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Top 10 Rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO [2025]
LocaChange - Pokemon GO Tool
Teleport to any location with the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO. Use the auto-walk & catch features to get them easily. Free trial is available now!
Question
I'm trying to find out what the rarest pokemon is. Please help me find out. I was thinking something like armored mewtu maybe?
Recently, a Reddit post caught my attention where trainers were actively discussing the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO and which ones are the rarest shinies to catch.
In this article, I’ll share my personal list of the rarest Pokemon and the rarest shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO. After playing for over eight years, these are my insights. If you’ve ever wondered which Pokemon is the rarest in Pokemon GO, read on to find out my thoughts!
Top 10 Rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO
No.1 Armored Mewtwo
Armored Mewtwo is a Psychic-type Legendary Pokemon that first appeared in 5-star raids back in 2019. What makes it rare is its limited-time release, Niantic has only brought it back a few times for short events. Since then, trainers who missed out haven’t had another real chance to catch it, making Armored Mewtwo one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO today.
No.2 Necrozma
Necrozma is also a Psychic-type Legendary Pokemon introduced during the Pokemon GO Fest 2024 and later featured in 5-star raids. It is rare because it is event-locked and usually requires fusions with Solgaleo or Lunala for its special forms, which further increases its difficulty to obtain.
No.3 Origin Forme Dialga
Origin Forme Dialga is a Steel and Dragon-type Legendary Pokemon. Unlike its standard form, Origin Forme is only available during specific limited raids, such as the Pokemon GO Tour: Sinnoh event. Due to the extremely short duration of this event, many players missed their chance to catch it, making it one of the most sought-after Pokemon.
Thankfully, it will be back as a weekly Raid Hour event in September - October 2025. Hurry and take this opportunity!
No.4 Origin Forme Palkia
Now that we've mentioned Origin Forme Dialga, let's turn our attention to Origin Forme Palkia. Origin Forme Palkia is a Water and Dragon-type Legendary Pokemon, and just like Dialga’s Origin Forme, it was also tied to the Pokemon GO Tour: Sinnoh in 2024. Players had very little time to raid for this Pokemon, and its signature move makes it even more desirable in PvP and raids. Those who didn’t participate in the event now find it almost impossible to obtain.
No.5 Eternatus
Eternatus, a Poison and Dragon-type Legendary Pokemon, made its long-awaited debut at the Pokemon GO Fest Max Finale event. With its powerful stats and unique typing, Eternatus is in high demand for both collections and battles.
Trainers who missed the event will have limited opportunities to obtain it in 2025, with trades and future event reruns being the only realistic options. Due to its limited accessibility, Eternatus remains one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO.
No.6 Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie
These three are Psychic-type legendaries known as the Lake Guardians. Their rarity comes from being region-locked: Azelf (Americas), Mesprit (Europe) and Uxie (Asia-Pacific). That means collectors must either travel, rely on remote raid invites, or wait for very rare global redistribution events to complete the trio. Shiny versions and full sets are especially uncommon, so they remain among the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO.
No.7 Sandile
Sandile is a Ground and Dark Pokemon whose rarity in Pokemon GO stems from its main acquisition route: 12 km “Strange” eggs (drops from Team GO Rocket Leaders). Strange eggs have a low drop rate, so hatching a Sandile can take many leader defeats and a lot of patience. While occasional event spawns happen, for most trainers Sandile remains a rare hatch.
No.8 Pikachu (Libre Costume)
Pikachu Libre is an Electric-type costume variant that isn’t caught in the wild - it’s a reward. Historically it’s earned through GO Battle League milestones (reach Rank/Level 20 in the League), which makes it a badge of PvP commitment. Because it requires dedicated PvP play rather than normal catching, Pikachu Libre is one of the rarest costume Pokemon in the game.
No.9 Melmetal
Melmetal is a Steel-type evolution of Meltan and is rare mainly because of its acquisition cost. Meltan itself is obtained through the Mystery Box and Let’s Go Meltan research (or transfer mechanics with Pokemon HOME), and evolving Meltan into Melmetal requires a very large number of Meltan candies. The combined barrier, limited Meltan spawns, and high candy requirement - makes Melmetal a high-rarity Pokemon for most trainers.
No.10 Goomy
Goomy is a Dragon-type that has a low natural spawn rate and limited hatch/egg appearances, so it’s considered rare in many regions. The most reliable ways to get Goomy are hatching 10 km (or event) eggs and checking event spawn lists when Goomy is featured. Even during events its spawn rate often stays low, so collecting Goomy usually takes time and many egg hatches.
Also Read:
Top 10 Rarest Shinies in Pokemon GO
While catching rare Pokemon is already a challenge, finding their Shiny forms takes rarity to an entirely new level. In the following list, I’ll explore the top 10 rarest Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO, based on player reports, event history, and availability in 2025. These are the Shiny forms that even veteran trainers may never have in their collection.
| Rank | Shiny Pokemon | Type(s) | Why It’s Rare | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shiny Unown | Psychic | Only in special events and very low shiny rate | ||
| 2 | Shiny Rotom | Electric / Ghost | Limited-time event reward | ||
| 3 | Shiny Detective Hat Pikachu | Electric | Exclusive costume event, not returned since debut | ||
| 4 | Shiny Ash Hat / World Cap Pikachu | Electric | Region locked and costume Pikachu rarely come back | ||
| 5 | Shiny Spinda | Normal | Certain patterns only released briefly | ||
| 6 | Shiny Lake Guardians (Azelf, Mesprit, Uxie) | Psychic | Region-locked, need travel or trades to collect all three | ||
| 7 | Shiny Shadow Legendaries | Varies | Only from GO Rocket Leaders and Giovanni | ||
| 8 | Shiny Meltan | Steel | Only from Mystery Box and shiny windows very limited | ||
| 9 | Shiny Regional Costumes | Varies | Region exclusives with event costumes, rarely re-released | ||
| 10 | Shiny Legendary Raid Bosses | Varies | Raid locked, available only in short event time | ||
Bonus: How to Catch Rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO?
For all trainers, you should have realized that if you don’t go out and walk around to visit PokeStops, it’s become very difficult to collect rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO nowadays. Thankfully, I recently discovered an amazing tool for Pokemon GO spoofer LocaChange, which helps automate these tasks.
LocaChange not only has a built-in map of PokeStops but can also teleport you anywhere in the world and even auto-walk to find and catch rare Pokemon. What’s more, it offers a range of game-related features that are extremely useful.
Key Features of LocaChange
- The built-in Pokemon GO map feature scans rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO and locate them.
- 1-click to teleport in Pokemon GO to any location, break the geo-restriction and catch rare Pokemon easily.
- It supports the latest iOS 26 and Android 15 systems, and support multiple devices.
- Joystick to simulate realistic movement, cool-down timer and adjustable speed prevent from soft-ban.
- You can Import / Export GPX file to save your favorite routes and spoof Pokemon GO easily.
You can follow this guide to try it for free:
Step 1 Download and install LocaChange on your mobile phone.
Step 2 Open LocaChange app, choose the game mode and select the mode you need. Once done, you can use LocaChange helps you to catch rare Pokemon anywhere.
By the way, you can also change Pokemon GO location for iOS/Android devices on PC with 1-click:
Step 1 Open LocaChange and choose the game mode.
Step 2 Select Teleport Mode and start catching rare Pokemon anywhere.
FAQs About Rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO
1. What is Rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO?
In Pokemon GO, "Rare Pokemon" usually refers to those unique Pokemon species that are uncommon or difficult to encounter. These Pokemon can be categorized into several types based on how they appear and the difficulty of obtaining them:
| Category | Description | Rarity Level |
|---|---|---|
Rare Wild Pokemon |
They have a low encounter rate in the wild and may only appear in specific areas, under certain weather conditions, or during specific times. Encountering them often requires players to spend a considerable amount of time and effort searching for them. Example: Pokemon GO Snorlax. |
 |
Legendary Pokemon |
They are a special category in the game, often playing significant roles in the game's storyline. Encountering legendary Pokemon typically involves completing a series of tasks or meeting certain conditions. |
|
Mythical Pokemon |
They are usually rewarded for special events or activities within the game, such as distribution events or specific in-game activities. Their appearance is often tied to particular events or periods. | |
Special Breeding or Evolution Pokemon |
Some Pokemon can only be obtained through special breeding methods or unique evolution paths. For example, certain Pokemon may require specific items, conditions, or special events to breed or evolve. |
|
2. What is The Rarest Shiny in Pokemon GO?
Many players consider Shiny Unown the rarest, since it only appears during special events like Pokemon GO Fest with a very low shiny rate. Other contenders include Shiny Rotom and limited costume Pikachu that have only been available once.
Conclusion
Today I've covered top 10 rarest Pokemon in Pokemon GO and top 10 rarest shiny Pokemon. Also, if you want to save time and collect them all in a short time, just choose the location changer LocaChange to help you finish the hard tasks. That’s reliable and you can’t go wrong with it.
- Pokémon GO
- GPS Spoofing
- AR Gaming
- AR gaming and GPS spoofing specialist with over a decade of software experience. He is a trusted writer on Pokémon GO tips and safe location-changing strategies, helping over 2 million users worldwide. As an Apple enthusiast and expert in location-changing technology, he brings both technical depth and gaming insight to every guide.
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