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What is the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go?

Trainers can catch countless Pokemon in Pokemon Go and naturally, some are rarer than the rest. Here are the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go.

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Mewtwo, Melmetal, and Libre Pikachu in Pokemon Go

There are many ways to evaluate a Pokemon in Pokemon Go, and rarity is one of the primary parameters for collectors. Here’s everything you need to know about the rarest Pokemon in the history of Pokemon Go.

Pokemon Go players love catching rare Pokemon which is why they don’t miss an opportunity to catch Shiny Pokemon. Even if they have terrible IVs, catching them is desirable thanks to their rarity.

Having said that, there are many Pokemon that are rare even in their standard/non-shiny forms. This could be because they were introduced during a limited-time event, they’re Legendary, they have unusual evolution conditions, or they’re exclusive to a particular region.

Based on several factors, here are the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go.

The rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go: Melmetal, Unown, and more

14. Sandile, Krokorok & Krookodile

Like many other Pokemon on this list, Sandile can only hatch from a 12 Km Egg, which is a big obstacle even for hardcore Pokemon Go players. It now sits in the second tier of difficulty for these Eggs, but it’s still very rare.

Of course, Krokorok and Krookodile, Sandile’s evolutions, are even harder to get since players need a total of 125 Candy for the whole process. The quickest way to get them is to set Sandile as your buddy to collect Candy, but it will take some time nonetheless.

Krookodile in Pokemon anime
Krookodile is a bit easier to get in mainline Pokemon games.

13. Legendary Galarian Birds: Articuno, Zapdos & Moltres

Niantic surprised players by adding the original Legendary Birds in their Galarian forms in Pokemon Go in 2022. To get Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, or Moltres, players must use their Daily Adventure Incense and walk until they find one during those 15 minutes.

The problem is that these Pokemon will flee after you try to catch them just once, making them extremely hard to catch. We recommend using a Golden Razz berry and an Ultra Ball to maximize your chances, but there’s no guarantee it will work.

Trio of Galarian Legendary Birds in Pokemon
Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres can be found using the Daily Adventure Incense in Pokemon Go.

12. Jangmo-o, Hakamo-o & Kommo-o

In the group of elusive Dragon-type Pokemon, Jangmo-o ranks high on the list. It’s another Pokemon that can spawn in the wild while using Daily Adventure Incense and it can also hatch from 10 Km Eggs, but it’s the rarest of all possibilities.

To evolve Jangmo-o into Hakamo-o and Kommo-o, players need a total of 125 Candy. Using Pinap berries while catching Jangmo-o might help a little, but setting it as your buddy is probably the best way to go.

Hakamo-o in Pokemon anime
Pokemon Go players need 25 Candy to evolve it into Hakamo-o.

11. Vivillon

In addition to many regional Pokemon, players can now try and collect all 18 different Vivillon patterns in Pokemon Go. These patterns can be obtained by pinning Postcards received from Gifts, catching a Scatterbug in the triggered encounter, and evolving it by spending 125 Candy.

It’s already tough to get one Vivillon considering Scatterbug doesn’t appear in the wild, but to get all 18 patterns is an almost impossible task at the moment. The key is to have friends all over the world and send Gifts frequently.

Vivillon in Pokemon anime
Vivillon has a total of 18 patterns in Pokemon Go, but there might be more in the future.

10. Axew & Haxorus

Axew is one of the rarest Pokemon that you can get from a 10 km Egg in Pokemon Go. You can also find it in the wild but the odds of that happening are even lower. As a result, this Dragon-type Pokemon from the Unova region is easily one of the rarest non-Legendary creatures out there.

It is best to use Pinap berries if you ever encounter Axew. You’ll require 125 Candy to evolve it into Haxorus, which is a great but extremely rare Pokemon.

Axew, one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go
Dragon-type Pokemon are hard to get in Pokemon Go.

9. Goomy, Sliggoo & Goodra

Pokemon Go players can get Goomy by hatching a 10 km Egg or through an encounter in the wild. Having said that, this Dragon-type Pokemon rarely appears in the wild and stands at the third tier (hardest to get) of the 10 km Egg hatch pool.

To be fair, the real grind begins after you’ve caught Gloomy as you’ll need a total of 125 Candy to obtain Sliggoo and Goodra. Consequently, Goomy and its evolutions have comfortably made this list of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go.

Goomy, one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go
After catching a Goomy, players need to spend 125 Candy for its two evolutions.

8. Tirtouga & Carracosta

Tirtouga used to be a part of the Egg hatch pool in Pokemon Go, but you can now find it only in the wild. This hasn’t been too beneficial for Trainers because the dual Water and Rock-type Pokemon has really low spawn rates.

The spawn rates marginally increase when you’re using the Daily Adventure Incense, but even then, the community hasn’t had a lot of success in catching Tirtouga. It has an evolution called Carracosta that can be obtained with 50 Tirtouga Candy.

Tirtouga, one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go
Tirtouga is harder to get than some Legendary Pokemon.

7. Salandit & Salazzle

Salazzle is the evolution of Salandit in Pokemon Go and it is rare because of a unique evolution condition. Apparently, only a female Salandit can be evolved into a Salazzle and there’s only a 12.5% chance of players getting one from eggs.

Salazzle’s first form, Salandit, can be hatched from a 12 km egg but it’s never guaranteed. Moreover, you cannot get this Poison and Fire-type Pokemon in the wild which further contributes to its rarity.

Salandit, one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go
12 Km Egg hatches are among the rarest Pokemon in the game.

6. Melmetal

Melmetal can be obtained in Pokemon Go by evolving Meltan with 400 Candy. Meltan itself is one the rarest Pokemon in the game which makes Melmetal even harder to get.

You can get Meltan by completing the Let’s Go, Meltan Special Research quest or through Mystery Boxes. In Season 10 of Pokemon Go titled Rising Heroes, a new Ticketed Timed Research has Melmetal as the final reward.

Melmetal, one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go
Meltan and Melmetal were introduced in Gen 8 with connectivity between Switch games and Pokemon Go.

5. Pikachu Libre

Pikachu Libre is rare in Pokemon Go because you can get it only after reaching rank 20 in the Go Battle League. Upon reaching this rank, the game allows you to have an encounter with Pikachu Libre.

To reach rank 20 in the Go Battle League, you must win a ton of PvP battles in different types of categories, and naturally, rank progression becomes tougher as you move further.

It is no surprise that the Pikachu Libre variant is not common in the Pokemon Go community. Casual players often struggle to win battles in the Go Battle League after a certain point and reaching high ranks requires them to put in countless hours into the PvP mode.

Pikachu Libre, one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go
Pikachu Libre is a reward for competitive players.

4. Unown

There are 28 variants of Unown in Pokemon Go, and collecting them all is close to impossible. These variants are based on the 26 letters in the alphabet, the exclamation mark, and the question mark.

You can obtain Unown from the wild, Eggs, and Raids but all these methods are easier said than done. The Pokemon has made this list due to its extremely low spawn rate.

All 28 forms of Unown in Pokemon Go
Some Unown appear more frequently during special Pokemon Go events.

3. Archen & Archeops

Fossil Pokemon like Archen are known for their rarity not only in Pokemon Go but the entire franchise. The dual Rock and Flying-type Pokemon used to be a part of the 7km Egg pool but now, it is only available in the wild.

Archen’s spawn rate in the wild is close to nil making it one of the rarest Pokemon in the game. Archen also has an evolution called Archeops and unsurprisingly, it is even more challenging to obtain because of the Candy requirement.

Archeops, one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go, flying
Some of the rarest Pokemon in the game only appear in the wild.

2. Noibat & Noivern

Noibat in Pokemon Go rarely appears in the wild and has an equally low chance of hatching through an Egg. This makes Noibat a rare find in Pokemon Go, and its evolution called Noivern requires 400 Noibat Candy which is something that the majority of the player base still hasn’t achieved.

Accordingly, Noibat and Noivern are two of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go. Noibat had its own Community Day back in February 2023, which gave players a chance at stocking up on Candy and even catching a shiny one.

A group of Niobat which is one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go
Noibat has a lot of fans all over the world thanks to its rarity in Pokemon Go.

1. Azelf, Mesprit & Uxie – Rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go

Mesprit, Uxie, and Azelf are three of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go
Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie are Legendary Pokemon that spawn in the wild.

Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie are the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go because they’re region exclusive. The three Legendary Pokemon spawn in the wild but only in the following regions:

  1. Azelf – North America, South America, and Greenland
  2. Mesprit – Europe, Africa, Middle East, and India
  3. Uxie – Asia and Pacific regions

Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie are available in the wild despite being Legendary Pokemon. They seldom become a part of the raid pool, and when it happens, you can try unlocking them through Remote Raids.

Apart from Raids, there is clearly no easy way of getting Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie. You can travel around the world but it still won’t ensure that the Legendary Pokemon appear in the wild.

It is worth noting that this list only comprises Pokemon that you can still get in Pokemon Go. The developers have introduced many Pokemon during time-locked events such as Galarian Mr. Rime and Rotom that were available some years ago and haven’t returned ever since.


These were some of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go. Make sure to use berries and your best Poke balls to catch them.

For similar content, check out other guides:

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Image Credits: Niantic / The Pokemon Company