Resort Area Magikarp

Overview

One of my favorite changes from D/P to Platinum is the Resort Area. While the tropical makeover is gorgeous, the real change hides in the pond behind the Pokemon center. If you talk to an NPC in the nearby pool, he'll say:

Indeed, there is a mind-blowing ruler of the pond, alongside the weakest Pokemon you can catch in the wild. With a Super Rod, fishing in this pond gives you the chance of finding a Magikarp of any level, from Level 1 all the way to Level 100.

The Stats

The Level 1 and Level 100 Magikarp both reside within the 1% encounter slot of the pond, which contains Magikarp from levels 1 to 100. This means, if you were to specifically target either the Level 1 or Level 100 Magikarp, it would be a 1/10,000 chance.

Methods

The first, and simplest, method to find the Level 1 or Level 100 Magikarp is to simply fish for it. I hunted for a shiny Magikarp in this spot and it's one of my favorite hunts I've ever done. The music is great, the environment is gorgeous, and you can really come to appreciate Magikarp throughout the course of the hunt. As a bonus, if you're hunting for the Level 1 or 100, there's a great chance you'll see a shiny along the way!

The second method only works for the Level 100 Magikarp, and will bring the odds of finding one to 1/200 while simultaneously bringing the chances of finding the Level 1 Magikarp to 1/20,000. By running a Pokemon with Pressure at the start of your party, 50% of the time you will encounter the highest level Pokemon in your encounter slot. This means if you hit the 1% encounter slot that contains the Level 100 Magikarp, 50% of the time you'll automatically encounter the Level 100!

There is also the very slim, albeit not impossible, probability that you will hit the 1% encounter slot, Pressure will NOT activate, but you STILL get the 1% chance of the Level 100, but this is nearly negligible.

In Other Generations

In Generation 5, Black and White 2 have an area known as the Nature Preserve, which has a very similar event. By fishing with a Super Rod in Rippling Water, there is a 1% encounter slot that contains Gyarados ranging from Level 1 to 100.

In Generation 9, Scarlet and Violet's DLC The Teal Mask contains a pond in Fellhorn Gorge which can also spawn Magikarp up to Level 100.

Happy Hunting, Anglers!