Rare Pokémon — What's Actually Hardest to Get
"Rare" means different things across Pokémon: event-locked mythicals you can't catch anymore, GO regionals and costumed exclusives, chase cards worth real money, and plain low-odds shinies. Here's the honest breakdown.
Rarest in Pokémon GO
Armored Mewtwo
Event-only and never re-released — the single rarest GO catch.
Regional exclusives
Klefki, Hawlucha, Sigilyph and friends only spawn in specific countries — travel or trade is the only route.
Costume & event mons
Holiday hat Pikachus and raid-day legendaries are one-window catches — miss the event, miss the mon.
Shundo legendaries
A 100% IV shiny legendary is the community's true chase — raid-day odds are 1-in-20 for the shiny alone.
Rarest in the main games
- 1Mythicals
Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, Deoxys, Victini, Marshadow, Zarude — mostly locked to expired distributions; legit copies trade at a premium.
- 2Manaphy & Phione
The only breedable mythical line — still gated behind old Ranger events.
- 3Spiritomb & friends
Odd encounter mechanics made certain species notorious — lore-rare more than distribution-rare.
- 4Shinies
Base odds run 1-in-4096 — rare by design, and full-odds squares (1-in-65536) are the deep chase.
Rarest in cards
| Card | Why it's rare | Rough value |
|---|---|---|
| Pikachu Illustrator | ~40 ever made, contest prize | Millions |
| 1st ed. Charizard (PSA 10) | Icon + perfect grade | Hundreds of thousands |
| Trophy cards | Tournament prizes, tiny print runs | Tens of thousands+ |
| Misprints & promos | Error sheets, staff copies | Varies wildly |
FAQ
What is the rarest Pokémon ever?
For collectors, the Pikachu Illustrator card; in-game, event mythicals like Marshadow and Zarude — no longer obtainable legitimately.
What is the rarest Pokémon in GO?
Armored Mewtwo — released once in 2019 and never returned — plus regional exclusives that only spawn abroad.
Are shiny Pokémon rare?
Yes — base odds are 1 in 4096 in modern games, rarer in GO depending on the species.
Can I still get old event Pokémon?
Only by trading — most distributions closed years ago, so legitimate copies are permanently scarce.