Hitmonlee is among the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go. (The Pokemon Company)
In the hunt to catch them all, Pokemon Go players are finding that certain species are particularly elusive. Creatures like Dratini, Electabuzz and Lapras have caused gamers around the globe to search far and wide, often to no avail.
Within these first few weeks of the game’s release, users have begun to assemble lists and charts of the rarest species, both so you can have an idea of why you’re struggling to catch them and so you can brag when you do manage to hunt one down. It should be noted, though, that this rarity depends largely on your area. Oftentimes, Pokemon that never appear to someone in one state are swarming the town in another state.
However, a Reddit user named RotomGuy has assembled a pretty helpful chart of what Pokemon generally seem to be the rarest, though your mileage will likely vary.
It should also be noted that although each Pokemon appears to have a habitat that it’s generally associated with, that’s not to say they can never be found outside of these areas. Even Pokemon that typically spawn around water can also randomly pop up in your bedroom if you’re lucky enough. But for this list, we’ll go over early reports from users in an attempt to pin down where the rare Pokemon seem to be found more often than not. The game is rather early in its lifespan, so this is all still being figured out.
Here’s a breakdown of the 15 rarest Pokemon in the game and what you may be able to do to increase your odds of finding them.
Dratini
Dratini is a rare dragon Pokemon which is generally found near bodies of water. (Reddit/SammyG94)
Dratini is listed under the “Epic” category on the Reddit list, as it is generally one of the more difficult Pokemon to find. Dratini can sometimes be captured near places associated with water; many have reported finding the creature near lakes, rivers, or in parks that are located near lakes and rivers. That isn’t to say going to the water will guarantee you a Dratini capture, but it may increase your chances.
Beaches also appear to be a good place to catch Dratini. Basically, if there’s a large body of water in the area, keep a look out for a Dratini appearance. However, one Reddit user actually reported to have found one in a park that didn’t have a body of water near it but that had a lot of fountains, so Dratini could also just pop up in any area associated with water at all.
Weirdly, there have also been reports that Dratini can spawn near golf courses, specifically golf courses that are in close proximity to water. This information came from a Reddit user who has captured a significant amount of Dratini in their time with the game.
Over at PokemonGoTrading.com, an incomplete list of some Dratini nests has been compiled, although right now it only features a few dozen locations around the world. Still, this list seems to confirm the previous information about Dratini’s habitat, as most of the nests are located in parks, lakes or harbors.
It isn’t totally impossible to find Dratini somewhere that doesn’t fit that description, though. If you’re extremely lucky, you could get a Dratini in a completely random, non-water location, as some have been fortunate enough to have a Dratini pop up in their house. If that’s the case for you, you will instantly become the coolest player in town.
Finally, you can get a Dratini through hatching 10km eggs. There are several dozen Pokemon that can be hatched from these eggs, so your chances aren’t great, but hey, it’s worth a shot. And depending on where you live, your odds may be much greater with a 10km egg than with trying to catch a Dratini in the wild.
Magnemite
Magnemite is generally found near areas associated with electricity. (Reddit/JOliver7)
Next up on the “Epic” list is Magnemite, another Pokemon that is generally pretty rare. Because it’s an Electric/Steel type, a good place to begin looking for Magnemite seems to be by power plants and industrial areas. Some users have also reported to seeing increased rates of Magnemite spawns during thunderstorms, although this is probably just a coincidence, and going out and exploring your town during a dangerous storm isn’t the wisest idea in the world.
Generally, though, electric Pokemon like Magnemite seem to be often found in dry, industrial areas. Magnemite is also a steel type Pokemon, and based on anecdotal evidence from users across the globe, those often pop up around large buildings and railroad tracks.
This is one of those Pokemon, though, where the rarity varies significantly depending on your area, even more so than usual. Some players virtually never see Magnemites, while others encounter them every single day. They seem to be particularly common in New York City, with one nest being located in Times Square, according to PokemonGoTrading. Is this due to the extreme concentration of electricity in this area? Or is it completely random? As of now, we don’t know for sure. For what it’s worth, that list of nests also includes some parks and beaches, neither of which fit the proposed habitat above.
If you don’t live near any of these nests or near areas like the ones described, Magnemite can be hatched from 5km eggs, so that may be your best option available.
Electabuzz
In Pokemon Go, Electabuzz is generally found near electricity. (Reddit/bloodslide)
Next on the “Epic” category is Electabuzz. As it’s an electric type, like Magnemite it has often been spotted in urban environments and in places with a lot of cables and a high concentration of electrical wires. Essentially, in areas where you’d probably encounter a significant amount of electricity in real life, Electabuzz may be lurking around.
With Electabuzz, though, the habitat isn’t as clear as it is for some of the other Pokemon. Indeed, research from The Silph Road did not show the species as having an obvious environment that it always spawns in, although they found that 10 percent of spawns at universities were electric type. It remains to be seen if that’s actually correlated.
A lot of players have also found Electabuzz in areas you wouldn’t normally associated with this species, like one Reddit user who found a huge cluster of them at an arboretum.
Another user, using PokeVision, came across a significant amount of Electabuzz at the beach, basically the complete opposite environment you’d expect.
On PokemonGoTrading.com, some of the Electabuzz nests that have been listed have included gardens, golf courses, parks, hunting areas, and even lakes.
On the egg hatching side of things, Electabuzz can be hatched from 10km eggs.
Hitmonchan
Hitmonchan appears to be found near areas associated with exercise. (Reddit/ariapepsi)
Hitmonchan makes it onto the “Epic” portion of the list as well. As it is a fighting Pokemon, many players have reported to have encountered it around areas associated with exercise, like real life gyms and parks. It’s not 100% clear if they are related at this time, though.
On PokemonGoTrading, though, a significant amount of the Hitmonchan nests listed are parks, with the species seeming to be much more concentrated around this environment than your typical Pokemon. There were also a few gardens and trails in the mix as well, which fits with the exercise theory.
Plus, based on information from The Silph Road, it seems that fighting type Pokemon like Hitmonchan are highly associated with warm, humid areas.
Some have also found Hitmonchans around sports stadiums, while still others have gotten their Hitmonchans from golf courses and mountains. Indeed, according to The Silph Road, six percent of all spawns at golf courses are fighting type Pokemon, a higher rare than most other species.
As well, Hitmonchan can be hatched by a 10km egg.
Hitmonlee
Hitmonlee is found in the same areas as Hitmonchan, i.e. places related to exercise. (Reddit/epikperez)
Hitmonlee is another extremely rare Pokemon, which makes it onto the “Epic” section. It’s a fighting Pokemon as well, and so it can generally be found in the same areas as Hitmonchan: you can search for it in places associated with exercise, like gyms, parks, and sports stadiums.
Like Hitmonchan, an overwhelming number of the nests that have been reported online are parks, while the others are recreation centers, sports stadiums, and golf courses, fitting with the idea that there’s some connection between sports/exercise and these fighting types. Head over to Pokemon Go Trading for the full list of reported nests.
Some users have reported that Hitmonlee seems to basically only spawn on golf courses, which fits in with The Silph Road’s findings that fighting type Pokemon are associated with golf courses.
Still other players have said that they have found Hitmonlee at beaches.
Like Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee can be hatched from a 10km egg.
Chansey
Chansey is often found in areas associated with health.
Next up is Chansey, which is a normal type Pokemon, making where to find it rather unclear. There have been lots of mixed reports about where Chansey is generally located, but as the creature is a healer, some have said that they have found it near areas associated with health, like hospitals, clinics and pharmacies. Whether this is merely a coincidence is unconfirmed.
Also adding to the mystery surrounding Chansey is the fact that there don’t really seem to be any Chansey nests. According to some recent research into cities where rare Pokemon are generally located, the only major city where it seems a lot of players have found Chansey is Los Angeles, California.
Most, however, have said that they got their Chansey not in the wild, but by hatching eggs, specifically 10k eggs. Once again, this is a case where hatching may be your best bet, and catching one in the wild is a fairly random, unpredictable occurrence.
Lapras
Lapras is found in areas associated with water. (Reddit/nassunnova)
Lapras is even rarer than any of the previous species, being listed in the “Mythical” section of the Reddit chart. This is not only one of the least common Pokemon in the game, but it’s also one of the strongest, and so it’s understandable why it’s so sought after.
Lapras is a water and ice type, and so naturally, most of its owners have said that they found it near places associated with water, i.e. lakes, beaches, piers, etc. The same principles that applied to Dratini apply here.
In fact, a massive crowd recently formed at Santa Monica Pier specifically because a Lapras had appeared in the area. As you can see, it’s quite the desired Pokemon.
Another player on Reddit found Lapras while kayaking.
The Silph Road conducted some impressive research and found that 76 percent of spawns at riverbanks are water type. Water types were also very frequently found at wetlands and saltwater beaches. There’s not as clear a correlation between ice types and any sort of environment, although two percent of spawns in parks are ice Pokemon.
Because the spawning of a Lapras is so very rare, many Lapras owners acquired theirs not in the wild, but rather by hatching a 10km egg.
Snorlax
Snorlax is one of the rarest Pokemon in the game, and where to find it is currently not very clear. (Reddit/Ellelujah)
After Lapras, Snorlax also makes it into the “Mythical” list of extremely rare Pokemon. This is another normal type with no clear natural habitat yet, and thus far, it’s been rather unclear if there are any consistent places to find it, with most users reporting to have found Snorlax in completely random locations.
Some of the areas users have said to have captured Snorlax include parks and beaches, but thus far it doesn’t appear that there are really any Snorlax nests or reliable places to find it. On Pokemon Go Trading, there are only two reported Snorlax habitats, both in New York: Central Park and Prospect Park.
This one, unfortunately, might just be a luck of the draw, although that will just make it that much sweeter when you finally get your own.
However, you should have better luck obtaining a Snorlax from an egg, specifically by hatching a 10km one.
Porygon
Many players have been able to get Porygons by hatching eggs. (Reddit/Warriormmd)
Porygon is the last Pokemon on the “Mythical” section of the list, and so if you see this guy pop up on your nearby tracker, you’re going to want to drop what you’re doing and chase after it. Porygon is a normal type, meaning it has no clear habitat, and its appearances thus far seem to be the most random of any of the Pokemon on the list; some users have never come close to finding a Porygon, while others have discovered one in their bedroom.
Like Snorlax, it’s not yet clear if there is any rhyme or reason to this one, nor do there appear to be any clear or reliable Porygon nests.
The appearance of Porygon is a rare enough instance that one popping up in Australlia recently caused yet another stampede. It appeared in Rhodes, Sydney, and hundreds of people flocked into the area to catch it. They knew a situation like that was unlikely to arise again.
Other than just walking around and hoping to find a Porygon, your best bet to get one of these bad boys is to keep on hatching eggs, as many have gotten their Porygon from a 5km egg.
Mew, Mewtwo, Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno & Ditto
Mew has not yet been discovered in Pokemon Go. (The Pokemon Company/Pokemon Wiki)
Finally, we have the absolute rarest Pokemon in the game: Mew, Mewto, Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno, and Ditto.
Rare might be the wrong word for them, actually, as literally nobody has yet discovered these Pokemon. In fact, there is some debate about whether they’re actually in the game at all. However, fans have recently discovered that the names Mew, Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno do indeed appear in the game’s source code.
It is widely speculated that these Pokemon will be added to the game later on, perhaps becoming available at special events. Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno could also perhaps become exclusives associated with some sort of tournament between the three teams: Valor, Instinct and Mystic.
Either way, for now it appears that none of these six Pokemon is catchable in the game, although this is all just speculation from fans and has not been confirmed from Niantic. Needless to say, if you spot any of these Pokemon in the wild, you might want to get on that, as you will literally be making gaming history.
To recap, here is the chart depicting the most common and the rarest Pokemon in the game: