Does everyone see the same Pokémon?
From this reddit post I found out:
- Same Pokémon spawns for every player in the same place.
- Every player can catch it.
- Once it is caught by one of the players, other players who faced it can still catch it.
- Combat Power depends on the respective player's level.
Intensive playing of the game proved those facts. Incense might bring different results as it has only impact for the user.
I went for a walk with my gf. We found the exact same Pokemon on the same spot and we could both catch them
h0ch5tr4355 gave a great, detailed answer, which I wanted to expand upon with interesting facts. In addition to being in the same place for every player, certain attributes like size and weight are the same before capturing. While HP is dependent on CP, which is dependent on player level, the following are the same for all players:
- Size (weight and height)
- Moves
I did an experiment (5 Players, Same Pokemon) using 5 accounts, catching the same Pidgey in the same location on all of them. Three of the accounts were level 8, while the other two were level 7. Interestingly, the lvl 8 accounts all got a 92CP Pidgey with 27HP. The lvl 7 accounts got a 109CP Pidgey with 30HP. Usually, higher player levels result in higher CP wild Pokemon, but it was kind of randomized in this experiment. I know 5 players is a sample size, but assuming this is true for all cases, here's what we can deduce from the experiment:
- A Pokemon's size and moveset are predetermined when it spawns (prior to capture)
- Upon capture, players of the same level will be given the same randomized CP (e.g. 92)
I also remember one time when a kid and I of the same level (6) caught an Arcanine, it was both 301CP exactly, but 838CP for a level 16 guy. So I am pretty confident that my experiment wasn't flawed. But feel free to comment if you have had the same experience or different.
EDIT: From this reddit post, it has been confirmed that IV ranges are also predetermined. By "ranges", I mean that the distribution of IVs for Attack, Defense, and Stamina have multiple possible combinations, but they roughly equal the same number total when added.