How to Stop Accidentally Knocking Out or Killing Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet

It might be an understatement, but the endgame of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet can be … annoying. Especially if you’re anything like me, who relied on mostly one ‘mon for my entire career. Because when it comes to doing pokédex cleanup, sometimes I need to travel to … the beginning areas. And, if you’re picking up what I’m putting down, it means my Meowscarada can use Knock Off and send every ‘mon to an early grave. It’s truly a nightmare being this good at a Pokémon game.

But, what would you do to avoid my mistakes? If you wanted to actually catch the ‘mons you missed, rather than knocking them out in one move? Here are some strategies you can try to avoid being the biggest threat to the existence of wild pokémon that Paldea has ever seen.

How to Stop Being a Poké-Menace

You may not like what I have to say here. But … you’re gonna have to use other pokémon. Ideally, you’ll have one in your immediate arsenal that is closer in level to the ‘mons you’re trying to catch. Whether that’s because you have been neglecting them or because you caught them recently … I won’t judge. If you use an alternate ‘mon to weaken the enemy before you attempt to catch them, things may prove more fruitful for you.

Related: All New Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

But, another option — and this might be an easier course of action — is to just buy a lot of great / ultra balls and accept that you’ll probably use most of them. Enter into a battle with a pokémon that you’d like to capture and just start using great / ultra balls until one of them sticks the landing. It might be incredibly frustrating, but that’s the name of the game, baby! You can’t complete your pokédex without popping a few blood vessels, so be prepared for that.

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