection Cave
Mime Jr.	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Common
Roggenrola	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Average
Roggenrola	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Rare with Carbink
Carbink	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Rare with Roggenrola
Azure Bay - Grass
Slowpoke	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Average
Exeggcute	X			Y			Horde Encounter	14	Rare
Wingull	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Common
Frost Cave - All Floors
Smoochum	X			Y			Horde Encounter	21	Rare
Vanillite	X			Y			Horde Encounter	20	Common
Cubchoo	X			Y			Horde Encounter	20	Average
Pokémon Village - All Flowers & Surfing
Poliwag	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Average
Lombre	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Rare
Foongus	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Common
Victory Road - inside and out
Geodude	X			Y			Horde Encounter	28	Common
Graveler	X			Y			Horde Encounter	29	Average
Lickitung	X			Y			Horde Encounter	30	Rare
Floatzel	X			Y			Horde Encounter	29	Average
Terminus Cave - all floors
Aron	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Rare
Durant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Common
Geodude	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Average
Larvitar	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Rare
Route 5 - Flowered Areas
Plusle	X			Y			Grass/Purple Flowers	6	Rare with Minun
Minun	X			Y			Grass/Purple Flowers	6	Rare with Plusle
Gulpin	X			Y			Grass/Purple Flowers	5	Common
Scraggy	X			Y			Grass/Purple Flowers	5	Average
Route 7 - All areas
Psyduck	X			Y			Horde Encounter	8	Average
Hoppip	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Common
Roselia	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Rare
Route 8 - all areas
Taillow	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Rare
Wingull	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Common
Zangoose	X			Y			Horde Encounter	8	Average with Seviper
Seviper	X			Y			Horde Encounter	8	Average with Zangoose
Route 10
Yanma	X			Y			Horde Encounter	10	Average
Houndour	X			Y			Horde Encounter	10	Rare
Nosepass	X			Y			Horde Encounter	10	Common
Electrike	X			Y			Horde Encounter	10	Rare
Route 11
Nidoran♀	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Common with Nidoran♂
Nidoran♂	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Common with Nidoran♀
Starly	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11-12	Rare
Stunky	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Average
Route 12
Tauros	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Rare with Miltank
Mareep	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Average
Miltank	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Rare with Tauros
Wingull	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Common
Route 14
Ekans	X			Y			Horde Encounter	17	Rare
Bellsprout	X			Y			Horde Encounter	16	Common
Skorupi	X			Y			Horde Encounter	16	Average
Route 15 & 16
Murkrow	X			Y			Horde Encounter	18	Common
Foongus	X			Y			Horde Encounter	18	Average
Klefki	X			Y			Horde Encounter	19	Rare
Route 18
Geodude	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Common
Heatmor	X			Y			Horde Encounter	24	Rare with Durant
Durant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Average
Durant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	24	Rare with Heatmor
Route 19
Arbok	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Rare
Weepinbell	X			Y			Horde Encounter	24	Common
Gligar	X			Y			Horde Encounter	24	Average
Route 20
Sudowoodo	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Rare with Trevenant
Foongus	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Common
Trevenant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Average
Trevenant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Rare with Sudowoodo
Route 21
Scyther	X			Y			Horde Encounter	27	Rare
Spinda	X			Y			Horde Encounter	26	Common
Swablu	X			Y			Horde Encounter	26	Average
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.

In other languages

Language Title French Rencontres de Horde German Massenbegegnungen Italian Gruppi di Pokémon Korean 무리배틀 Muli Battle Spanish Encuentros de horda

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.