How to catch Pokémon (rare or otherwise) in Pokémon Go

Guide
How do you catch a Pokémon? With practice, eye coordination, and a Razz Berry or two.
There are lots of great reasons for playing Pokémon Go, but catching Pokémon is pretty high up there. Without the little creatures, the game would just be, well... "walk around and look at nature." Which is still pretty great, but there's something about animated Nintendo properties that makes everything better.
But how, exactly, do you catch Pokémon in this game? Here's the lowdown.
First things first: You have to find them
To catch a Pokémon, you must first figure out where the heck it's hiding. We've written a pretty extensive guide to tracking and finding creatures, but here are the basics.

  • In the bottom right grey box, you'll see the three nearest Pokémon to you.

  • Tap that box to view up to nine nearby creatures.
  • Each Pokémon has a distance rating, as measured by footprints. Zero footprints means they're in your immediate vicinity and should appear momentarily; one means you're very close; two has them a short distance away; and three means they're in your immediate map area, but a bit of a trek.
  • As you get closer to a Pokémon, their distance rating will drop, and they'll move up to the top left corner of the Nearby box.
  • Rustling grass on your map may indicate that Pokémon are in that immediate area, but may not indicate the exact location of the Pokémon. Don't go jumping into a neighbor's yard.
  • When a Pokémon is close enough to capture, your phone will vibrate, and it will appear on your map.

If you want Pokémon to come to you, you can use an Incense item; you can also visit a PokéStop and attach a Lure, which will bring Pokémon to your area for the next 15 minutes.
Looking for rare Pokémon? Lures will help bring them out of hiding, as will visiting different types of outdoor areas and at different times of day. (Lakes will draw Water-type Pokémon, while parks and forests will find you more nature types.)

Once you find a Pokémon, it's time to use your PokéBall

When a Pokémon appears on your map, it's time to begin the capturing process. Tap on a Pokémon, and you'll zoom in to your immediate location, as shown by your device's rear camera. Move your device left or right to find the Pokémon in question; once they're in view, you can target it with your PokéBall.
You'll need a supply of PokéBalls to claim the Pokémon as your own; the Professor gives you a fair amount initially, but if you don't have any or are running low, you can stock up at a PokéStop or use PokéCoins at the Shop.
Depending on the level of the Pokémon you encounter, you'll see a glowing green, orange, or red ring around the creature's avatar. This indicates difficulty level: A green Pokémon should be captured with little difficulty or a poor throw, while orange and red Pokémon require precise throws — and occasionally higher-level PokéBalls or enticements like Razz Berries.
The best way to capture a Pokémon in Pokémon Go

  1. Make sure the Pokémon is in view.
  2. Tap and hold on the PokéBall.
  3. Wait until the glowing green, orange, or red ring gets to its smallest diameter, then flick your finger directly toward the Pokémon and release your hold on the screen.
  4. If done correctly, you'll bop the Pokémon on the head, and it will disappear into the Pokéball.

Depending on the Pokémon, you may have to "throw" (flick) a farther or shorter distance. Flying creatures like Zubat are especially tricky, because they'll vary their distance while on screen.
You'll also get experience bonuses (in the form of Nice or Excellent Throw) if you toss a PokéBall directly at the Pokémon's head, with the ring at its smallest diameter.
How to throw a curve ball in Pokémon Go
One of the catch bonuses you can get is called the "Curve Ball", which involves spinning the PokéBall with your finger before tossing it squarely on the Pokémon's head. Curve Balls require a lot of finger control, and you may lose a lot of PokéBalls attempting to perfect the move. But it's a fun way to up your difficulty if you're getting bored of the same old throws. 

  1. Make sure the Pokémon is in view.
  2. Tap and hold on the PokéBall and begin to spin it in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
  3. Wait until the glowing green, orange, or red ring gets to its smallest diameter, then flick your finger toward the Pokémon (around halfway up the screen).
  4. If done correctly, you'll bop the Pokémon on the head, it will disappear into the Pokéball, and you'll get a 10XP curve ball bonus.
How to catch stubborn or rare Pokémon
Trying to catch an orange- or red-ringed Pokémon that just won't stay in its PokéBall? Here are a few tips.

  • If at first you don't succeed, try, try again: As long as you have PokéBalls to spare, repeatedly capturing a Pokémon will wear it down eventually (assuming it doesn't run away).

  • The closer you get to a throw that hits the Pokémon when that ring is at its smallest, the higher likelihood you have of the Pokémon staying in the PokéBall.
  • If you're level 7 or higher, you can feed the Pokémon a Razz Berry; this will momentarily make the Pokémon complacent and more-likely to stay inside a PokéBall.
  • If you're level 10 or higher, you may need to acquire higher-quality PokéBalls to catch high-level creatures.