By There are over 151 Pokemon to catch in Pokemon GO, so you’re bound to have a tough time finding all of them in your journeys. But what’s the absolute most rare Pokemon of them all? That’s what we’re here to find out. If you’ve scoped our list of all 151 Pokemon in Pokemon GO then you’re likely to come across some names that are quite difficult to find.
The 2 Legendary Siblings
The legend of Mew and Mewtwo has always been one of the most fascinating in Pokemon lore. To understand how elusive Mew, in particular, is, one most know the origins of Pokemon itself. If you thought it was the anime show or the trading cards, you’re sadly mistaken — Pokemon was first introduced as a video game.
In the 3 original Pokemon games — Red, Blue, and Yellow — Mew was said to be created as a joke Pokemon, which is why it was never actually part of the original games’ story. It was only after the series’ creators saw the popularity of the Pokemon’s existence and mystique behind it that they decided to turn it into an actual Pokemon.
Mew maintains its status as one of the few characters unobtainable from any ordinary gameplay. You had to be lucky enough to attend special events to get him. Of course, those with the technical know-how (and money) were able to get one thanks to a GameShark.
Mew’s rarity is perhaps most notable because it is responsible for the existence of Mewtwo, the strongest Pokemon in existence. In lore, Team Rocket — the original villainous Pokemon team — carried out genetic cloning and splicing experiments with Mew DNA they acquired to make an even stronger (and meaner) version of it. Thus, Mewtwo was born. These experiments likely would have continued to make for a Mewthree and Mewfour, but Mewtwo used the immense power he was gifted with to destroy the science lab where he was being held captive.
How rare are they?
As legendaries are not yet available in Pokemon GO, this naturally makes the Mew duo 2 of the rarest, with it being widely believed they could only be obtained through special events. The original trailer for Pokemon GO showed a mad dash to Time’s Square in New York City to battle a Mewtwo, so perhaps we’ll be seeing something like that at some point down the line.
The 3 Legendary Birds
Uno, Dos, Tres — 1, 2, 3. Or, less cryptically, the suffixes of the three legendary bird Pokemon known as Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. As coincidence (or careful planning) would have it, these birds appear in the Pokedex in the order that their Spanish-inspired names suggest.
Known for Ice, Electric, and Fire respectively, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres all have a heavy hand in the makeup of oceans. Articuno and Moltres are responsible for the bodies of water and the craters of earth holding them, while Zapdos does its part to keep the waters moving and flowing all over the world. It’s said these 3 Pokemon are tied to Lugia, a Pokemon introduced in Gen 2 as the guardian of the oceans.
How rare are they?
As with Mew and Mewtwo, the legendary birds can not yet be obtained in Pokemon GO, though their existence in the game is hinted at as these three birds serve as mascots for the game’s 3 Pokemon Gyms. We’ll likely have to wait for Niantic to make them available at special events.
The Weird One
I still don’t quite understand Ditto. This pink blob of a Pokemon appears very insignificant in form, and yet it’s one of the most significant Pokemon in the history of the series. It can transform into any Pokemon it encounters and use all its moves and abilities. Hence, Ditto.
In terms of the Pokemon games, Ditto is a prime breeding component as it can be paired with any breedable Pokemon of any gender (including its shared genderless status) to create Pokemon eggs. This makes it very valuable, especially if you can find a Ditto with superior stats that can be passed down to child Pokemon through breeding.
Fun fact (or theory): Ditto are widely believed to be remnants of failed attempts to clone Mew.
How rare is it?
Despite its status as a normal-type non-legendary Pokemon, there has yet to be any report of someone finding a Ditto in Pokemon GO. It’s not yet known if the Pokemon is coded to appear in the wild or if you will have to wait until it’s made available through special events.
The (supposed) Regional Exclusives
This is where things get a bit interesting. While Niantic has not yet come out to confirm this, reports from long-time Pokemon enthusiast site and database Serebii suggest there are 4 Pokemon which can only be found in specific regions. Here’s the list of them and their respective and suggested locations:
- Tauros: North America
- Mr. Mime: Western Europe
- Kangaskhan: Australia / New Zealand
- Farfetch’d: Asia
None of these Pokemon are of particular unique importance or significance on their own, so if they really are exclusive to regions, it seems Niantic did this to add a bit more of that “you have to travel around to catch Pokemon” feel to the game. If someone were to miss out on any of these then we don’t imagine they’d be terribly disappointed, however I’m sure there are more than a few Mr. Mime fans ready to argue otherwise.
How rare are they?
The legitimacy of the claim that these Pokemon are region-specific is still up in the air as some have come back noting that they found some of these Pokemon in regions where they supposedly aren’t available. It’s possible that could be a half-truth, though, as these 4 Pokemon can still be hatched from one of the Pokemon eggs you find in your travels regardless of where you are. Encountering them in the wild, however, is something we’re still curious about and we’ll certainly be looking to get an answer on.
The Rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO
Here’s the biggest question we’re here to answer: what’s the absolute most rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO? It’d be easy to point at the legendaries and Ditto and call it a day, however the answer is much more complex because of the way Pokemon GO works.
That is to say, even if we’re only referencing Pokemon which can currently be encountered and caught, or hatched from an egg, the rarest Pokemon is determined by your area and, ultimately, your luck. Gastly has shown its face more than 10 times on my beat, but I have a friend who can’t find one for the life of him. That Squirtle you caught might be plentiful, but someone may never find one themselves if they aren’t close enough to water.
That’s the beauty of Pokemon GO — catching them all isn’t simple or easy, and you’ll really have to dedicate yourself if you want to fill your Pokedex up. So, the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO is the one you have the hardest time finding, and to find one you’ll simply have to get out there and keep looking!
Who’s the rarest for you?
Is there one Pokemon you’ve been looking for that you simply cannot find? Have you been on a journey for a Poliwrath only to come up on a gang of Magikarp? Be sure to let us know with a comment straight ahead!
See a list of all 151 Pokemon in Pokemon GO
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