How Rare is a Nundo?

For hardened Pokémon GO trainers, catching a nundo Pokémon is like striking gold. But just how exceptionally rare are these 0% IV novelty catches? And what factors contribute to their elusive spawn rates?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve deep into the world of nundos, uncovering everything from rarity odds to psychological appeal. Whether you’re a stats nerd or collector, let’s dig in!

What Exactly is a Nundo?

First things first, what is a “nundo” anyway?

A nundo, short for “no IV”, is a Pokémon with the minimum possible IVs (Individual Values) of 0/0/0. Every Pokemon in Pokemon GO has IVs (or Individual Values) which range from 0 to 15 for the Attack, Defense, and Stamina stats.

IVs help determine a Pokémon‘s combat power. They are added onto the Pokemon’s base stats to calculate the final CP (Combat Power).

So in practical terms, a 0/0/0 IV Pokémon will always have the lowest possible CP at any given level.

How IVs, Levels, and CP Are Related

To truly understand nundo rarity, we need to unpack how IVs relate to levels, CP, and base stats.

Every Pokemon species has a base stat value for Attack, Defense, and Stamina. For example, Mewtwo has base stats of 300 Attack, 182 Defense, and 214 Stamina.

As a Pokemon powers up and gains levels, its combat stats increase. The formula is:

(Base Stat + IV) * CP Multiplier

The CP Multiplier is a scaling factor that increases at each power up level.

So IVs act as a modifier on top of the base stats. The higher the IVs, the greater the final combat potential – hence 15/15/15 “hundo” Pokémon being optimal.

This is why nundos, with their 0 IV modifiers, end up far weaker in battles than high IV versions of the same species.

Now let’s look at the rarity.

Nundo vs. Hundo Wild Spawn Rates

Both nundos and hundos have a 1 in 4096 chance of spawning naturally in the wild. This equals odds of approximately 1 in 4000.

But remember, hundos can also come from raids, eggs, research encounters, and trades. Nundos cannot.

This gives Pokémon GO trainers far more opportunities to obtain hundos compared to their nundo counterparts:

Source	Hundo Odds	Nundo Odds
Wild Catches	1 in 4096 (~0.02%)	1 in 4096 (~0.02%)
Legendary Raids	~1 in 216 (0.46%)	Not Possible
Tier 1-4 Raids	~1 in 51 (1.96%)	Not Possible
Eggs	~1 in 216 (0.46%)	Not Possible
Research	~1 in 455 (0.22%)	Not Possible
Lucky Trades	~1 in 64 (1.56%)	Not Possible

Based on these odds, let’s compare the daily hundo vs nundo opportunities:

• Wild spawns: Approximately 0.02% of wild spawns will be hundos or nundos. Say you catch 100 Pokémon in a day. That‘s 0.02 hundos and 0.02 nundos per day on average from wild catches.

• Raids: With the free daily pass, the average player does ~1.2 raids per day. Legendary raids have a 0.46% hundo chance, so 0.00552 hundos per day (1.2 0.46% ). For easier raids, assume 3 per day, so 3 1.96% = 0.0588 hundos per day.

• Eggs: Assume 9 eggs hatched per day. With a 0.46% hundo chance, that‘s 9 * 0.46% = 0.0414 hundos per day.

• Research: With ~3 tasks per day, assume ~3 rewards. At a 0.22% hundo chance, approximately 0.0066 hundos per day.

In total, the estimated daily hundo opportunities add up to around 0.102 per day on average.

Nundos can only come from wild spawns at 0.02 per day.

Over one week:

• Average Hundos: 0.102 per day x 7 days = ~0.714 per week
• Average Nundos: 0.02 per day x 7 days = 0.14 per week

This rough probability exercise demonstrates that hundos have approximately 5x more opportunities per week on average. And dedicated raiders/egg hatchers may encounter even more.

Why Are Wild Spawn IV Floors So Low?

Another factor making nundos extra rare is the fact that raids, eggs, and weather boosts have IV floors:

Source	Minimum Possible IVs
Normal Wild Spawns	0/0/0
Legendary Raids	10/10/10
Tier 1-4 Raids	10/10/10
Eggs	12/12/12
Weather Boost	12/12/12

Normal wild spawns can dip down to 0/0/0 IVs, which enables the possibility of nundos.

But gameplay mechanics enforce higher IV floors everywhere else. This makes wild nundos even more special.

So why do wild spawns get such terrible 0 IV stats in the first place? A few speculative reasons:

• It could be an unintended quirk from the initial RNG programming.

• Gives casual players a chance at catching higher CP Pokémon compared to veterans.

• Adds excitement upon finding that ultra rare 0% mon.

• Provides breeding/training gameplay for perfectionists.

Whatever the reason, it has allowed the nundo subculture to thrive!

How Trainer Level Impacts Nundo Rarity

Here’s an interesting observation – lower level trainers are actually more likely to stumble upon nundos!

The possible IV combinations are tied to trainer level. The maximum possible wild Pokemon level caps out at trainer level + 2.

At early levels, with fewer wild IV permutations, the 0/0/0 has higher odds of occurring.

By level 30, the odds plateau. So players under 30 have better nundo chances, with the peak around levels 1-10.

This quirk has allowed low-level secondary accounts to become skilled nundo hunters!

The Psychological Appeal of Nundos

With their total lack of combat viability, why do trainers obsess over nundos at all? What’s the appeal?

It largely boils down to psychology. As humans, finding exceptionally rare things triggers satisfaction and dopamine in our brains. Amassing difficult collections provides pride and status for some.

In a game where grinding and goal setting are core pillars, nundos provide the ultimate rarity goal. Given their statistical improbability, each new one feels like a badge of honor.

Furthermore, because appraising wild catches is so easy, there’s constant potential for discovering a nundo gem. This unpredictable reinforcement is powerfully compelling.

For collectors and perfectionists, having a full nundo Pokedex showcases mastery and patience. The time investment required to complete this lofty goal is immense.

In essence, the psychological reward of obtaining something incredibly scarce outweighs the total lack of pragmatic utility. Dedicated nundo hunters clearly enjoy the hunt itself!

How Trading Impacts Nundos

Trading is likely the only way you’ll ever obtain region locked nundos like Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Mime Jr. etc.

However, trading rerolls IVs randomly in the vast majority of cases. So your precious nundo is almost guaranteed to lose its 0% status when traded.

The singular exception is if you trade an extremely old July/August 2016 Pokémon that already was nundo before the trade. Those are guaranteed lucky, and luckies lock IVs in place.

Other than that very specific legacy case, count on any trade turning your nundo into a random IV specimen. Don‘t send nundos away lightly!

Lucky friends have approximately a 1 in 64 chance of generating lucky Pokémon with 12/12/12 or better IVs. So chances are still overwhelmingly likely your nundo gets randomized to something stronger.

Trading is the antithesis of preserving nundo status – their uniqueness comes from the wild randomness of their origins!

Nundo Hunting Over the Years

Believe it or not, nundo hunting was not always a thing in Pokémon GO.

In the early years of the game, knowledge of IVs was limited. First, the in-game appraisal system did not exist yet. Third-party apps were also still primitive.

It wasn’t until late 2018 that the 0% IV subculture started gaining momentum. Once appraisal and scanning apps improved, interest grew significantly.

Dedicated groups on Reddit, Discord, and Facebook began documenting collections of wild nundos. Competitive hunters tried completing full 0% Pokedexes.

Over time, millions of players began appraising every wild catch, catalyzing more nundo discoveries. Now they have fully entered the mainstream!

Nundos in the Pokémon MSGs

In the main series Pokémon games, it is possible to manually manipulate and optimize IVs for competitive purposes.

Methods include:

• Breeding with Destiny Knots
• Catching chains
• Bottle capping hyper training

This ability to control IVs makes specifically seeking 0 IVs far easier than in Pokémon GO. The rarity appeal diminishes when engineering is possible.

That said, organically encountered 0 IVs maintain prestige status in the MSGs. However, appraising every wild Pokémon is not as seamless.

Ultimately, Pokémon GO’s strictly random wild spawns are what have allowed nundos to become beloved treasures. Their mystique comes from natural rarity!

Conclusion

For collectors who thrive on prestigious goals, nundos represent the pinnacle – obtaining Pokémon deemed unworthy by most.

The combined rarity of wild spawns, IV floors, trading rerolls, and pure randomness gives nundos a prestige unmatched by any other category.

While the appeal lies in rarity alone, that psychological satisfaction is more than enough to motivate the dedicated nundo subculture.

So keep scanning those wild spawns, travelers. You never know when a perfect 0% gem might emerge!

What’s your take on nundos? Let me know in the comments below!