8 minutes read The Rarest Pokémon in Pokémon GO – A Guide to Rare and Shiny Pokémon
Molly Snyder
Update on March 3, 2025
The storyline of Pokemon GO revolves around collecting Pokemons. Most of the Pokemons can be caught in events or in the wild. Still, some Pokemons can not be obtained easily as they are the rarest Pokemons.
If you are a casual player or a dedicator collector, finding the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO is rewarding but somehow challenging.
But what is the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO? And what about Shiny Pokemon? What is the rarest Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO?
Here, you come to the right place as we have listed the top 10 rarest Pokemons for Pokemon GO 2025 and how to catch them.
Top 10 Rarest Pokémon in Pokémon Go for 2025
1. Armored Mewtwo
Armored Mewtwo was first released in 2019 in a summer raid event and then in 2020. It is a unique variation of the legendary Psychic-type Pokemon, Mewtwo. Now it’s been four years that it has not returned, which makes it one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO. Unless Niantic reintroduces it in a future raid event, obtaining this Pokemon is nearly impossible.
2. Clone Pokemon (Clone Charizard, Clone Blastoise, Clone Venusaur)
Clone Pokemons have a special appearance, which makes them differ from their original form. These exclusive Pokemons were introduced during Pokemon GO’s 2020 Pokemon Day event. After that, they are not seen in Pokemon GO. The only way to get it is from trade if someone has one.
3. Rotom
Rotom is the rarest strange Pokemon in Pokemon GO. It has two forms: Mow Rotom and Frost Rotom. Both are available during a short span. Mow Rotom appeared in in-person GO Fest 2022 events in Seattle, Berlin, and Sapporo. Frost Rotom appeared during in-person GO Fest 2023 events in Osaka, New York, and London. Now, there is a chance that they can appear in Go Fest 2025, the in-person Pokemon GO event.
4. Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit (Regional Lake Guardians)
These three Legendary Pokemon appear only in specific regions. So, they are incredibly rare to find outside their designated locations:
- Azelf: Americas, Greenland
- Uxie: Asia, Pacific
- Mesprit: Europe, the Middle East, Africa
They occasionally appear in five-star raids with low spawn rates.
5. Unown
Unown is one of the hardest Pokemon to collect due to its 28 different letter and punctuation forms. It only appears in specific events or as rare wild spawns, which makes it one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO 2025.
6. Salazzle
Salandit is the hardest Pokemon to hatch, but evolving it into Salazzle is a completely different challenge. Only female Salandit can evolve into Salazzle, and the odds of hatching one from a 12km Egg are extremely low. These special eggs are only obtained by defeating Team GO Rocket Leaders Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra. Trainers must repeatedly battle them to collect enough eggs.
Even if you manage to hatch a Salandit, there’s no guarantee it will be female. This frustrating rarity makes Salazzle one of the most elusive Pokemon in Pokemon GO.
7. Galarian Articuno, Galarian Zapdos, and Galarian Moltres
The Galarian forms of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are the most challenging Legendary Pokemon to catch in Pokemon GO. These rare variants can only be encountered by using Daily Adventure Incense. So, trainers just have 15 minutes per day to search for them, and if you find one, capturing it is an entirely different struggle.
Each of these Legendary birds has an extremely low base catch rate of 0.3% and an incredibly high flee rate of 90%. The best way to guarantee a catch is by using a Master Ball, but since they are rare in Pokemon GO, most players won’t have that luxury.
8. Melton and Melmetal
Meltan and Melmetal are also the rarest Pokemons in Pokemon GO, as they are hard to obtain. Trainers can get Meltan with the Let’s Go, Meltan special research quest, but its evolution Melmetal is a time-consuming process. Meltan spawns for one hour after unlocking Mystery Box. To open Mystery Box, you need Pokemon HOME, Let’s Go Pikachu, or Let’s Go Eevee.
The evolution of Meltan requires 400 Candy, Pinnap Berries and the use of the Mystery Box multiple times. Without it, you’ll have to rely on Rare Candy and keep Meltan as your buddy, making Melmetal one of the more challenging evolutions in Pokemon GO.
9. Regional Exclusive Pokemons
Some Pokemons are considered rare due to regional exclusivity. Pokemon like Tauros (USA), Corsola (tropical regions), and Hawlucha (Mexico) are only available in specific areas, and they are difficult for global trainers to obtain. Some, like Solrock and Lunatone, swap locations during special events and others, such as Celesteela and Kartana, appear exclusively in five-star raids for their regions.
Limited-time events like Pokemon GO Tour sometimes offer access to these exclusives but mostly require a ticket. One of the rarest regionals today is Comfey, only available in Hawaii which makes it a prized catch for collectors.
10. Shiny Shadow Pokemon
Shiny Shadow Pokemon are difficult to find through Team GO Rocket battles. To catch these Pokemon, trainers need to battle Rocket Leaders and somehow luck on their side. They rank among the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO.
How to Boost Your Odds of Catching Rare/Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon GO?
Rarest Pokemons are hard to catch; however, with some tricks, trainers can get a chance to encounter and catch these elusive Pokemons. Let’s discuss how you can increase your chances of catching these elusive Pokemons.
Way 1. MocPOGO Location Changer
Niantic bans spoofing, still there are apps that you can spoof in Pokemon GO, such as MocPOGO Location Changer. With this advanced tool, you can teleport your location anywhere in the world and catch Pokemon without detection.
168,282 people have downloaded it.
- Change GPS location on iOS device without jailbreak.
- Simulate GPS movement with custom speeds.
- Change the location of all location-based games/apps.
- Support GPS joystick to play AR game on PC.
- Multi-Device control up to 15 devices.
- Support the latest iOS 18/Android 15.
With features like customizable movement speed and joystick controls, cooldown timer MocPOGO makes it easier to hunt for rare Pokemon without leaving your home.
Here are the steps on how you can spoof safely in Pokemon GO:
Step 1 Download and install MocPOGO on your PC. Open the program and click on “Start.”
Step 2 Now connect your phone iPhone or Android to the PC with a USB cable or WiFi(iPhone users only).
Step 3 Select “Teleport” from the top of the screen, type the address or GPS coordinates inthe search box, and click on “Search.”
Now select “Go” to move to the new location. Select two-spot mode or multi-spot mode to move in the game with customized speed.
Way 2: Participate in Special Events
Niantic frequently hosts special events where rare and shiny Pokemon appear at higher rates. Keep an eye on Pokemon GO’s event calendar and participate in limited-time raids, Community Days, and Safari Zones.
Way 3: Use Incense and Lures
Using Incense and Lures increases you can get the chance to encounter rare Pokemon. Certain events also introduce special Incense effects that attract exclusive Pokemon.
Way 4: Hatch 12km and 10km Eggs
Many rare Pokemon are only obtainable by hatching eggs. By walking and hatching 12km and 10km eggs, you can increase your chances of finding rare species like Axew, Noibat, and Larvesta.
Way 5: Battle Team GO Rocket Leaders
If you’re hunting for shiny Shadow Pokémon, battling Team GO Rocket Leaders frequently increases your odds of encountering them. Giovanni’s Pokémon lineup also rotates, so checking updates can help you target rare Shadow Legendaries.
Way 6. Use Daily Adventure Insence
Another method to catch rare Pokemons is using Daily Adventure Incense daily. Activate this in-game feature daily to encounter a rare Pokemon and add it to your Pokedex.
Way 7: Trade with Other Trainers
If you’re struggling to find a specific Pokemon, trading with fellow trainers can help. Special trades allow you to acquire event-exclusive Pokemon that you may have missed.
Final Words
In short, rare Pokemons in Pokemon GO are creatures that have unique appearances and abilities, are region-specific, and cannot be obtained in the wild. By using tools like MocPOGO Location Changer , participating in special events, and staying active in raids and battles, you can increase your chances of capturing these elusive Pokemon.
Are you ready to embark on the ultimate Pokemon hunt? Keep exploring, and you just might encounter the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO 2025!
Molly is a game fanatic who specializes in writing technology articles. In her articles, you can find many questions about game guides and solution of how to fix it. She has over 10 years of work experience in the gaming and technology industries, which makes her articles more readable.