Of the 79 Pokémon you can capture directly in Pokémon Pinball, 24 never appear in ordinary rolls. To see them show up, you have to start Catch’em Mode with the three GET arrows lit, in the right location and on the right table. This page lists these rare Pokémon, their locations and their exact odds, then gives the method for getting them without spending weeks on it.
Two arrows or three: two different lists
Each location on each table has two lists of 16 slots. With two GET arrows lit, the game draws from the “normal” list. With the third arrow, it draws from the “rare” list for the same location, where some common Pokémon give up their slots to species that are absent from the normal list. The percentages below correspond to the share of the 16 slots occupied by each Pokémon: 3 slots out of 16 gives an 18.75% chance each time the mode is started.
The third arrow is lit by sending the ball back through the table’s right loop before triggering the capture. Take the time to light it before every capture in locations that host a legendary.
The 24 Pokémon that only appear with three arrows
| Pokémon | No. | Where to look (odds with three GET arrows) |
|---|---|---|
| Clefairy | 035 | Blue Field: Celadon City (12.50%) Blue Field: Mt. Moon (37.50%) |
| Farfetch’d | 083 | Blue Field: Vermilion City (streets) (25%) Red Field: Vermilion City (seaside) (25%) |
| Hitmonlee | 106 | Blue Field: Saffron City (18.75%) |
| Hitmonchan | 107 | Blue Field: Saffron City (18.75%) |
| Chansey | 113 | Blue Field: Safari Zone (25%) Red Field: Safari Zone (25%) |
| Mr. Mime | 122 | Blue Field: Rock Mountain (Dark Cave) (18.75%) Red Field: Rock Mountain (Dark Cave) (18.75%) |
| Scyther | 123 | Blue Field: Celadon City (6.25%) Red Field: Safari Zone (12.50%) |
| Jynx | 124 | Blue Field: Cerulean City (18.75%) Red Field: Cerulean City (18.75%) |
| Electabuzz | 125 | Red Field: Lavender Town (18.75%) |
| Magmar | 126 | Blue Field: Cinnabar Island (18.75%) |
| Pinsir | 127 | Blue Field: Celadon City (6.25%) Blue Field: Safari Zone (12.50%) |
| Tauros | 128 | Blue Field: Safari Zone (12.50%) Red Field: Safari Zone (12.50%) |
| Lapras | 131 | Blue Field: Saffron City (18.75%) |
| Eevee | 133 | Blue Field: Celadon City (18.75%) |
| Porygon | 137 | Blue Field: Celadon City (25%) |
| Omanyte | 138 | Red Field: Cinnabar Island (18.75%) |
| Kabuto | 140 | Red Field: Cinnabar Island (18.75%) |
| Aerodactyl | 142 | Blue Field: Cinnabar Island (18.75%) |
| Snorlax | 143 | Red Field: Cycling Road (18.75%) |
| Articuno | 144 | Red Field: Seafoam Islands (18.75%) |
| Zapdos | 145 | Red Field: Lavender Town (18.75%) |
| Moltres | 146 | Blue Field: Indigo Plateau (18.75%) Red Field: Indigo Plateau (18.75%) |
| Dratini | 147 | Blue Field: Celadon City (18.75%) Blue Field: Safari Zone (12.50%) Red Field: Safari Zone (12.50%) |
| Mewtwo | 150 | Blue Field: Indigo Plateau (18.75%) Red Field: Indigo Plateau (18.75%) |
#0035ClefairyFairy
#0083Farfetch’dNormalFlying
#0106HitmonleeFighting
#0107HitmonchanFighting
#0113ChanseyNormal
#0122Mr. MimeFairyPsychic
#0123ScytherBugFlying
#0124JynxIcePsychic
#0125ElectabuzzElectric
#0126MagmarFire
#0127PinsirBug
#0128TaurosNormal
#0131LaprasWaterIce
#0133EeveeNormal
#0137PorygonNormal
#0138OmanyteWaterRock
#0140KabutoWaterRock
#0142AerodactylRockFlying
#0143SnorlaxNormal
#0144ArticunoIceFlying
#0145ZapdosElectricFlying
#0146MoltresFireFlying
#0147DratiniDragon
#0150MewtwoPsychic
Special cases
The legendary birds and Mewtwo
Articuno lives only in the Seafoam Islands on the Red Field, Zapdos only in Lavender Town, also on the Red Field. Moltres and Mewtwo are found at the Indigo Plateau on both tables. All four occupy 3 slots out of 16 in their location’s rare list. The Indigo Plateau only comes at the end of the map’s cycle: you have to chain your travels to reach it (see the map and locations).
The fossils of Cinnabar Island
Omanyte and Kabuto are captured on Cinnabar Island on the Red Field, Aerodactyl in the same place on the Blue Field. Their evolutions, Omastar and Kabutops, then go through Evolution Mode.
Eevee, Porygon and Dratini in Celadon City
Celadon City, on the Blue Field, is the most valuable location in the game: Eevee, Porygon, Dratini, Pinsir, Scyther and Clefairy all appear in its rare list. Since Eevee evolves at random into Vaporeon, Jolteon or Flareon, you will probably need to capture it there three times (see evolutions).
Mew
Mew is in no list at the start. It follows a separate rule, detailed on its own page: how to get Mew in Pokémon Pinball.
Uncommon even in the normal list
A few species appear in the normal list, but with only one slot out of 16 (6.25%) in all of their locations: Bulbasaur (Pallet Town on the Red Field, Viridian City on the Blue Field), Pikachu (Viridian Forest), Psyduck, Poliwag, Slowpoke, Seel (Seafoam Islands, Red Field), Cubone (Lavender Town, Red Field) and Lickitung (Cycling Road, Red Field). For several of them, the rare list for the same location gives them more slots: the third arrow is therefore still the right strategy.
The method for getting them
- Choose the table based on the target Pokémon: there are many exclusives (Zapdos and Articuno on the Red Field, Eevee and Porygon on the Blue Field…).
- Get to the right location using Travel Mode, then stay there until you’ve obtained the target Pokémon: losing a ball doesn’t change location.
- Light up all three arrows before entering Catch’em Mode.
- Don’t waste launches: if the Pokémon drawn isn’t the one you’re after, capture it anyway. The capture lights up a Poké Ball under the central panel and brings you closer to a bonus stage.
- Protect the ball: a rare Pokémon revealed and then lost because a ball dropped is the worst frustration in the game. Prefer moments when the Ball Saver is active.
For the full list of all 151 Pokémon and their locations, see the Pokémon list; for a plan to fill in the Pokédex, completing the Pokédex.
