The rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go will be difficult to catch for even the most dedicated Trainers, so if you’ve got any of these in your collection, you must be doing something right!
In the story-driven mainline Pokemon games, the rarest creatures that you can add to your team are pretty much always Legendaries, as there is normally only one of them available, and you’ll often need to complete the game to encounter them.
But in the non-linear world of Pokemon Go, things are a little different. Some Pokemon can only be caught during special events, some only spawn in specific regions of the world, and others need to be beaten as Raid bosses before you can get a chance to catch them.
If you’re wondering what the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon go is, we’re going to look at some of the rarest in 2022, such as Archen and Tirtouga. We’ll also cover some tips and tricks on how you can find them to help you get one step closer to completing your Pokedex.
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The rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go in 2022
10. Goomy
Pokemon from the Kalos region are all pretty rare in general – but Goomy has been almost impossible to find since the Luminous Legends X event – where it made its Pokemon Go debut, ended back in May 2021.
Since wild spawns are so uncommon, the only way to make sure you get a Goomy now is to hatch a 10km Egg, although it’s one of the rarest hatches alongside Noibat so the chances of getting one are very slim.
9. Sandile
You might not consider the Ground/Dark-type crocodile Sandile to be a particularly desirable catch, but in Pokemon Go, it’s gained a reputation for being incredibly hard to get. As a result, many Trainers will spend countless hours trying to get one.
The only way to get Sandile right now is to hatch it from a 12km Egg (otherwise known as a Strange Egg), and it’s got one of the lowest rates of all the potential hatches. Let’s not even get into how long it will take to fully evolve one into Krookodile!
8. Melmetal
Despite being the first and only Pokemon to make its debut in Pokemon Go, Meltan certainly isn’t easy to find. Players either need to complete the Let’s GO, Meltan! Special Research – which only rewards a single Meltan – or activates a Mystery Box for multiple encounters.
While getting a Meltan is difficult enough, it’s actually its evolved form, Melmetal, that earns its spot on our list of rarest Pokemon because you’ll need a ridiculous 400 Candy to evolve it. That’s a whole lot of Meltan to catch, something that could take you months – or even years – to achieve.
7. Salazzle
Salandit made its Pokemon Go debut during the All-Hands Rocket Retreat event in April 2022, where it was added to the 12km Egg pool – but there are loads of other species that can hatch from Eggs instead of Salandit, so it’s not guaranteed you’ll ever get one.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Trainers need to hatch a female Salandit to be able to evolve it into Salazzle, and the chance of getting one of those is only 12.5%. All in all, the likelihood of you ever being able to evolve a Salazzle is very low and will require a lot of patience.
6. Tirtouga
Fossil Pokemon have always been hard to get, regardless of which game you’re playing, but in Pokemon Go, the word ‘rare’ takes on a whole new meaning. One of the most recent Fossil additions, Tirtouga, is almost impossible to find now.
The Rock/Water-type made its debut in January 2020, and was briefly available to hatch from 7km Eggs during the February 2020 Fossil event. Since then, it’s only been available in the wild, but the chances of it spawning appear to be non-existent for most Trainers.
5. Archen
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Another rare Fossil Pokemon on our list is the Rock/Flying-type Archen, which also debuted in January 2020 alongside Tirtouga. Like that Pokemon, the main way to get Archen was previously in 7km Eggs, but now it’s only available in the wild.
Just because it’s available, though, doesn’t mean you’ll actually be able to find one. Its high rarity means that catching enough to evolve it into Archeops will be incredibly difficult, and you might have to spend your Rare Candy instead.
4. Axew
The Unova region’s Axew, which eventually evolves into the intimidating Haxorus, has a reputation for being one of the rarest non-Legendary and non-Mythical creatures in Pokemon Go, thanks to its incredibly low spawn rate in the wild.
It is possible to hatch Axew from a 10km Egg, but it’s in the highest rarity tier, so the chances of this happening are very slim. It doesn’t help that 10km Eggs aren’t exactly common, either. Still, it might be your best chance.
3. Pikachu Libre
This special costumed Pikachu might not be region-locked or exclusive to a specific event, but what makes it so rare is how difficult it is to obtain. As a result, you probably won’t be seeing many of them around.
In order to get Pikachu Libre, you need to reach Rank 20 in the Pokemon Go Battle League. Trainers who manage to get to this rank in a single season will be rewarded with an encounter with this rare Pokemon.
2. Every single Unown
Unsurprisingly, the mysterious Unown is one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go, and getting yourself a full set of every Unown available (there are 26 of them!) can often seem like an impossible task.
Unown does appear in special events, like the recent Go Fest 2021 which allowed players to catch plenty of Unown F and Unown G. Outside of these events, though, your chances of finding them are ridiculously low.
What is the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go?
1. Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie
While our number one spot for the rarest ‘mon is technically three Pokemon, that’s also part of what makes them so rare. Each one only spawns in specific regions, and they don’t show up often at all. Getting your region’s Legendary is difficult enough, but getting the other two is even harder.
To find Azelf, you’ll need to be in the Americas and Greenland. Mesprit will only spawn in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Finally, Uxie is exclusive to the Asia-Pacific. This means you’ll need friends around the world or some big travel plans in order to catch them all.
So, there you have it, that’s all you need to know about what Pokemon from the Pokedex are the rarest in Go!
If you’re looking for more tips to become the ultimate Trainer, check out our other guides below:
Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go: Attackers and defenders | Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour | Arlo counters guide | Cliff counters guide | How to get free Remote Raid Passes | Sierra counters guide | How to catch Ditto | Shop: Items list, prices, box changes | IV and CP explained | Type chart: Strengths and weaknesses | How to get Buddy status
