Rarest Pokémon in Pokémon Go

Following last year’s teaser of Pokémon from the Alola region coming to Pokémon Go, today’s Pokémon Presents presentation confirmed that these Pokémon will soon be landing in our world. These Pokémon, which first appeared in Pokémon Sun and Moon, include some of the more popular creatures in the series, though it is highly likely some may be restricted to players in Hawaii—the real-world inspiration of the Alola region.

With another generation of Pokémon being added to the game, this trend of Pokémon exclusivity in Pokémon Go has grown considerably, limiting the franchise’s touted idea of “catching them all” to those who can travel and play extensive amounts of the game. There will soon be over 800 different species of Pokémon roaming the world of Pokémon Go, and because of how the mobile game is structured, players may never be able to get their hands on the Pokémon they want.

From event-exclusive Pokémon to those that can only be encountered in specific parts of the world, Pokémon Go seeks to make certain Pokémon much more rare than others, oftentimes unobtainable for the casual player base. Here are a few of the rarest Pokémon that have been released in Pokémon Go, some of which may never return to the game.

Armored Mewtwo and the Pokémon Clones

To celebrate the release of the movie Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution in 2019, Pokémon Go included some of the strange variants of Pokémon that appeared only within the movie. For a short duration around Pokémon Day in 2020, Armored Mewtwo, Clone Venusaur, Clone Charizard, and Clone Blastoise could be found in Raids; they have not returned to the game since then. Even Pikachu made an appearance in its Clone look, which also disappeared after the event concluded.

Armored Mewtwo boasts higher defensive stats than Mewtwo normally has while also wearing the upgraded metallic armor that the recreation of this movie created for modern audiences. Yet with this major boost to its defenses, its Attack stat is much lower than its normal counterpart, greatly impacting its max CP.

The cloned versions of Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise don’t have any different stats than they normally have, but do show various markings that paint them as almost-perfect copies created by Mewtwo. Clone Pikachu also appeared in this event as a photobomb encounter, having more spiky black markings on its ears compared to a regular Pikachu.

As these Pokémon appeared in Pokémon Go only to advertise the release of the upcoming movie, it is unlikely that they will ever make a return for players to add to their collections. The only way to currently obtain these Pokémon is through trading with other players.

Bouffalant, Klefki, Carnivine, and Sigilyph

While the number of region-exclusive Pokémon has greatly increased over the years, most are available in larger parts of their respective regions, enabling a wider player base to get their hands on certain Pokémon. However, a handful of these region exclusives are limited to certain countries and sometimes even cities, making it very difficult for players that want to complete their Pokédex.

Bouffalant, Klefki, Carnivine, and Sigilyph are a few of the Pokémon that fall into the very limited category. Each makes their home in places that either align with their designs or the real-world equivalents of the regions they debuted in. 

Bouffalant can only be found in New York City and the surrounding areas, while Carnivine can only be found in the southern United States, specifically around Florida and Georgia. Klefki can only be found in and around France, the inspiration for the Kalos region in Pokémon X and Y. Sigilyph prefers the storied histories and mythology of Greece and Egypt, meaning players that don’t visit those countries won’t be able to find this Psychic-and-Flying-type Pokémon.

For players that can’t access these areas of the world, they’ll have to wait for the possibility of these Pokémon being available during events.

Unown

One of the more peculiar Pokémon in the series is Unown, possessing 28 different forms, each depicting a letter of the Latin alphabet as well as a question mark and exclamation point. Unown debuted in Pokémon Gold and Silver and have since been staple mysterious creatures in the games and movies.

In Pokémon Go, Unown can only be encountered during specific events, notably the annual Go Tours and Go Fests, where only specific forms can be obtained pertaining to what the event celebrates. For example, last year’s Go Fest included Unown G and Unown F, highlighting the name of the event.

Outside of these limited durations, Unown cannot be found normally in the wild. Catching all 28 forms of Unown, besides the ones not released into the game, requires players to be proactive in numerous events every year. Fully completing a collection of Unown requires a deep commitment to Pokémon Go, making this feat unattainable for the average casual player.