5 rarest pocket monsters in Pokemon GO (January 2023)

Since the release of Pokemon GO, numerous pocket monsters have made their way into the game. Moreover, some were introduced as exclusive features in certain events, and only a few trainers could get them. This means that, over time, the title has seen its fair share of rare entities.

Difficult-to-get creatures are seen as collectibles in the game, with several pro players on the constant hunt to acquire them. Loads of Pokemon become extremely uncommon because they were part of exclusive one-time-only events. Such occasions are generally related to movie releases, promotion of merchandise, anniversary events, etc.

Currently, there are more than a few creatures in the game that are considered novelties. Below are some of the rarest monsters in Pokemon GO.

Note: This article is subjective, and the entries are listed in no particular order.

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Armoured Mewtwo, Fragment Hat Pikachu, and 3 other rarest catches in Pokemon GO

1) Fragment Hat Pikachu

Pokemon GO developers partnered with Hiroshi Fujiwara, Fragment Design founder, to release a collection of joint products called Thunderbolt Project. The collaboration also brought forward the Fragment Hat Pikachu event, which lasted two days and was introduced in 2018. During it, a new outfit for Pikachu was made available, along with a matching shirt and hat for trainers to get from the game's Style Shop.

This was the sixth outfit for the popular creature to be added to the game, following the Ash Hat Pikachu, Party Hat Pikachu, Summer Style Pikachu, Witch Hat Pikachu, and Holiday Hat Pikachu. The Pokemon also had a Shiny variant made available during the event. Unless it is made available again, gamers won’t be able to acquire a Fragment Hat Pikachu easily.

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2) Armored Mewtwo

Armored Mewtwo is a special, event-exclusive Pokemon released in 2019 and has not returned to the game since. It is currently not possible to encounter an Armored Mewtwo in Pokemon GO. However, trainers have requested that this variant of the popular entity be made available again. The launch of this pocket monster was tied to the release of a movie. This is why it is very unlikely that the Pokemon will return anytime soon. But considering the game developers’ reputation for showering surprises, one might get to catch an Armored Mewtwo in the future.

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3) 5-year Anniversary Pikachu

On the fifth anniversary of Pokemon GO, Niantic offered trainers a special Collection Challenge. The event featured a new Flying Pikachu with one five-shaped balloon and a Shiny Darumaka.

The exclusive Pokemon were the main highlights of the event, among numerous other rewards associated with the game's five-year anniversary. The original version of the 5-year Anniversary Pikachu is now quite rare in the game, with several other variations being released through certain events.

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4) Clone Pokemon

Similar to Alolan and Galarian creatures, Clone entities are variations of Pokemon that appear different from their regular counterparts. Only a few such beings have been released in Pokemon GO so far.

Clone creatures first appeared in the movie Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back and were presented as monsters created by Mewtwo. Despite being called "Clones," these fighters present slight visual differences from their more familiar counterparts. Since some of these entities also knew rare attacks, they were regarded as extremely rare. Some Clone Pokemon are Clone Charizard, Clone Blastoise, and Clone Venusaur.

Rare attacks Clone Charizard, Clone Blastoise, and Clone Venusaur know:

• Clone Venusaur - Frenzy Plant
• Clone Charizard - Blast Burn
• Clone Blastoise - Hydro Cannon

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5) Detective Pikachu

To celebrate the release of the movie Detective Pikachu, Pokemon GO held a special event from May 7 to May 17, 2019. During it, the spawn rate of pocket monsters featured in the film was significantly increased. Trainers encountered Detective Pikachu in the game through the AR Snapshot function; the new variant randomly photobombed trainers during snapshots.

After appearing in the image, Detective Pikachu would spawn near the trainer. Since there is no news of the relevant movie-exclusive event appearing again, this Pikachu variant is absolutely among the rarest creatures in Pokemon GO.