Collecting rare Pokémon and, in doing so, completing the Pokédex is one of the main goals in Pokémon Go.
Pokémon rarity in Pokémon Go, however, is not an exact science like it is in the mainline Pokémon series, since some Pokémon will become easier to find if you visit certain real world locations or partake in in-game events.
Now that the Pokémon Go Pokédex spans from Gen 1 to Gen 9, we’ve created a rare Pokémon list, so you know which creatures you need to be on the lookout for – whether it’s in the wild, during an event or from a research quest.
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While this isn’t a complete list of every rare Pokémon, it does cover the majority of creatures which are currently difficult to find in Pokémon Go.
When hunting for rare Pokémon, it’s important to remember that certain factors, such as where you live, have an effect on which specific Pokémon are rare for you. If you live by the sea, for example, you’re more likely to encounter rare water-type Pokémon than someone who lives in a city.
How often you play Pokémon Go also has an effect, with regular players often finding a rarer Pokémon more frequently due to having a higher Trainer Level. This is because your Trainer Level sneakily gates a selection of Pokemon from the wild spawn pool if you’re not certain levels – so the higher your Trainer Level, the more Pokémon species you can encounter.
Finally, don’t forget that in-game events, like Community Day, have an effect on which Pokémon appear in raids, occasionally egg pools and in the wild, such as boosting specific types or particular Pokémon.
Considering the release of new Pokémon, like the Ultra Beasts, and Daily Adventure Incense, we’ve updated our list of the Pokémon which are considered rare in Pokémon Go in August 2024:
Armored Mewtwo
Armored Mewtwo is one of the rarest Pokémon in the game, because, at the time of writing, the only way to obtain it is via trading.
This is because Armored Mewtwo is a special costume variant of the Gen 1 legendary, which was originally available in five-star raids between 10th July to 31st July 2019. It has only returned once since this date during the Pokémon Day 2020 celebrations in February of that year. There has been no sight of Armored Mewtwo since these days and no sign of its return.
Interestingly, Armored Mewtwo is the only costume Pokémon to have different stats when compared to its non-costume form, along with having a different moveset.
Clone Pokémon
Clone Pokémon are a set of four Costume Pokémon – Clone Venusaur, Clone Charizard, Clone Blastoise and Clone Pikachu – that, at the time of writing, have only been available in Pokémon Go between 25th February to 2nd March 2020. Due to their very limited release, the only way to currently obtain a Clone Pokémon is through trading.