Ambush encounter

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Ambush encounters are a means of encountering wild Pokémon introduced in Pokémon X and Y. Most of them involve the wild Pokémon chasing the player, or jumping at them from a hiding place. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, Pokémon encountered by this method may drop items after they are defeated or captured.

Introduced in X and Y

Dropping from the ceiling

In X and Y, some caves have shadows inside. If the player walks on them, a wild Pokémon will drop from the ceiling and attack.

Possible encounters
	Graveler	Victory Road		Ariados	Terminus Cave, Victory Road
	Woobat	Glittering Cave, Reflection Cave		Ferroseed	Glittering Cave, Reflection Cave
	Noibat	Terminus Cave, Victory Road

Shaking trash cans

In X and Y, there are special trash cans in Lost Hotel and Pokémon Village. Occasionally, trash cans contain an item rather than a wild Pokémon.

There are five trash cans in the Lost Hotel. Their locations are:

• Route 15 side:
  • In the first hallway by the Punk Guy
  • West of the Punk Couple
  • Just right of the Twirling Whirlwind
• Route 16 side:
  • On the east side of the room north of the south hall
  • In the far southwestern corner

If one of these trash cans is shaking, a Pokémon or an item can be found inside it.

The trash can west of the Punk Couple will contain a Pokémon or item every day, while the remaining four trash cans may only contain a Pokémon or item once a week, on Tuesdays. On Tuesdays, only three of those four trash cans will shake, while the last will remain empty. Both types of trash cans also contain different Pokémon and items (meaning, even on Tuesdays, the daily trash can will contain the same types of Pokémon and items as it does every other day).

There are five trash cans among the field of yellow flowers in Pokémon Village. Their locations are:

• Three along the south edge of the village, ranging between the tire and the river
• One west of the tire
• One northwest of the empty western canopy

If one of these trash cans is shaking, a Pokémon or an item can be found inside it.

The middle trash can along the south edge of the village will contain a Pokémon or item every day, while the remaining four trash cans may only contain a Pokémon or item once a week, on Thursdays. On Thursdays, only three of those four trash cans will shake, while the last will remain empty. Both types of trash cans also contain different Pokémon and items (meaning, even on Thursdays, the daily trash can will contain the same types of Pokémon and items as it does every other day).

In both locations, once a Pokémon or item has been found in a trash can, that trash can will not shake again for the rest of the day. The contents of trash cans are generated upon interaction (so soft resetting may yield different Pokémon or items).

Possible encounters
	Banette	Pokémon Village (Thursday trash cans)		Rotom	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)
	Rotom	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)		Rotom	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)
	Rotom	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)		Rotom	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)
	Rotom	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)		Trubbish	Lost Hotel (Daily trash cans)
	Garbodor	Lost Hotel, Pokémon Village (Tuesday trash cans)		Escape Rope	Lost Hotel (Daily and Tuesday trash cans)
	Super Repel	Lost Hotel (Daily trash can)		Max Repel	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)
	Max Elixir	Lost Hotel (Daily trash can)		Dusk Ball	Lost Hotel (Daily trash can)
	Nugget	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)		Big Nugget	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)
	HP Up	Lost Hotel (Daily trash can)		Protein	Lost Hotel (Daily trash can)
	Iron	Lost Hotel (Daily trash can)		Calcium	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)
	Zinc	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)		Carbos	Lost Hotel (Tuesday trash cans)
	Honey	Pokémon Village (Daily and Thursday trash cans)		Poké Toy	Pokémon Village (Daily trash can)
	Pretty Wing	Pokémon Village (Daily trash can)		Prism Scale	Pokémon Village (Thursday trash cans)
	Tiny Mushroom	Pokémon Village (Daily trash can)		Big Mushroom	Pokémon Village (Daily and Thursday trash cans)
	Balm Mushroom	Pokémon Village (Thursday trash cans)		Max Revive	Pokémon Village (Daily trash can)
	Mental Herb	Pokémon Village (Daily trash can)		Eviolite	Pokémon Village (Tuesday trash cans)
	Heal Powder	Pokémon Village (Tuesday trash cans)		Revival Herb	Pokémon Village (Tuesday trash cans)

Swooping down from above

In X and Y, Victory Road has shadows in certain locations outside of caves. If the player walks on them, a wild Pokémon will swoop down from above and attack.

Possible encounters
	Fearow	Victory Road		Skarmory	Victory Road
	Hydreigon	Victory Road

Rustling bushes

Rustling bushes were introduced in X and Y and return in Sun and Moon. Sometimes, a bush may start shaking. If the player approaches it, a wild Pokémon will jump out to attack.

Pokémon X and Y

Possible encounters
	Audino	Route 6		Venipede	Route 6
	Heatmor	Route 18		Durant	Route 18

Pokémon Sun and Moon

Possible encounters
	Scyther	Poni Plains		Cottonee	Poni Plains
	Petilil	Poni Plains

Sometimes, after a Pokémon from a rustling bush is defeated or caught, it will drop an item.

Item		Location	Games
	Aguav Berry	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from rustling bushes	S  M
	Absorb Bulb	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from rustling bushes	S  M

Introduced in Sun and Moon

Rustling grass

In Sun and Moon, in certain areas, a small part of tall grass might start shaking. If the player approaches it, a wild Pokémon will chase them to attack.

Possible encounters
	Rattata	Route 2		Raticate	Poni Plains
	Makuhita	Route 2		Hariyama	Poni Plains
	Yungoos	Route 2		Gumshoos	Poni Plains

Sometimes, after a Pokémon from rustling grass is defeated or caught, it will drop an item.

Route 2

Item		Location	Games
	Oran Berry	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from rustling grass	S  M
	Sitrus Berry	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from rustling grass	S  M

Poni Plains

Item		Location	Games
	Sitrus Berry	Sometimes dropped by Raticate or Gumshoos from rustling grass	S  M
	Black Belt	Sometimes dropped by Hariyama from rustling grass	S  M

Dirt clouds

In Sun and Moon, certain locations have walls with holes in them, and dirt clouds may come out of them. If the players touches one, a wild Pokémon will attack.

Possible encounters
	Rattata	Verdant Cavern		Diglett	Route 5, Route 7, Diglett's Tunnel
	Dugtrio	Vast Poni Canyon, Poni Coast		Yungoos	Verdant Cavern

Sometimes, after a Pokémon from a dirt cloud is defeated or caught, it will drop an item.

Verdant Cavern

Item		Location	Games
	Oran Berry	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from dirt clouds	S  M
	Sitrus Berry	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from dirt clouds	S  M

Route 5 and 7, Diglett's Tunnel, Vast Poni Canyon, and Poni Coast

Item		Location	Games
	Soft Sand	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from dirt clouds	S  M
	Big Root	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from dirt clouds	S  M

Flying shadows

In Sun and Moon, some locations have shadows of Pokémon that are flying around. If the player walks on them, a wild Pokémon will come down from the sky to attack.

Possible encounters
	Spearow	Route 3		Fearow	Poni Plains
	Rufflet	Route 3		Braviary	Poni Plains
	Vullaby	Route 3		Mandibuzz	Poni Plains

Sometimes, after a flying Pokémon from a shadow is defeated or caught, it will drop an item.

Route 3

Item		Location	Games
	Pretty Wing	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from flying shadows	S  M
	Sharp Beak	Sometimes dropped by Spearow from flying shadows	S  M

Poni Plains

Item		Location	Games
	Sharp Beak	Sometimes dropped by Fearow from flying shadows	S  M
	Health Wing	Sometimes dropped by Fearow from flying shadows	S  M
	Swift Wing	Sometimes dropped by Fearow from flying shadows	S  M
	Genius Wing	Sometimes dropped by BraviaryS/MandibuzzM from flying shadows	S  M
	Muscle Wing	Sometimes dropped by BraviaryS/MandibuzzM from flying shadows	S  M

Vast Poni Canyon

This is a special kind of flying shadow ambush encounter that only happens during the trial in Vast Poni Canyon in Sun and Moon. During the trial, while walking through the cave, the player is attacked by a Jangmo-o and a Hakamo-o.

Possible encounters
	Jangmo-o	Vast Poni Canyon		Hakamo-o	Vast Poni Canyon

Sometimes, after a Pokémon from a flying shadow at the trial site is defeated, it will drop an item.

Item		Location	Games
	Heart Scale	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from flying shadows	S  M

Chase

In Sun and Moon, in certain locations, there are walls with holes in them. Sometimes, a Wimpod will come out from one of the holes and go to another one. If the player touches it, the Wimpod will attack.

Possible encounters
	Wimpod	Route 8, Poni Wilds, Poni Breaker Coast

Sometimes, after a Wimpod is defeated or caught, it will drop an item.

Route 8

Item		Location	Games
	Big Pearl	Sometimes dropped by Wimpod	S  M
	Nugget	Sometimes dropped by Wimpod	S  M

Poni Wilds and Poni Breaker Coast

Item		Location	Games
	Big Pearl	Sometimes dropped by Wimpod	S  M
	Nugget	Sometimes dropped by Wimpod	S  M
	Big Nugget	Sometimes dropped by Wimpod	S  M

Rustling trees

In Sun and Moon, in certain areas, a tree might start shaking. If the player approaches it, a wild Pokémon will jump from the tree to attack.

Possible encounters
	Fearow	Route 10		Primeape	Poni Plains
	Skarmory	Route 10		Emolga	Poni Plains
	Fomantis	Lush Jungle

Sometimes, after a Pokémon from a rustling tree is defeated or caught, it will drop an item.

Lush Jungle

Item		Location	Games
	Honey	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from rustling trees	S  M

Route 10

Item		Location	Games
	Sharp Beak	Sometimes dropped by Fearow from rustling trees	S  M
	Health Wing	Sometimes dropped by Fearow from rustling trees	S  M
	Swift Wing	Sometimes dropped by Fearow from rustling trees	S  M
	Clever Wing	Sometimes dropped by Skarmory from rustling trees	S  M
	Resist Wing	Sometimes dropped by Skarmory from rustling trees	S  M

Poni Plains

Item		Location	Games
	Wiki Berry	Sometimes dropped by Primeape from rustling trees	S  M
	Cell Battery	Sometimes dropped by Emolga from rustling trees	S  M

Sand clouds

In Sun and Moon, in certain locations, there are small shadows in the sand. In Hano Beach they are stationary, while in Haina Desert they chase the player. If the player touches a shadow in the sand, a wild Pokémon will attack.

Possible encounters
	Dugtrio	Haina Desert		Staryu	Hano Beach
	Trapinch	Haina Desert		Sandile	Haina Desert
	Sandygast	Hano Beach

Sometimes, after a Pokémon from a sand cloud is defeated or caught, it will drop an item.

Hano Beach

Item		Location	Games
	Stardust	Sometimes dropped by Staryu from sand clouds	S  M
	Star Piece	Sometimes dropped by Staryu from sand clouds	S  M
	Spell Tag	Sometimes dropped by Sandygast from sand clouds	S  M

Haina Desert

Item		Location	Games
	Black Glasses	Sometimes dropped by Sandile from sand clouds	S  M
	Soft Sand	Sometimes dropped by Dugtrio from sand clouds	S  M
	Big Root	Sometimes dropped by Dugtrio from sand clouds	S  M
	Figy Berry	Sometimes dropped by Trapinch from sand clouds	S  M

Water splashes

In Sun and Moon, when surfing in certain locations, a splash may appear in the water. If the player approaches it, it will chase the player and a wild Pokémon will attack.

Possible encounters
	Tentacool	Hano Beach		Wailmer	Poni Wilds
	Wailord	Poni Wilds

Sometimes, after a Pokémon from a water splash is defeated or caught, it will drop an item.

Hano Beach

Item		Location	Games
	Poison Barb	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from water splashes	S  M

Poni Wilds

Item		Location	Games
	Big Pearl	Sometimes dropped by Pokémon from water splashes	S  M

Related articles

• Phenomenon

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