- Rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO are harder to catch, as they appear randomly in a tiny capacity.
- While tons of them exist, we list the rarest ones among them.
- Furthermore, you can increase the chance of catching one by using incense sticks, increasing your level, or frequently hatching the collected eggs in your inventory.
As anyone can tell, Pokemon GO is naturally full of many different types of creatures. While some are relatively easy to find, the game also has a lot of rare Pokemon. There are times when you might encounter some rare Pokemon but might not know what they are or how to catch them. Well, after reading through numerous community posts and checking out threads, I decided to sit down and list out the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO and the best tips on how to catch them. So, with that, let’s begin hunting!
Pokemon GO: Rare Pokemon Explained
While Pokemon GO features almost every Pokemon till the 8th generation, there are certain Pokemon that are extremely hard to catch. These require you to fulfill different sets of conditions which let them spawn in the world.
However, even then, rare Pokemon in the game depends on various factors, including the location, climate, time, and even your level. As such, not every rare Pokemon is available in every part of the world. Nonetheless, there are some amazing rare Pokemon, which we will discuss below.
Rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO
Here are some of the rarest of rare Pokemon currently in Pokemon GO. We are excluding the event-specific Pokemon, as those were only available for a set duration of time. So with that, here they are:
1. Sinnoh’s Lake Guardians
- How to Get: Only available in certain parts of the world
Our first pick is the Sinnoh Lake Guardians. Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf are a water-type trio of Legendary Pokemon that have appeared in the fourth-generation games. Pokemon GO added these three Legendaries with some capture quirks. To catch Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, you have to be at the following locations:
- Uxie – Asia and Pacific regions
- Mesprit – Europe, Middle East, Africa, India
- Azelf – Americas and Greenland
2. Unown
- How to Get: Appears rarely in the wild and on raids during special events
Unown are these rare psychic-type Pokemon oddly shaped like ancient writing featured first in the second generation. They come in 28 different forms. Just like the main-line games, they rarely appear sometimes in the wild.
Additionally, they’ll also appear in raid battles. The only downside to both options is its spawn rate. Nonetheless, as soon as you encounter one, try to catch it!
3. Volcarona
- How to Get: Multiple Larvestas and evolving it to Volcarona by using 400 Larvesta candies
First introduced in the fifth generation, Volcarona is a bug-fire type Pokemon and is the evolved form of Larvesta. While you can find Larvesta from any available eggs in-game, they have an extremely rare spawn chance.
Add to that the evolution requirement of 400 Larvesta candy, and you can understand the reason for its rarity.
4. Salazzle
- How to Get: Female Salandit that drops from a 12km egg. Evolve the Salandit using 50 Salandit candies
Salazzle is well-known in the Pokemon community for many reasons. This seventh-generation poison-fire type Pokemon is in Pokemon GO. She is the evolved form of the female Salandite, which means you have to catch one of them.
The only downside is that you first have to get a female Salandit from a 12km egg and then use 50 Salandit candies to evolve it, which shouldn’t be problematic if the egg spawns weren’t randomized.
5. Kecelon
- How to Get: Spin PokeStops until you can find one of them blocked by an invisible Pokemon
You’d think that Kecelon would at least belong to the grass-type family. However, that isn’t the case. This is a normal-type Pokemon, featured first in the third-generation games. Pokemon GO developers smartly used its Gecko-like design.
If you play Pokemon GO, you know the importance of PokeStops. And Niantic took advantage of this. If you spin a lot of PokeStops, you’ll randomly find an invisible Pokemon blocking one of them. Interact with it, and you’ll get the chance to catch Kecelon.
6. Jangmo-o
- How to Get: Rarely appears in the wild; Sometimes drops from 10km egg
I love Dragon-type Pokemon in the main-line Nintendo games. Not only do they look cute, but they hit hard. And Jangmo-o is yet another one of those Pokemon that I’d love to have at my party. A Dragon-type Pokemon, catching Jangmo-o is hard, as this is a rare Pokemon.
You can find Jangmo-o while walking around and catching Pokemon, even though they are a bit rare. Alternatively, you can get Jangmo-o by hatching a 10km egg.
7. Sandile
- How to Get: Randomly drops from a 12km egg
Some dark-type Pokemon have this weird aura around them, making them creepy. And Sandile is one of them. A ground/dark-type Pokemon, Sandile looks like a baby Crocodile with dark, hollow eyes.
Like any rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO, Sandile drops by hatching a 12km egg. There’s nothing much you can do, except hatch tons of eggs and pray to the RNG overlords.
8. Melmetal
- How to Get: A Meltan in your Pokedex and 400 candies.
Once you reach level 30, you’ll get a quest called “Let’s Go, Meltan.” You’ll catch yourself a Meltan after reaching the second-last step of this quest. However, opening up the mystery box requires you to transfer a Pokemon from Pokemon GO to either Pokemon Home or any of the Pokemon Let’s games for Nintendo Switch.
Once you catch a Meltan, you can evolve the Pokemon using 400 Meltan candies to get yourself a Melmetal. This is a steel-type mythical Pokemon, first introduced in the seventh generation. And it essentially looks like Meltan is hitting the gym and getting gains.
9. Pikachu Libre
- How to Get: Reach Rank 24 in the Pokemon GO battle league
Pikachu Libre combines two of the best things in this world – Pikachu and Lucha Libre wrestling. This character was first featured in the Pokken fighting game series and, to some extent, the Super Smash Bros game.
Since the character is tied to professional wrestling, getting the Pokemon is also tied to battle. You have to reach Rank 24 in the Pokemon GO Battle League. However, once you reach the rank, you’ll get this Pokemon as a reward.
10. Zygarde Complete Form
- How to Get: Catching a Zygarde and getting 200 Zygarde cells
One of the weirdest dragon-type Pokemon in-game is a Zygarde. First introduced as a legendary Pokemon in the seventh generation, Zygarde starts as a snake, changing into a Dog, and finally a walking mecha.
Getting a Zydarge isn’t much of a problem. You’d have to complete the “From A to Zygarde” special research quest and have this Pokemon in your Pokedex. However, changing its form to 100% requires you to collect 200 Zygarde cells. You can only get it from random spawns on your walking route.
11. Noivern
- How to Get: Noibat and 400 Noibat candy to evolve
Noibat is another dragon-type Pokemon with a mix of flying types. They were first introduced to the sixth generation and are an evolved form of Noibat. As such, getting Noivern getting yourself Noivern in Pokemon GO requires you to catch a Noibat, which is a rare spawn.
However, once you get a Noibat, you can evolve it using 400 Noibat candy to get Noivern. Ultimately, it is quite a lot of work to get Noibat, making it one of the rare Pokemon in-game.
12. Archen
- How to Get: Found in the wild; extremely rare spawn rate.
Archen is a rock/flying fossil Pokemon that resembles a Dodo or a prehistoric dinosaur. This makes sense since it is a flying fossil. Archen was first introduced in the fifth generation, and unlike most Pokemon mentioned here, It spawns in the wild.
But don’t let that fool you, as the spawn rate for Archen is low. However, if you’re lucky enough, you might get it during your walking routine, so keep an eye out.
13. The Galarian Legendary Birds
- How to Get: Using a Daily Adventure Incense and praying to the RNG gods
The Galarian Legendary Birds are Galarian legendary forms of Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres. They first appeared in the Kanto region of Pokemon. And, unlike their Kanto form, they look strikingly different from their Galarian form.
As such, they are rare in Pokemon and spawn randomly when you use your Daily Adventure Incense. However, the chances of getting them are rare, and you must pray to the RNG gods to be lucky enough for a chance.
14. Frigibax
- How to Get: Drops from 10km egg; extremely rare drop.
Frigibax is a relatively new Pokemon in this list, appearing first in the ninth-generation games. A dragon/ice type, they spawn from a 10km egg, which you can get by completing events, fighting raids, and capturing gyms.
Once you have one, put them in the incubator, and walk 10km to hatch it. Unfortunately, you can only get this Pokemon from these eggs.
15. Spiritomb
- How to Get: During the Halloween event
Spiritomb is a weird ghost/dark-type Pokemon that has appeared in the fourth-generation games. As such, to fit its ghost themes, Pokemon GO adds this one in a yearly Halloween event-specific Pokemon.
Spiritomb spawns during the month of Halloween in October. However, depending on Niantic’s whims, it can get locked behind an exclusive paid event.
Tips and Tricks to Catch Rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO
While it is true that rare Pokemons are harder to spot and difficult to catch, it doesn’t mean you cannot prepare yourself to capture them when you get the chance. Here are some suggestions that can help you catch a rare Pokemon when spotted:
- Increase player level: When you level up in Pokemon, your chances of discovering better Pokemon increases ever so slightly. A level 10 player will exponentially have a tougher chance of catching a higher-quality Pokemon than someone over level 40. Hence, try completing missions, catching as many Pokemon as possible, and participating in seasonal events.
- Frequently use Incense Sticks: Incense sticks are an item that attracts various kinds of Pokemon towards you for a set amount of time. You get one daily, and you’ll attract better-quality Pokemon for a fixed duration. As such, use them frequently when you have access to them.
- Hatch Eggs in your inventory: Eggs are an item you get from events or completing simple tasks. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, there is a chance that one of these hard-to-catch Pokemon will appear from a hatched egg. Always try to hatch them by completing the walking milestone. The higher the milestone, the better the chances of receiving something good.
These are the rare Pokemon you can get in Pokemon GO. So, did you manage to capture any rare Pokemon yet? Let us know in the comments below!
