How Many Pokémon Can You Get with Only Pokémon Sapphire?
Although the game contains all 386 Pokémon that existed at the time of the game's release, the player can only obtain Pokémon that are part of the Hoenn Pokédex without trading. The Hoenn Pokédex contains 200 Pokémon (202 with Jirachi and Deoxys), meaning a total of 184 Pokémon from the National Dex cannot be obtained. Those 184 are not listed on this page; check out the Locations page to see which Pokémon are excluded.
The number of Pokémon in the Hoenn Pokédex that are available without trading is 178. The list of Pokémon you cannot get without trading, which equals 24 species, is as follows:
- Two Starters (6) - 6 total
- As you can only select one starter Pokémon, the other two starters, and their evolutions, are unavailable; this totals 6 Pokémon.
- Trade Evolutions (6) - 12 total
- Golem, Machamp, Alakazam, Kingdra, Huntail, and Gorebyss evolve by trade. Without the ability to trade, they are unobtainable.
- One Fossil Pokémon (2) - 14 total
- As you can only obtain one Fossil on Route 111, you miss out on the other Fossil Pokémon (Lileep or Anorith) and its evolution.
- Version Exclusives (8) - 22 total
- The following Pokémon cannot be obtained without the use of glitches, trading, or events: Seedot, Nuzleaf, Shiftry, Mawile, Zangoose, Solrock, Latios, and Groudon.
- Mythical/Event (2) - 24 total
- Outside of glitches, Jirachi and Deoxys were only obtainable via events that are no longer active, or in Jirachi's case via the Colosseum Bonus Disc (which requires trading).
The Professor Oak challenge guide for Sapphire can be found here, although I've made a shorter list of encounters below in case anything happens to the external guide.
Professor Oak Challenge Notes
Pre-Badge 1 (Roxanne) - 37 Total Pokémon
- Gift on Route 101: One starter & its evolutions (3 total)
- Walking on Route 101: Zigzagoon, Linoone (5 total)
- Walking on Route 101: Poochyena, Mightyena (7 total)
- Walking on Route 101: Wurmple, Silcoon, Beautifly, Cascoon, Dustox (12 total) (alternatively, catch Silcoon and Cascoon in Petalburg Woods)
- Walking on Route 103: Wingull, Pelipper (14 total)
- Walking on Route 102: Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir (17 total)
- Walking on Route 102: Surskit, Masquerain (19 total)
- Walking on Route 102: Lotad, Lombre (21 total)
- Walking on Route 104: Taillow, Swellow (23 total)
- Walking in Petalburg Woods: Shroomish, Breloom (25 total)
- Walking in Petalburg Woods: Slakoth, Vigoroth, Slaking (28 total)
- In-game Trade in Rustboro City: Makuhita, Hariyama: Trade your Slakoth (30 total)
- Walking on Route 116: Skitty (31 total)
- Walking on Route 116: Whismur, Loudred, Exploud (34 total)
- Walking on Route 116: Nincada, Ninjask, Shedinja (37 total)
Badge 1 through Badge 2 (Wattson) - 67 Total Pokémon
- Fishing (Old Rod) in Dewford Town: Magikarp, Gyarados (39 total)
- Fishing (Old Rod) in Dewford Town: Tentacool, Tentacruel (41 total)
- Fishing (Old Rod) in Petalburg City: Goldeen, Seaking (43 total)
- Walking in Granite Cave (all areas): Zubat, Golbat, Crobat (46 total)
- Walking in Granite Cave (all areas): Abra, Kadabra (48 total)
- Walking in Granite Cave 1F: Geodude, Graveler (50 total)
- Walking in Granite Cave B1F, B2F, and Steven's room: Aron, Lairon, Aggron (53 total)
- Walking in Granite Cave B1F and B2F: Sableye (54 total)
- Walking on Route 110: Plusle (55 total)
- Walking on Route 110: Minun (56 total)
- Walking on Route 110: Electrike, Manectric (58 total)
- Walking on Route 110: Gulpin, Swalot (60 total)
- Walking on Route 110: Oddish, Gloom (62 total)
- Walking on Route 117: Volbeat (63 total)
- Walking on Route 117: Illumise (64 total)
- Walking on Route 117: Marill, Azumarill (66 total)
- Walking on Route 117: Roselia (67 total)
Badge 2 through Badge 3 (Flannery) - 92 Total Pokémon
Badge 3 through Badge 5 (Norman) - 101 Total Pokémon
- Walking on Route 111: Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon (95 total)
- Walking on Route 111: Cacnea, Cacturne (97 total)
- Walking on Route 111: Baltoy, Claydol (99 total)
- Revive the Root or Claw Fossil in Rustboro City: One of Lileep or Anorith, and its evolution (101 total)
Badges 5 through 6 (Tate & Liza) - 160 Total Pokémon
- Walking on Route 115: Jigglypuff (102 total)
- Evolve Jigglypuff with a Moon Stone stolen from, or captured on, wild Lunatone from Meteor Falls (103 total)
- Walking in New Mauville (both floors): Magnemite, Magneton (105 total)
- Walking in New Mauville (both floors): Voltorb, Electrode (107 total)
- Fishing (Good Rod) in Petalburg City: Corphish, Crawdaunt (109 total)
- Fishing (Good Rod) in Dewford Town: Wailmer, Wailord (111 total)
- Fishing (Good Rod) on Route 111: Barboach, Whiscash (113 total)
- Fishing (Good Rod) on Route 118: Carvanha, Sharpedo (115 total)
- Walking on Route 118: Kecleon (116 total) (alternatively, use the Devon Scope on Kecleon on Routes 119 and 120)
- Walking on Route 119: Tropius (117 total)
- Evolve Gloom with a Leaf Stone from Route 119 (118 total)
- Fishing (any Rod) on Route 119: Feebas, Milotic (120 total) (you probably want to make Pokéblocks in Lilycove City, though)
- Gift in the Weather Institute: Castform (121 total)
- Walking on Route 120: Absol (122 total)
- Walking in Mt. Pyre (all areas): Shuppet, Banette (124 total)
- Walking in Mt. Pyre Inside 4F, 5F, and 6F and Summit: Duskull, Dusclops (126 total)
- Walking in Mt. Pyre Outside: Vulpix, Ninetales (128 total)
- Walking in Mt. Pyre Outside: Meditite, Medicham (130 total)
- Walking in Mt. Pyre Summit: Chimecho (131 total)
- Walking in the Safari Zone Areas 1 and 2: Girafarig (132 total)
- Walking in the Safari Zone Areas 1, 2, and 4: Natu, Xatu (134 total)
- Walking in the Safari Zone Areas 1, 2, and 3: Doduo, Dodrio (136 total)
- Walking in the Safari Zone Areas 1 and 2: Pikachu, Raichu (138 total)
- Walking in the Safari Zone Area 3: Rhyhorn, Rhydon (140 total)
- Walking in the Safari Zone Area 3: Pinsir (141 total)
- Walking in the Safari Zone Area 4: Phanpy, Donphan (143 total)
- Walking in the Safari Zone Area 4: Heracross (144 total)
- Surfing in the Safari Zone Areas 2 and 3: Psyduck, Golduck (146 total)
- Evolve Gloom with a Sun Stone from Mossdeep City (147 total)
- Route 117: Breed Jigglypuff to get Igglybuff (148 total)
- Route 117: Breed Marill or Azumarill to get Azurill (149 total)
- Route 117: Breed Pikachu or Raichu to get Pichu (150 total)
- Walking or Surfing in Shoal Cave (all areas): Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein (153 total)
- Walking in Shoal Cave (Ice room during low tide): Snorunt, Glalie (155 total)
- Fishing (Super Rod) in Lilycove City: Staryu (156 total)
- Fishing (Super Rod) in Ever Grande City: Luvdisc (157 total)
- Fishing (Super Rod) in Ever Grande City: Corsola (158 total)
- Fishing (Super Rod) on Route 132: Horsea, Seadra (160 total)
Badges 6 through 7 (Wallace) - 169 Total Pokémon
- Underwater on Route 126: Clamperl (161 total)
- Underwater on Route 126: Chinchou, Lanturn (163 total)
- Underwater on Route 126: Relicanth (164 total)
- Evolve Staryu and Lombre with Water Stones from the Treasure Hunter on Route 124 (166 total)
- Static encounter in Desert Ruins: Regirock (167 total)
- Static encounter in Island Cave: Regice (168 total)
- Static encounter in the Cave of Origin: Kyogre (169 total)
Badges 7 through 8 (Winona) - 172 Total Pokémon
- Walking in Meteor Falls B1F back: Bagon, Shelgon, Salamence (172 total)
Badge 8 through Elite Four - 173 Total Pokémon
Post-Elite Four - 178 Total Pokémon
- Gift in Mossdeep City: Beldum, Metang, Metagross (176 total)
- Static encounter in Sky Pillar: Rayquaza (177 total)
- Roaming Legend: Latias (178 total)