Pokemon Go is constantly evolving, just like the adorable Pokemon creatures it represents, with new creatures being added to the game and gameplay mechanics being changed regularly. In a game that encourages players to catch all of their Pokemon, it can be frustrating to find that some Pokemon are not as easy to find as they are difficult to catch. For the most part, most of the Pokemon in the game will appear and disappear based on seasons, events, and even the time of day, but there are some that are much harder to find.

With a 6% catch rate, insane stats, and a fast Psystrike attack,it's no surprise that Mewtwo is one of the most sought-after Pokemon in Pokemon Go. Even with one of the best new Pokemon Go cards, you'll still need this legendary card to battle in the Master League, thanks to its ability to compete well against multiple opponents. Unfortunately, Mewtwo is also hard to find, as it does not appear in the wild and only appears in 5-star raids.

While catching a regular Mewtwo is difficult, encountering and catching a Shadow Mewtwo is even harder. Shadow Mewtwo is only obtained after defeating and winning a 5-star raid against Team Rocket. With a 20% bonus damage due to being a dark Pokemon, it is one of the most powerful creatures in the game to date.

Like Mewtwo, Mew is also a rare Pokemon in Pokemon Go, as it cannot be caught in the wild and has yet to be caught. As the first Legendary Pokemon, Mew is considered extremely rare in any version of the Pokemon universe, including Pokemon Go. There is only one of them, so it can only be obtained as a reward for completing a quest line, although there are also very rare events in the game that provide a chance to encounter Mew.

To be sure of catching Mew, players must complete a special quest line called Special Research, which has 8 different parts, each with 3 field research tasks. Fortunately, once the Legendary Pokémon Mew has been acquired through the quest line, it can be caught with a single Poke Ball and will not run away.

This Electric/Fire-type Pokémon comes from the Sinnoh region and only appeared in Pokémon Go in February 2024. Rotom can be unlocked by players with a unique code after finishing the Ghost in the Machine Special Research task. Rotom has been brought to the game in a variety of forms over time, frequently during Pokémon Go Fest events. Currently, the only other way to get Rotom in Pokeeemon Go is through trading with someone who has a surplus of Rotoms to trade for, or waiting for them to be given away as freebies in future events.

To have a chance of capturing Lugia, one of PokémonGo's toughest Legendary Pokémon, a team of at least six people must fight it in a 5-star raid. A Pokémon of the Psychic/Flying type, Lugia will do anything it takes to evade capture. Players will be anxious as they begin to use up their final Premier Balls due to the 2% basic catch rate. Thankfully, Lugia is weak against Pokémon of the Dark, Electric, Ghost, Ice, and Rock types, which makes it marginally simpler to catch than some of the other Legendary Pokémon in the game.

Like its standard form, Lugia can also occasionally be caught in its Dark form from Team Rocket Raids, which often coincide with in-game events. Although it takes a lot of Stardust, Lugia can be sold between players aside from its dark form.

Palkia can only be obtained by winning 5-star Raids, and is an extremely powerful opponent that is only countered by Dragon/Fairy-type Pokemon. Even though Dialga, its opponent, is nearly as strong and has a 2% catch rate as Palkia, it nevertheless makes more appearances in Raids. Palkia will frequently flee away as soon as players run out of Premier Balls before it is vanquished.

Hatching Pokémon from eggs is always a gamble, as they are often mixed with other Pokémon or only available from certain eggs, certain areas, or set for specific in-game events or seasons. Larvesta is one of the possibilities accessible in 5 km and 10 kilometer eggs as of this writing, however rotations may cause this to alter.

Hopefully this Bug-type Pokémon will become more common at some point, but for now, it cannot be found in the wild.

In Pokémon Go, it is impossible to catch a Salandit in the wild, and the chances of obtaining one are extremely slim. Salandit can only be obtained by hatching a 12-kilometer egg at this time, and even then, it is only one of eight Pokémon that can do so. Not only is the odds low, but 12 km eggs are also the hardest to find and hatch. Obviously, you need to walk 12 km while the eggs are in the incubator, but these eggs can only be obtained by defeating Giovanni or the Rocket Squad captain, and each person can only hold up to 3 eggs at a time.

Salandit's evolved form is Salazzle, which is also very difficult to complete, as Salazzle can only evolve from a female Salandit, while the sex ratio when catching Salandit is 7:1, favoring males. This means that you will need to hatch many eggs before finding a female Salandit to evolve into Salazzle.

Since Azelf, Uxie, and Mespirit only take part in 5-star Raids sometimes, like during the Sinnoh GO Tour Global event in February 2024, they are all challenging to get. These three Lake Guardians can occasionally appear in the wild. They are extremely uncommon, though, and dislike being in PokeBalls when they are discovered.

What makes this trio harder to find is that each one is in different specific regions:

For most Pokemon Go players, getting a Sigilyph will probably be very difficult. Since its introduction to the game in 2020, it has been a Pokemon that is only available in certain regions such as the deserts of Egypt and Israel.

Although Sigilyph can be hatched from eggs, it is only occasionally found in 10 km eggs in those regions, while eggs sent to friends are only 7 km. Players can trade Sigilyphs if their friends are nearby, but it counts as a special trade and requires a significant amount of Stardust from both parties. It's possible that Sigilyphs will be included in an event in the future, but for now, adding Sigilyphs to the Pokedex in Pokémon Go is very difficult for players.

This article highlights the top 9 hardest Pokémon to catch in Pokémon Go, showcasing rare creatures like Mewtwo, Mew, and Palkia, which present significant challenges for players. From completing Special Research quests to participating in 5-star Raids, catching these Pokémon requires strategic gameplay, patience, and sometimes even global travel. The difficulty of acquiring these Pokémon adds depth to the game and encourages players to hone their skills. If you’re looking to expand your collection with rare and powerful Pokémon, this guide helps you understand which ones will be the most elusive to catch.

Note: This article is an independent review and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Niantic, Pokémon Company, or any related entities. All trademarks and copyrights belong to their respective owners.