Horde Encounter

A Horde Encounter (Japanese: 群れバトル Herd Battle) is a type of Pokémon battle introduced in Pokémon X and Y. A Horde Encounter involves one of the player's Pokémon facing five opponents at once. In Pokémon X and Y, this was restricted to wild Pokémon, but in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, five Trainers may also engage in a horde battle with the player.

A horde of Axew

In wild Horde Encounters, all Pokémon are usually of the same species, but in some cases, one of them may instead be a counterpart or a similar Pokémon to the majority. The Pokémon in hordes are at approximately half the level of other Pokémon in the area and may be a lower evolutionary stage of a Pokémon that normally inhabits the area (such as a horde of Geodude occurring in areas dominated by Graveler). Pokémon encountered in hordes may also have their Hidden Ability. Some Pokémon can only be found in hordes.

Not all locations have wild hordes, but where they exist, hordes may be randomly encountered at approximately a 5% rate in tall grass or flowers (but not in long grass) or in caves. Horde Encounters can also be purposefully initiated by using Honey or Sweet Scent; however, Honey and Sweet Scent will not cause a wild encounter if the overworld weather is not clear. As in all wild battles, a Trainer cannot throw a Poké Ball unless there is only one wild Pokémon remaining.

The player's moves in a Horde Encounter act as if the player was in the center of a Triple Battle, except with all five other locations being treated as opponents instead of three opponents and two allies. Moves that target multiple Pokémon simultaneously (like Rock Slide and Surf) are able to strike all five Pokémon at once.

Mixed hordes

A mixed-species horde of Tauros and Miltank

In all cases of mixed hordes, four of one Pokémon species will appear, joined by one of another species.

Pokémon X and Y

• A Plusle horde on Route 5 will always include one Minun in Pokémon X, and vice versa in Pokémon Y.
• A Zangoose horde on Route 8 will always include one Seviper in Pokémon X, and vice versa in Pokémon Y.
• A Nidoran♂ horde on Route 11 will always include one Nidoran♀.
• A Roggenrola horde in Reflection Cave may include one Carbink.
• A Tauros horde on Route 12 will always include one Miltank.
• A Durant horde on Route 18 may include one Heatmor.
• A Trevenant horde on Route 20 may include one Sudowoodo.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

• A Makuhita horde may include one Geodude.

Mixed hordes with enemy species

If a mixed horde consists of Zangoose and Seviper or Heatmor and Durant, the different species will direct attacks at each other instead of at the player's Pokémon if possible. The exception to this is status moves such as Leer that cannot target allies. Once all the Pokémon of one species have fainted, the horde will begin attacking the player's Pokémon.

In contrast to Triple Battles, Pokémon attacking each other in a horde have no range limit; a Pokémon in a far-left position can attack a Pokémon in a far-right position.

List of Horde Encounters

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: needs details on specific parts of caves ＆ routes

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Connecting Cave
Whismur	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Common
Zubat	X			Y			Horde Encounter	8	Average
Axew	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7-8	Rare
Reflection Cave
Mime Jr.	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Common
Roggenrola	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Average
Roggenrola	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Rare with Carbink
Carbink	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Rare with Roggenrola
Azure Bay - Grass
Slowpoke	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Average
Exeggcute	X			Y			Horde Encounter	14	Rare
Wingull	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Common
Frost Cavern - All Floors
Smoochum	X			Y			Horde Encounter	21	Rare
Vanillite	X			Y			Horde Encounter	20	Common
Cubchoo	X			Y			Horde Encounter	20	Average
Terminus Cave - all floors
Aron	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Rare
Durant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Common
Geodude	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Average
Larvitar	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Rare
Pokémon Village - All Flowers
Poliwag	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Average
Lombre	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Rare
Foongus	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Common
Victory Road - inside and out
Geodude	X			Y			Horde Encounter	28	Common
Graveler	X			Y			Horde Encounter	29	Average
Lickitung	X			Y			Horde Encounter	30	Rare
Floatzel	X			Y			Horde Encounter	29	Average
Route 5
Plusle	X			Y			Grass/Purple Flowers	6	Rare with Minun
Minun	X			Y			Grass/Purple Flowers	6	Rare with Plusle
Gulpin	X			Y			Grass/Purple Flowers	5	Common
Scraggy	X			Y			Grass/Purple Flowers	5	Average
Route 7
Psyduck	X			Y			Horde Encounter	8	Average
Hoppip	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Common
Roselia	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Rare
Route 8
Taillow	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Rare
Wingull	X			Y			Horde Encounter	7	Common
Zangoose	X			Y			Horde Encounter	8	Average with Seviper
Seviper	X			Y			Horde Encounter	8	Average with Zangoose
Route 10
Yanma	X			Y			Horde Encounter	10	Average
Houndour	X			Y			Horde Encounter	10	Rare
Nosepass	X			Y			Horde Encounter	10	Common
Electrike	X			Y			Horde Encounter	10	Rare
Route 11
Nidoran♀	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Common with Nidoran♂
Nidoran♂	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Common with Nidoran♀
Starly	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11-12	Rare
Stunky	X			Y			Horde Encounter	11	Average
Route 12
Tauros	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Rare with Miltank
Mareep	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Average
Miltank	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Rare with Tauros
Wingull	X			Y			Horde Encounter	13	Common
Route 14
Ekans	X			Y			Horde Encounter	17	Rare
Bellsprout	X			Y			Horde Encounter	16	Common
Skorupi	X			Y			Horde Encounter	16	Average
Route 15 & 16
Murkrow	X			Y			Horde Encounter	18	Common
Foongus	X			Y			Horde Encounter	18	Average
Klefki	X			Y			Horde Encounter	19	Rare
Route 18
Geodude	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Common
Heatmor	X			Y			Horde Encounter	24	Rare with Durant
Durant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	23	Average
Durant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	24	Rare with Heatmor
Route 19
Arbok	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Rare
Weepinbell	X			Y			Horde Encounter	24	Common
Gligar	X			Y			Horde Encounter	24	Average
Route 20
Sudowoodo	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Rare with Trevenant
Foongus	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Common
Trevenant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Average
Trevenant	X			Y			Horde Encounter	25	Rare with Sudowoodo
Route 21
Scyther	X			Y			Horde Encounter	27	Rare
Spinda	X			Y			Horde Encounter	26	Common
Swablu	X			Y			Horde Encounter	26	Average
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

In other languages

Language Title French Rencontres de Horde German Massenbegegnungen Italian Gruppi di Pokémon Korean 무리배틀 Muli Battle Spanish Encuentros de horda

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.