Soup Guys.

I'd like to get some closure on a timeless question that has been gnawing on my conscience for years. Does it really increase your likelihood of catching a pokémon when you press B when the pokéball opens up? Or any other button combination? A friend told me that back in the day and I did it until I stopped playing pokémon (all through GSC and RSE). So is there anything to back this up or is it simply confirmation bias?

Thanks :rudolf:

As far as I know pressing buttons doesn't do anything. I used to press A every time the pokeball wiggles

as long as you fell good pressing the button thats all that matters.

Its a feel good feeling that makes you feel it works.

I used to press the A button as I fling the ball, sway my gameboy from the left to the right as the ball travels to the pokemon and press down hard on B button out of habit.

Though once I did that and caught Kyorgre on the First try.

I don't think it actually makes a difference.

I always hold down B when doing an attack as it seems to do more damage that way.

My personal technique was just mashing the A button. I don't think it made any difference though

Its simply olden folklore of Pokemon. I highly doubt Game Freak would code that, unintentionally or otherwise into the games. Even then, who would notice something like this?

I think its just a rumor spread around by someone who delights in giving the world cramped fingers.

Oh gosh, I remember doing that all of the time on Red and Yellow. I do not know if it has any effect or not. I believe that there is a very complex algorithm somewhere on Wikipedia that explains your chances of catching a pokemon.

yeah, i used to do that all the time... then i realized that it didn't really work

here is the equation for how captures work:
Catch = PokeballEffect (((( 4 * Max HP - 2 * HP ) * Catch Rate ) / Max HP ) + Status + 1 ) / 256

pokeballeffect = the multiplier on the pokeball (1 for standard pokeball, 1.5 for great ball, 2 for ultra ball.
catch rate = number between 0 and 255 - for example caterpie has a capture rate of 255, whereas a zapdos has a capture rate of 3
status = sleep/frozen = 10, paralysis/poison/burn = 5, none = 0

if the catch value is over 1, the pokemon is caught. otherwise, it is effectively your percentage chance of catching it.

(i don't think the brackets are entirely correct in that equation, but thats the general gist of it)

I believe there was a glitch in the Japanese version of pokemon green where if you held B and down on the d-pad you would get a 100% catch rate.

Pokemon :shake:

I remember, however, I used to do that. It seemed to work. of course Until I tried catching harder pokemon :(