Pokémon Emerald: A Comprehensive Guide to Finding Latias
Latias, the Eon Pokémon, is a coveted catch in Pokémon Emerald. Unlike its counterpart Latios, Latias’s appearance isn’t guaranteed, and tracking it down requires specific steps and a bit of luck. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to encounter and capture Latias in Pokémon Emerald.
**Understanding the Basics**
Before diving into the hunt, it’s crucial to understand the fundamentals of Latias’s behavior in Emerald:
* **Roaming Pokémon:** Latias is a roaming Pokémon, meaning it randomly appears in different routes across the Hoenn region after a specific trigger event. This makes it significantly harder to find than static encounters.
* **Initial Choice Matters:** At the beginning of your Emerald adventure, after defeating the Elite Four and watching the credits, your mother will ask you about a TV program featuring a Pokémon. *This choice determines which Eon Pokémon will roam*. If you say the Pokémon was red, you’ll encounter Latias. If you say it was blue, you’ll encounter Latios. This guide specifically covers finding Latias.
* **Level:** Latias is level 40 when you encounter it in the wild. Prepare your team accordingly.
* **Moveset:** Latias’s moveset at level 40 is: Mist Ball, Psychic, Recover, and Charm. Mist Ball is a Special Attack move with a chance to lower the target’s Special Attack. Psychic is a powerful Special Attack move. Recover heals Latias for half of its maximum HP, making it a frustrating opponent to weaken. Charm sharply lowers the target’s Attack stat.
* **Shiny Chance:** Like all Pokémon in Emerald, Latias has a chance to be shiny. However, due to its roaming nature, soft resetting for a shiny Latias is incredibly tedious and not generally recommended, unless you are using RNG manipulation methods, which are outside the scope of this guide.
**Pre-Hunt Preparations**
Effective preparation is key to minimizing frustration and maximizing your chances of catching Latias. Here’s what you need to do before starting your hunt:
1. **Complete the Main Story:** You must defeat the Elite Four and Champion Wallace to trigger the event that causes Latias to roam. Make sure you select the “red” option when your mom asks about the television report.
2. **Obtain the Pokédex:** You need the Pokédex to track Latias’s location after encountering it for the first time. Professor Birch gives you the Pokédex early in the game.
3. **Get the PokéNav:** The PokéNav is crucial for tracking Latias. After obtaining the Pokédex, continue the story until you reach Dewford Town and speak to Mr. Stone. After delivering the letter to Steven, you’ll receive the PokéNav from the Devon Researcher in Rustboro City.
4. **Acquire a Pokémon with Mean Look or Block:** These moves prevent Latias from fleeing the battle, greatly increasing your chances of catching it. Alternatively, you can use a Pokémon with the Shadow Tag ability, such as Wobbuffet (though finding one with a good nature and IVs might take a while).
* **Mean Look:** Can be learned by Pokémon like Golbat (evolves from Zubat, found in caves) and Umbreon (evolves from Eevee with high friendship at night).
* **Block:** Can be learned by Pokémon like Wobuffet (found in the Safari Zone).
5. **Stock Up on Poké Balls:** Latias can be difficult to catch, so you’ll need a large supply of Poké Balls. Ultra Balls are the most effective, but Great Balls and Timer Balls are also useful.
* **Ultra Balls:** The best regular Poké Ball for catching difficult Pokémon. Buy them at Poké Marts in most cities.
* **Great Balls:** A decent alternative to Ultra Balls, especially if you’re on a budget.
* **Timer Balls:** These become more effective the longer the battle goes on. Use them if you’re having trouble catching Latias with other Poké Balls.
* **Master Ball:** If you still have your Master Ball from the Team Aqua/Magma storyline, this guarantees a catch, but it’s generally recommended to save it for other difficult-to-catch Pokémon, such as Rayquaza. However, if you are simply getting frustrated with the hunt, it is certainly an option.
6. **Prepare a Strong Team:** You’ll need a team of Pokémon that can withstand Latias’s attacks and inflict damage. Consider including Pokémon with high Special Defense and those that can inflict status conditions like paralysis or sleep.
7. **A Pokémon around Level 50 or higher**: Having a Pokémon around the level 50 range can help you survive Latias’s attacks, which helps to increase the amount of turns you have in battle to catch her.
**The Hunting Process: A Step-by-Step Guide**
Now that you’re prepared, follow these steps to find and capture Latias:
1. **The Initial Encounter Trigger:** After defeating the Elite Four and watching the credits, go back to your house in Littleroot Town. Go downstairs and watch the TV with your mom. She’ll ask you what color the Pokémon was on TV. Make sure you answer “Red”. Answering blue will cause Latios to appear instead of Latias.
2. **Fly to a City:** After the TV event, fly to a city (Slateport City or Lilycove City are good choices due to their central location). The location you are in when Latias is first “released” will affect which routes it can appear on. It is not essential to be in a specific location, but it can affect your hunting route, which is why using a central location is recommended.
3. **Use the PokéNav:** Open your PokéNav and select the “Map” option. Latias’s location will be displayed as a small, moving icon on the map. The icon will only appear after the initial event where your mother describes the Pokémon on TV. The icon will not be there before.
4. **Track Latias’s Route:** Note the route where Latias is currently located. Then, move to an adjacent route. Latias moves to a new, random route each time you change routes. Your goal is to position yourself so that Latias is on an adjacent route to you. For example, if Latias is on Route 110, move to Route 103, Route 118, or Mauville City.
5. **The Repel Trick (Essential for Efficient Hunting):** This is the most efficient way to find Latias. It involves using a Pokémon with the ability *Static*, *Magnet Pull*, or *Arena Trap* at the *front* of your party and using Repels. *Static* increases the encounter rate of Electric-type Pokémon, *Magnet Pull* increases the encounter rate of Steel-type Pokémon, and *Arena Trap* makes wild Pokémon unable to run. None of these directly help you find Latias, but it *prevents* you from encountering other Pokémon at a *lower level* than the Pokémon at the front of your party.
* **Why this works:** Roaming Pokémon appear randomly, and you want to increase the odds of them appearing. By using a Pokémon with a level higher than the other wild Pokémon in the area, and by using a repel, you prevent any of the *lower-level* Pokémon from spawning. This increases the odds that the Pokémon that appears is Latias.
* **How to do it:** Place a Pokémon around Level 40 in the front of your party (this will increase the odds of finding Latias). Buy a large amount of Repels. Use a repel. Run around in the grass. If you do not encounter Latias, move to the next route and repeat.
6. **Encounter Latias:** Once you’re on an adjacent route to Latias, move back and forth between the two routes until you encounter it in the wild. It may take several attempts, so be patient. Remember to use Repels to minimize encounters with other Pokémon.
7. **Engage and Prevent Escape:** When you encounter Latias, immediately use the Pokémon with Mean Look or Block to prevent it from fleeing. Alternatively, switch to your Pokémon with the Shadow Tag ability (Wobbuffet). If you don’t have either of these, Latias will likely run away on its first turn, and you’ll have to start the hunting process again.
8. **Weaken Latias:** Carefully weaken Latias without knocking it out. Use non-lethal moves like False Swipe (learned by Pokémon like Scizor) or status-inducing moves like Thunder Wave (paralysis) or Sleep Powder (sleep).
9. **Throw Poké Balls:** Once Latias is weakened and unable to escape, start throwing Poké Balls. Ultra Balls are the most effective, but Great Balls and Timer Balls can also work. Be patient, as it may take many attempts to catch it.
10. **Repeat if Necessary:** If Latias flees or you accidentally knock it out, don’t worry. Its location on the map will reset, and you can continue tracking it down using the PokéNav. Just repeat the steps above until you finally catch it.
**Advanced Tips and Strategies**
* **Using the Old Rod:** Some players suggest using the Old Rod in water tiles within a route to potentially trigger a route change for Latias without actually moving your character. This can be helpful for fine-tuning its location.
* **Sweet Scent/Honey:** While not as effective as the Repel trick, using Sweet Scent or Honey can force an encounter in tall grass. Be prepared to switch out quickly if it’s not Latias.
* **Marking Latias’s Location:** Use a pen and paper or a digital note-taking app to keep track of the routes Latias has been on. This can help you predict its movements and optimize your hunting strategy.
* **Patience is Key:** Finding and catching Latias can be a time-consuming and frustrating process. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t find it right away. Keep at it, and eventually, you’ll succeed.
**Troubleshooting Common Issues**
* **Latias Isn’t Appearing on the Map:** Make sure you’ve completed the Elite Four, watched the credits, and answered “Red” when your mom asked about the TV program. If you answered “Blue”, you’ll be looking for Latios instead.
* **Latias Keeps Fleeing:** You must use a Pokémon with Mean Look, Block, or Shadow Tag to prevent it from escaping. Otherwise, it will almost always flee on its first turn.
* **I Keep Encountering Other Pokémon:** Use the Repel trick described above to minimize encounters with other Pokémon and increase your chances of finding Latias.
* **Latias is Too Strong:** Ensure that you have a Pokémon with a high level, and a high special defense to take Latias’s Special attacks. Having a Pokémon around level 50 or higher can help you survive Latias’s attacks, which helps to increase the amount of turns you have in battle to catch her.
**Alternative Hunting Methods**
While the Repel trick is considered the most efficient method, here are a couple of alternative approaches:
1. **The Route Cycling Method:** This involves continuously moving between two adjacent routes until Latias appears. It’s less efficient than the Repel trick but can still be effective.
2. **The Town/Route Method:** This involves moving back and forth between a town and a route. The idea is that the route change might cause Latias to appear on the route you’re entering.
**A note about Glitches and Exploits:**
While some players might suggest using glitches or exploits to manipulate the game and force Latias to appear, this guide focuses on legitimate methods within the game’s intended mechanics. Using glitches can potentially corrupt your save file or introduce unintended consequences, so proceed with caution if you choose to explore those options.
**Example of a Hunting Run:**
1. Fly to Slateport City.
2. Ensure you have a Pokémon at the front of your party around level 40 (higher is fine, too) and have plenty of Repels.
3. Use a Repel.
4. Check your PokéNav to see what route Latias is on. Let’s say it’s on Route 110.
5. Walk onto Route 110 from Slateport City. Walk around in the grass.
6. If you encounter Latias, great! Use Mean Look (or Block or Shadow Tag) and start weakening it.
7. If you encounter any other Pokémon, run away (or defeat it if you want the experience points). The Repel should prevent you from encountering anything below level 40.
8. If you don’t encounter anything after walking around for a bit (while the Repel is still active), walk back into Slateport City, then back onto Route 110. This resets the encounter chances.
9. Keep repeating steps 5-8 until Latias appears.
10. If Latias *doesn’t* appear after repeated attempts on Route 110, go *back* to Slateport City, then walk onto Route 118 (which is also adjacent to Route 110). This will cause Latias to move to a new random location.
11. Check your PokéNav again. Latias should now be on a different route.
12. Repeat the entire process from step 3, adjusting your location based on where Latias is now located.
**Conclusion**
Finding and catching Latias in Pokémon Emerald is a challenging but rewarding experience. By following the steps outlined in this guide, preparing your team, and staying patient, you’ll significantly increase your chances of adding this legendary Pokémon to your collection. Good luck, and happy hunting!