Formula Used
The calculator uses this Gen 8 capture structure:
X = (((3M - 2H) × G × C × B) ÷ (3M)) × L × S × D
M is maximum HP. H is current HP. G is the grass modifier. C is catch rate. B is ball bonus. L is the low-level modifier. S is status. D is difficulty.
If X is at least 255, the capture succeeds. Otherwise, the shake value is:
Y = floor(65536 ÷ (255 ÷ X)^(3 ÷ 16))
Normal capture chance is (Y ÷ 65536)^4. Critical capture uses one check. Its chance depends on X, Pokédex progress, and the Catching Charm.
Gen 8 Capture Planning
Gen 8 catching looks simple, yet the numbers hide many layers. A trainer throws one ball, but the game checks health, species rate, ball bonus, level, status, and difficulty. This calculator gathers those parts in one place. It turns scattered battle details into a clear catch chance.
Why Health Matters
Health changes the first part of the formula. A full health target only gives about one third of its base opportunity. Lower health pushes the chance closer to the strongest possible value. False Swipe is useful because it leaves one hit point. That makes the health factor very strong without knocking the target out.
Ball Choice and Context
Special balls can beat common balls when their condition is active. A Quick Ball shines on turn one. A Timer Ball grows as turns pass. A Dusk Ball works best at night or in caves. A Net Ball helps against Water or Bug types. The calculator asks for these conditions, so the selected ball can be judged fairly.
Status and Level Effects
Sleep and freeze give the largest status boost. Paralysis, poison, and burn also help. Gen 8 adds a low-level bonus for targets below level twenty one. It also applies a harsh penalty when an underleveled party tries certain higher-level targets before the final badge. These details can change a plan quickly.
Critical Captures
Critical captures use one breakout check instead of four. They depend on the final catch value, Pokédex progress, and the Catching Charm. A high critical chance does not guarantee success, but it improves the total chance per throw. This page shows normal chance, critical chance, and combined odds.
Practical Use
Use this tool before long hunts, rare spawns, shiny attempts, or raid planning. Enter conservative values when unsure. Compare several balls, then export the best result. The output helps trainers save rare balls, reduce wasted turns, and understand why one setup works better than another.
Remember that capture math is probability, not a promise. A strong setup can still fail. A weak setup can succeed early. Review the odds across several throws. This gives a better view of risk than one number alone, especially during rare encounters and limited raid attempts, careful plans.
FAQs
What games does this calculator support?
It is designed for Gen 8 style capture planning, including Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl. Some raid cases use selectable difficulty modifiers, so you can model special cases without editing the code.
Why does current HP matter so much?
The formula rewards lower current HP. A target at full health gives a much weaker catch value. Reducing HP near one point makes the health part of the formula much stronger.
Does a Master Ball need calculation?
No. The calculator treats the Master Ball as a guaranteed capture. It also includes an early route guarantee option for cases where the game bypasses normal capture checks.
How is the Heavy Ball handled?
The Heavy Ball changes the species catch rate by weight instead of using a normal multiplier. Very heavy targets can gain a bonus. Very light targets can receive a penalty.
Why is my critical capture chance zero?
Critical capture chance depends on Pokédex progress. If your caught species count is low, the Pokédex modifier can be zero. Max Raid captures also skip critical capture handling.
What does the final badge option do?
Before the final badge, some higher-level targets receive a harsh difficulty penalty when your active Pokémon is lower level. Checking the final badge option removes that automatic penalty.
Why include custom difficulty?
Custom difficulty helps model special raid data or house rules. Enter one for normal strength, below one for harder catches, and above one for easier catches.
Are the download buttons dynamic?
Yes. The CSV and PDF buttons recalculate using the current form values, then download the displayed result summary. They do not require a database or extra package.