Games

Pokemon Routes With The Highest Level Encounters

Published

1 month ago

November 21, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

Pokemon games have popular routes with high-level wild Pokemon that challenge players.
Routes like 10, 20, and 23 offer tough battles and strong Pokemon for trainers to catch.
The high-level areas in games like Sword and Shield, X and Y, and Black and White 2 provide a test for players.

Pokemon games have been giving people joy for decades now. While not the first to take on the monster catching formula, Pokemon games are certainly among the most popular within this field, and the ever-expanding collection of creatures to catch has only helped bolster this monolithic franchise’s fame.

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As the series has grown in popularity, or at the very least, as it’s aged (as it’s always felt a bit like a cultural staple no matter the year), the games have cut back on some of their features, streamlining the titles overall in order to appeal to a larger audience. Part of this streamlining means that the games have gradually gotten easier over time – but for those who know where to look, there are still some dangerous wild Pokemon hiding in the tall grass. These are the routes that have some of the highest level Pokemon across all the mainline games – keep in mind this list is exclusively routes, so other major locations such as caves will not be counted.

6 Route 10

A Frozen And Perilous Route

Systems

Released: November 15, 2019
Publisher(s): Nintendo
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

Region: Galar
Game: Sword and Shield
Level Range: 44-49

This route is one of the longer and more treacherous ones in the game, with many high-level trainers that can take unprepared players by surprise. It’s a mountainous route that focuses more on ice types – as is common with Pokemon games, the ice types tend to get grouped up in one area.

Players can expect to find Pokemon such as Galarian Mr. Mime, Snover, and Cubchoo in the overworld. Random encounters in tall grass have a bit more variety, with Pokemon such Klang and Rhydon.

5 Route 20

A Mysterious, Wooded Route

Pokemon X and Y

Systems

Released: October 12, 2023
Publisher(s): Nintendo
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Region: Kalos
Game: X and Y
Level Range: 48-50

This route is also known as the winding woods and has a mazelike quality that can be difficult to navigate. For players of X and Y, some of the rarest (and best-designed) Pokemon in the game can be found on this route, such as Zoroark.

This is also the route needed to evolve Eevee into Leafeon, as it has the required mossy boulder. The unique Pokemon in this area are great for some last-minute additions to player teams – or for those with patience – some evolved Pokemon to breed for their basic stage counterparts.

4 Route 230

A Sea Route With A Small Island

Systems

Released: November 19, 2021
Developer(s): ILCA
Publisher(s): Nintendo
OpenCritic Rating: Fair

Region: Sinnoh
Game: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Level Range: 18-51

While most fans agree that the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes have some room for improvement, one area where they did keep to the course of the original titles is a rather unforgiving level curve, present in high-level areas like this.

It’s not unheard of for players to be coming into this area on-level or under the level of the wild Pokemon, especially the fully evolved ones with higher levels such as Gastrodon or Golduck.

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3 Route 227

A Bike-Focused Crag Route

pokemon brilliant diamond shining pearl route 227 charcoal

Region: Sinnoh
Game: Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Level Range: 22-56

Standing just before Stark Mountain, this craggy route requires a bike in order to properly traverse it, and has many unique Pokemon that might have been difficult for players to come across before.

The high-level Pokemon here are mostly rock, ground, or steel types, and can put up quite a fight against a party unprepared for these more intense battles. Players should keep a water or fighting type handy to take care of Pokemon like Graveler or Camerupt.

2 Route 13

A High-Level Coastal Route

Pokemon Black and White 2

Systems

Region: Unova
Game: Black and White 2
Level Range: 57-60

Some of the highest-level wild Pokemon found across traditional routes are located in the Black and White duology of games. These areas are often found in the late-game or post-game, and are surprisingly difficult, giving players a bit of a shock if they expected to coast through.

This area has a mix of aquatic and flying types, and the highest level, strongest Pokemon can be found in the fishing spots that crop up along the coast or deeper in the waters. Players should also be careful of the tough trainers looking to battle along the elevated plateaus and bridges.

1 Route 23

An Idyllic, Paved Route

Region: Unova
Game: Black and White 2
Level Range: 47-70

By the time players have gotten to Route 23, they’ll have some pretty strong Pokemon in their party, but wandering through the grass, pursuing the shaking patches of tall grass, and fishing along the river in this route can lead to some tough high-level battles.

The fishing in particular has some very high-level Pokemon hiding in wait, including creatures like Golduck or, in more rare instances, Poliwhirl and other members of its evolutionary line. A great place to grind, but make sure you’ve stocked up on potions and revives.