5 rarest regional variants in Pokemon GO and how to catch them

Pokemon GO was graced with regional species variants in the past few years, introducing familiar Pocket Monsters with different appearances, moves, and elemental types owing to their residence in another region of the Pokemon world. The same creatures that players have grown accustomed to are vastly different in some regions due to environmental factors changing the species.

Although some regional variants can be found fairly easily in Pokemon GO, others are much more difficult to obtain. Regardless of whether they originate from Alola, Hisui, or Galar, these species are tough to find and sometimes even trickier to catch.

If Pokemon GO fans are hunting for some of the rarest regional Pokemon species, there are a few that come to mind immediately.

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5 regional Pokemon variants and how to obtain them in Pokemon GO

1) Galarian Weezing

Galarian Weezing is a tricky monster to find in Pokemon GO, primarily because it doesn't spawn in the wild and can't be evolved from a Koffing. It has appeared sparsely in the game's raid rotation, but otherwise, it has only popped up in the wild and as a research task reward during GO Fest 2022. As far as 2023 goes, Galarian Weezing has only appeared as a raid boss twice during late January and early February.

If Pokemon GO fans want to catch this elusive Fairy/Poison-type species, they'll likely have to keep their eyes on the raid calendar. However, Niantic may decide to include this Weezing variant as a wild spawn or reward during an upcoming event at some point this year.

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2) Hisuian Braviary

Hisuian Braviary first appeared during the Hisuian Discoveries Raid Day on July 31, 2022. However, it has been pretty tricky to catch since then, only appearing as a 3-star raid boss on sporadic occasions. The variant appeared in the Crackling Voltage event in February 2023 and can currently be beaten in raids and captured as part of the "A Valorous Hero" event until May 17, 2023, at 8 pm. Trainers who want to catch this Psychic/Flying-type Pokemon still have a few days before they miss their opportunity.

Hisuian Braviary may appear again in 2023, but it may be relegated to the raiding arena once again at an indeterminate time. Niantic has made no statement about the creature's whereabouts otherwise, so Pokemon GO players should keep an eye on the raid schedule.

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3) Hisuian Avalugg

Another Pocket Monster from the ancient Hisui region, Hisuian Avalugg is a hulking Ice/Rock-type that has only appeared as a raid boss on two occasions so far. It was featured in December 2022's Special Raid Challenge in Pokemon GO and can currently still be caught during A Valorous Hero. However, that only gives fans a few days to beat this Pokemon in a raid and capture it before it slips away once again.

Much like Hisuian Braviary, this iteration of Avalugg is a 3-star raid boss, so it shouldn't be too difficult to beat and capture, even solo. Pokemon GO trainers simply need the right counters for the job. However, if you haven't caught it before the end of A Valorous Hero, you may be in for quite a wait before Niantic brings it back again.

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4) Galarian Mr. Mime

Galarian Mr. Mime has essentially vanished from Pokemon GO since February 2023. The variant from the Galar region was originally catchable in the wild and hatchable from eggs during GO Fest 2022, and it was a big part of the Winter 2022 festivities. However, trainers had to complete either Special or Timed Research in order to even find Galarian Mr. Mime, making it quite rare among regional variants. Since it's a partial Ice-type, there's hope that it may reappear during Winter 2023, but this isn't guaranteed.

Even if it does arrive for the winter, Pokemon GO players may have to push through (or pay for) Special/Timed Research to acquire this creature. Anything can happen, but Niantic has certainly had its controversies as far as paywalls are concerned.

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5) Galarian Articuno/Moltres/Zapdos

The regional variants of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos are the trio of Galarian Pokemon that trainers have plenty of sad stories about. These three Pocket Monsters can only appear while a player has an active Daily Adventure Incense, and even then, the chances of one of them appearing are incredibly slim. To make matters worse, the trio has some of the lowest catch rates in the game, and trainers have shared their experiences of the monsters fleeing an encounter after just one catch attempt.

To maximize their chances of catching these Legendary Pokemon from Galar, players will have to make excellent curveball throws, use the best berries and Pokeballs available, and collect as many platinum medals as possible. Even then, the throw may fail, and Galarian Articuno/Moltres/Zapdos have a roughly 90% chance of running away after a failed catch attempt. It can be heartbreaking to witness, but catching these three variants in Pokemon GO will require the utmost preparation, determination, and luck.