All ways to get legendary Pokemon in Pokemon GO

One harrowing ordeal in Pokemon GO is obtaining the mythical and legendary Pocket Monsters. The reason for this is their exceptional rarity. However, considering their tremendous battle power, trainers often strive to get their hands on these creatures. To manage this, they need powerhouse teams, and the more legendaries they acquire, the more influential their team becomes.

There is no easy way to get legendary Pocket Monsters. Everyone has to go through a grind to catch these creatures. While there are ample ways to get these for free, in some cases, they may even have to spend real-world money. With that said, this article is a guide to the best methods to collect legendary Pokemon in Pokemon GO.

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How to get legendary Pokemon in Pokemon GO

1) Raid Battles

Partake in Raid Battles (Image via Niantic)

Pokemon GO Raid Battle is a PvE battle mode classified into different tiers. High-tier Raids feature legendary and Mythical Pocket Monsters. These powerhouses are mostly found in the 5-star raids, but there are other categories, such as Elite and Primal raids, that feature them as well. Trainers wanting to seize the moment can partake. Though it is a challenging task to subdue them solo, you can fight together with friends.

You need to understand the featured legendary's weaknesses and build the best team to counter them. The roster must include the creatures of substantially high levels with the best possible movesets. Raid teams can consist of any variant of the Pocket Monster of your choice, ranging from Shadow to Mega. While some raids allow remote access using Remote Raid Passes, others require you to visit them in person.

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2) Special Research Tasks

Complete Special Research Task (Image via Niantic)

Besides Raid Battles, Niantic offers trainers Special Research Tasks to get legendary Pokemon. These tasks are the most demanding ones, requiring significant time and effort to complete.

While Research stories can be completed in a few days or months, others may take more than a year or so. Often, the more challenging the quest, the more powerful and elusive the critter it offers.

Some Special Research Tasks can only be obtained by purchasing tickets. Some examples of such questlines are Misunderstood Mischief and A Mythical Discovery. While the former offered a Hoopa Confined, the latter provided a Mew. That said, in both cases, there was the promise of a 100% catch rate.

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3) Wild Spawns

Encounter in the wild (Image via Niantic)

It is extremely rare to find legendary Pokemon in the wild in Pokemon GO. Typically, Wild encounters feature common monsters with high spawn rates. Not only that, most of these have a high catch rate. Legendaries have low spawn and catch rates. Due to this reason, it is super rare and uncommon to encounter them. Powerhouses like the Galarian Birds and the Lake Trio sometimes appear as wild encounters.

Their irregular spawn rate adds to their allure in Pokemon GO. Some of these creatures are even locked to specific regions of the world. In case you spot them, consider using your Master Ball or at least Ultra Balls.

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4) Trade

Through Trades (Image via Niantic)

The trade feature in Pokemon GO allows a trainer to exchange a Pokemon with a friend. Various regulations bind this system, and many limitations prohibit trade. For example, Shadow Pokemon or the critter that has already been sent over by someone can’t be traded. Buddy Pokemon or those defending the gym also can’t be traded in these states. Each trade costs Stardust, and the more robust the critter, the more Stardust you require.

Trading legendary Pokemon counts as a Special Trade, and you need a lot of Stardust to complete them. Depending on your friendship level with the other trainer, the cost can be high or low. Here is the table to show the friendship level and Stardust's cost:

Friendship Level	Registered in Pokedex	New
Good Friends	20,000	1,000,000
Great Friends	16,000	800,000
Ultra Friends	1,600	80,000
Best Friends	800	40,000

Increasing the friendship level helps reduce trade costs. Monsters registered in your Pokedex further decrease the cost of Stardust. So, the best way to trade is to boost friendship.

Lastly, remember that although you can trade legendaries like Articuno and Zadpos, many others, like Zygarde, can’t be exchanged.

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5) Giovanni questline

Beat Giovanni (Image via Niantic)

The mischievous group, Team GO Rocket, is led by Giovanni. While other leaders and grunts offer a chance to obtain Shadow versions of regular Pocket Monsters, Giovanni provides a Shadow legendary encounter. The boss cannot be found through standard methods. One must assemble a Rocket Radar first and face the leaders. Only after defeating them can you find and fight Giovanni in Pokemon GO.

Here is the step-by-step method to get Giovanni’s legendary.

1. Play through the relevant Special Research Quest, which keeps changing from time to time.
2. Beat the Team Go Rocket leaders Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra.
3. Acquire a Super Rocket Radar.
4. Locate Giovanni on the map.
5. Fight through all the disguised grunts.
6. Encounter and defeat Giovanni for an encounter with his Legendary beast.

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These are the best ways to gather legendaries in Pokemon GO. Wild Spawns and Trade are the most challenging among these, while Raid Battles are the most straightforward way to get them.