Which Pokemon have the lowest encounter rate, not including legendaries or mythicals (all gens)?

The Pokemon, or mons, that have the lowest encounter rate overall in all gens that they are available. Sorry, this might take a while too.

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Generation I

Since Red/Blue and Yellow have very different catch lists and percentages, I have divided this list between those two games. In this generation, none of the fishing rods have a 1% chance to get anything, so all of the following Pokemon are encountered either in Grass, or by Walking in caves or buildings.

Red/Blue

There were a lot of 1% encounter Pokemon in Red and Blue. Most of these are evolved Pokemon that are very rare in one version, but a lot more common in the other. Doing this did mean that these games had (theoretically) less version exclusives than later entries, but some of the Pokemon that were available were a lot harder to get in one version than the other. The main exceptions to this is, of course, the nightmarish task of catching certain Safari Zone encounters (especially Chansey!).

Caterpie: Route 25, Grass, Red OnlyChansey: Safari Zone (Central Area), WalkingClefairy: Mountain Moon (1F), WalkingDewgong: Seafoam Islands (B3F), WalkingDitto: Cerulean Cave, WalkingGolbat: Seafoam Islands (B4F), WalkingGolduck: Seafoam Islands (1F and B2F), Walking, Red OnlyGraveler: Victory Road (2F), WalkingHaunter: Pokemon Tower (3F only), WalkingKangaskhan: Safari Zone (Western Area), WalkingKingler: Seafoam Islands (B1F), Walking, Blue OnlyMarowak: Victory Road (1F), WalkingMuk: Pokemon Mansion (all floors), Walking, Red OnlyPinsir: Safari Zone (Eastern Area), Walking, Blue OnlyScyther: Safari Zone (Eastern Area), Walking, Red OnlySeadra: Seafoam Islands (B1F), Walking, Red OnlySlowbro: Seafoam Islands (1F and B2F), Walking, Blue OnlyTauros: Safari Zone (Northern Area), WalkingWeedle: Route 25, Grass, Blue OnlyWeezing: Pokemon Mansion (all floors), Walking, Blue OnlyYellow

Yellow had less 1% encounters than Red and Blue, but this is largely because it is only a single game, and so avoided the “version exclusive” encounters of the other Generation I games.

Chansey: Safari Zone (Central Area), WalkingClefairy: Mountain Moon (1F), WalkingDodrio: Route 17, GrassFearow: Route 9, GrassPidgeotto: Routes 24 and 25, and Viridian Forest, GrassPinsir: Safari Zone (Northern Area), WalkingRaticate: Route 11, GrassScyther: Safari Zone (Eastern Area), WalkingSlowbro: Seafoam Islands (B2F), WalkingTangela: Safari Zone (Western Area), WalkingVenomoth: Routes 14 and 15, GrassGeneration II

Generation II did add several new methods to encounter Pokemon (Rock Smashing rocks and Headbutting trees), but none of these gave encounter rates of 1%. Several new mechanics that altered encounter rates were introduced, however - Time of Day and Swarms - and these did affect Pokemon with a 1% encounter rates. For Time of Day, the Pokemon in question were generally a lot common at another time of day (e.g. Quagsire and Zubat are both more common at Night). Swarms are more interesting, as that meant that at certain times Pokemon with very low encounter rates were a lot more common for a short period of time. Of the 1% Pokemon, this could affect Yanma, Dunsparce, Marill, and Snubbull, so those Pokemon’s encounter rates assume that there is no swarm of them at the time.

Gold and Silver

Aerodactyl: Route 14, TradeTechnically, I am cheating by including Aerodactyl on this list, since it is a trade, and so a definite encounter. However, you need to trade a Chansey for it, and since Chansey is so rare, it may as well be a 1% encounter!Chansey: Routes 13, 14, 15, GrassDunsparce: Dark Cave (Violet City side), WalkingMarill: Mt. Mortar (Entrance), WalkingQuagsire: Route 26, Grass, Morning OnlySnubbull: Route 38, GrassYanma: Route 35, GrassZubat: Route 32, Grass, Morning OnlyCrystal

Aerodactyl: Route 14, TradeTechnically, I am cheating by including Aerodactyl on this list, since it is a trade, and so a definite encounter. However, you need to trade a Chansey for it, and since Chansey is so rare, it may as well be a 1% encounter!Chansey: Routes 13, 14, 15, GrassDunsparce: Dark Cave (Violet City side), WalkingJynx: Ice Path (1F and B1F), Walking, Morning and Day OnlyPupitar: Mt. Silver (Summit), Walking, Day OnlySneasel: Ice Path (B1F), Walking, Night OnlyWeezing: Burned Tower (B1F), WalkingYanma: Route 35, GrassGeneration III

Ruby and Sapphire

Note that Area 5 of the Safari Zone is the area to the far southeast, and is only accessible after entering the Hall of Fame.

Note that for Unown certain letters only have a 1% chance of spawning. Specifically, these are the ‘?’ ‘!’ and ‘O’ Unown symbols.

Chansey: Safari Zone (Entrance Area), GrassClefairy: Mt. Moon (1F), WalkingDragonair: Safari Zone (All Areas), Super RodKakuna: Routes 24 and 25, Grass, LG OnlyKoffing: Celadon City, SurfingGolduck: Seafoam Islands (B3F and B4F), Surfing, FR OnlyGrimer: Celadon City, Super RodHaunter: Pokemon Tower (3F), WalkingKangaskhan: Safari Zone (Area 3), GrassLapras: Icefall Cave (Back Cave), SurfingMetapod: Routes 24 and 25, Grass, FR OnlyNidoran-female: Route 3, Grass, FR OnlyNidoran-male: Route 3, Grass, LG OnlyPinsir: Safari Zone (Area 1), Grass, LG OnlyPsyduck: Routes 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 24, Pallet Town, Cerulean City, Vermilion City, Vermilion Harbor, Cinnabar Island, One Island, Treasure Beach, Kindle Road, Bond Bridge, Icefall Cave (Back Cave), Five Isle Meadow, Memorial Pillar, Resort Gorgeous, Five Island, Water Labyrinth, Water Path, Green Path, Outcast Island, and Tenoby Ruins, Super Rod, FR OnlyScyther: Safari Zone (Area 1), Grass, FR OnlySlowbro: Seafoam Islands (B3F and B4F), Surfing, LG OnlySlowpoke: Routes 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 24, Pallet Town, Cerulean City, Vermilion City, Vermilion Harbor, Cinnabar Island, One Island, Treasure Beach, Kindle Road, Bond Bridge, Icefall Cave (Back Cave), Five Isle Meadow, Memorial Pillar, Resort Gorgeous, Five Island, Water Labyrinth, Water Path, Green Path, Outcast Island, and Tenoby Ruins, Super Rod, LG OnlyTauros: Safari Zone (Area 2), GrassUnown: Tanoby Chambers, WalkingWobbuffet: Cerulean Cave (B1F), WalkingGeneration IV

Several new methods of catching Pokemon were added in this generation, as well as the return of the previous capture methods. The ones that have 1% chance to encounter a Pokemon are Honey Trees and the Poke Radar. The Poke Radar is only given after getting the National Dex. Honey is a very annoying method. There are 21 Honey Trees in the game, but 4 will have a different encounter list than the other 17. To differentiate between these (when required) the 4 different Honey Trees will be called “Honey Tree (Special)”. Which Honey Trees are special will be randomly chosen for every new game, however. The Honey Tree Pokemon with a 1% chance will have no locations given, since they can be encounter in any Honey Tree or Special Honey Tree.Swarms again return, as well, which still increases the chance of encountering some of the listed Pokemon for a short period of time.

Diamond and Pearl

Chansey: Routes 13, 14, and 15, GrassDunsparce: Dark Cave (Violet City Entrance), WalkingMarill: Mt. Mortar (Entrance), WalkingSnubbull: Route 38, GrassYanma: Route 35, GrassGeneration V

There are very few 1% encounter Pokemon in either of the Unova games. Aside from those mentioned below, most encounters have a minimum of 5% chance to encounter (or 2.5% chance if you want to take into account the gender differences of Pokemon like Jellicent or Unfezant). In addition to the 1% encounters below, Tynamo is the only other one with a lower encounter chance (2% on several of the floors of Chargestone Cave).

I think the lack of rare encounters is due to the introduction of the “special” encounter methods. Whenever you are are near grass or water, or in a cave, there is a small chance of rustling grass, rippling water, or dust clouds, respectively, appearing. These “special” encounters contain different Pokemon than are normally found on the route. If a Pokemon in a “special” encounter has a 5 or 10% chance to appear, then you could still be searching for it for a very long time, so it really may as well be a 1% chance.

Seasons may also change the encounter rate for some Pokemon (usually just between Winter and the rest of the seasons). Every month is a new season (so the cycle doesn’t match the actual seasons in the real world).

Black and White

Chinchou: Route 18, FishingCryogonal: Twist Mountain, Walking, Spring, Summer, and Autumn OnlyDragonite: Dragonspiral Tower (Outside), Fishing in Rippling WaterBlack 2 and White 2

Dragonite: Dragonspiral Tower (Outside), Fishing in Rippling WaterMienfoo: Dragonspiral Tower (Entrance), Dark Grass, Winter Only