The 30 Rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO

Pokemon GO is the biggest mobile game of all time, as searching and capturing wild Pokemon in the real world is incredibly addicting. This list is in no particular order, but if you manage to nab one of these 25 Pokemon, consider yourself lucky. Here are the 25 rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO.

Mewtwo

Mewtwo is one of the most iconic Pokemon and is understandably rare in Pokemon GO. It was the first creature to be released as an EX Raid Boss, meaning you had to be invited to a Raid to even get a chance to catch it. Getting an invite was hard and even if you were one of the lucky ones, it was almost impossible to beat it without an almost full squad. Thankfully, Mewtwo is also one of the most powerful Pokemon in the game.

Event Pikachu

Multiple times in the few years since Pokemon GO launched, Niantic has released some event Pikachu that wear certain different hats. We’ve seen a Detective Pikachu themed one, a Christmas one, a Halloween one, and a few more. Some are rarer than others, due to being in the game fewer times, but you’ll have done well to have all of them in your collection.

Togetic

Togepi is one of the cutest Pokemon the series has ever seen and a fan favorite from the anime series. While it’s rare itself, the Pokemon it evolves into is ever rarer, especially in the wild. You may have added one to your Pokedex by now, having got enough Togepi candy, but actually finding a Togetic out in the wild is very tough.

Mew

Much like Mewtwo, Mew was added to Pokemon GO as the first to be tied to a new feature. You can get Mew from a set of Special Research Quests called A Mythical Discovery. If you play a lot of the game, you likely completed the tasks quite quickly, but it’s very tough for others. Thankfully, the research quests are still available, so you don’t have to rush completing them.

Alakazam

A personal favorite, Alakzam is rare for two different reasons. One is simply that finding a fully evolved version very difficult, but more importantly to actually evolve this Pokemon you need to catch a ton of Abras. Which is frustrating because Abras will always run after your first attempted catch, thus making the grind for them only more tedious.

Unown

Individually, Unown is probably the rarest spawn. However, Niantic has run quite a few events that has boosted their spawn rates. What is difficult is finding all of the different letter variants of Unown. Most players don’t find one, let alone all of them.

Zapdos

The electric gen 1 mythical Pokemon, Zapdos is still very rare. You’ll never see it out in the wild and it can only be caught after beating a Raid. You’ll also need a lot of people with you to do it. It has made appearances in Research Boxes, but that’s only during some events that Niantic introduced.

Mr. Mime

It’s widely believed that  Mr. Mime is region locked to Europe and can only be obtained her in the U.S via an egg. While this is still heavily debated, finding a Mr. Mime regardless is still an incredibly frustrating task. They seem to either never show up for people or appear in massive, colorful hordes. If you manage to nab one consider yourself lucky, because some of us have never even seen this humanoid Pokemon.

Celebi

The second mythical Pokemon to be released into Pokemon GO is Celebi. The tasks were arguably even more challenging than the Mew ones, so it’s no wonder that Celebi is one of the rarest pokemon in Pokemon GO. Unfortunately, while difficult to get, it isn’t a particularly powerful ‘mon.

Gyarados

Outside of capturing around 100 Magikarps just to evolve one into a Gyarados, this can be an incredibly difficult one to snag. However, we have had a fair amount of success hitting PokeStops with lures near bodies of water such as rivers or the ocean. Consider this method if you are desperate to run into this terrifying sea serpent. Just be prepared for a battle, Gyarados doesn’t go down easily.

Moltres

Moltres, the fire type Gen 1 legendary bird, is found in the same way as Zapdos. Occasional Research Box inclusions and Raid stints are the only times you’ll see it. People went mad for it when it first launched, though.

Articuno

The third and final gen 1 legendary bird, Articuno is arguably the most useful in battle. It’s added to your Pokedex in the same way, though, by taking part in occasional Raid boss battles and by completing weekly Research Breakthrough tasks when it’s a reward.

Shiny Pokemon

In the last year or so, the most sought after Pokemon have been differently colored versions of already existing Pokemon. Away from Community Day events, Shiny Pokemon are extremely difficult to find, just as they are in the main games. Some look better than others though.

Squirtle Squad

The sunglasses wearing Squirtle, known as the Squirtle Squad, are some of the most recognisable Pokemon from the original amine series. Just over a year ago, they came to Pokemon GO as a reward for a Research Task. The task itself wasn’t that difficult to complete, but it was around for such a short period of time that many people won’t have it.

Charizard

One of the rarest and most sought after Pokemon in the entire game, this Pokemon’s appearance has caused crowds of people to chase him down. While you can evolve into him, this is both time consuming and incredibly difficult. If you manage to spot one in the wild, make sure to pick up your pace. Chances are you are not the only one looking for this big guy.

Blastoise

The final evolution of Squirtle, finding Blastoise outside of evolving him is a long and time-consuming endeavor. Whether you run into him or not will completely come down to your luck and if you are using items such as the Lure Module. If you want this badass tortoise, prepare to do some serious searching.

Venusaur

Venusaur is the last of the original starters evolution and one that we tend to see more than the others. While that doesn’t make him any less rare, he seems to show up a bit more in the wild than the other two. Though this difference is fairly minuscule and he shouldn’t be passed up if you cross his path.

Lapras

One of the rarest Pokemon int he entire game, spotting a Lapras seems to be an incredibly uncommon event. In my journey as a presumptive Pokemon trainer, I’ve only ever come across the Pokemon once and it seemed to be located across a massive river. Lapras is a powerful water type Pokemon and if you manage to nab one, consider giving yourself a pat on the back.

Kangaskhan

Another Pokemon that is considered region locked for wild captures, Kangaskhan is a difficult one to come across. Unless you are lucky with your incubations, Kangaskhan may be a Pokemon you never run across. Which is a shame given how absolutely awesome he looks!

Hitmontop

Both Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were part of this list when the game first launched. They’re pretty common now, but part of their Hitmon family took over. Hitmontop is incredibly rare out in the wild. The best way to get one is to hatch a Tyrogue from an egg, check that Stamina Stat is its best, and then evolve it to get Hitmontop.

Dragonite

Because just finding a Dratini wasn’t hard enough right? Dragonite’s appearances are very scarce and usually end up being challenging encounters. While he’s been captured in the will by numerous trainers, some people may go their entire Poke-Career without seeing one. When your best chance is evolving up to him through already scarce Pokemon, you know this is one of Pokemon GO’s rarest monsters.

Tyranitar

Tyranitar has been one of the most powerful Pokemon in the game ever since it first arrived in the Gen 2 launch. Larvitar is the first stage Pokemon that everyone is after, and can be found occasionally, but actually seeing a spawn of Tyranitar is almost impossible. A lot of players have it now, but they’ve had to grind to 125 candies to get it.

Farfetch’d

Another of the Gen 1 regional Pokemon, you would usually have to travel to eastern Asia to catch. As is the case with the others, it has appeared elsewhere during small rotations and events, but most players would never have even seen it. Unfortunately, it’s not powerful at all, it’s just one you want for your collection.

Smeargle

Smeargle was weirdly absent from Pokemon GO for years. It’s a Gen 2 ‘mon and has only just arrived. You catch it using the new Photobomb feature. You need to open Snapshot mode with any Pokemon and take a pic. Then, go and take a look at the photo, at which point Smeagle might (maybe) appear in the image. Then, you might get the chance to catch it.

Corsola

This is another of the regional Pokemon in the game, but it’s area isn’t the easiest to reach. It’s a coral like Pokemon and can only be found along the equator. If you’re in the US, head down to Florida and you might just be able to catch it.

Tropius

One of the hardest regional Pokemon to find in Pokemon GO, Tropius is exclusive to the Mediterranean and Africa, as you’d expect from huge Grass/Flying type Pokemon. Keep an eye out for events if you want to catch it without travelling though.

That’s it for the Rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO, for more on the game, be sure to check out our Wiki Guide.