Some of the most searched Pokemon in Pokemon Go are the rare and hard-to-obtain ones — Gyarados and its Mega Evolution, the Lake Guardians (Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf), Galarian Articuno, and Unown. Whether you are trying to evolve your first Gyarados, prepare for a Mega Gyarados raid, or understand why Uxie only appears in certain regions, this guide covers everything about catching rare and powerful Pokemon in Pokemon Go in 2026.
For the complete Pokemon Go events guide including when rare Pokemon appear during special events, see our article on Pokemon Go Community Day, events, and lucky Pokemon — 2026 guide.
Gyarados in Pokemon Go — How to Get It
Gyarados (Pokemon #130) is one of the most iconic Water/Flying-type Pokemon in the franchise — a massive sea serpent evolved from the tiny, helpless Magikarp. In Pokemon Go, Gyarados is obtained by evolving Magikarp, making it one of the most grinding-intensive evolutions in the game.
How to Evolve Magikarp into Gyarados
| Requirement | Details |
| Candy needed | 400 Magikarp Candy — the highest evolution cost in the game |
| Evolution | Open Magikarp’s summary → Evolve (costs 400 Candy) |
| Magikarp candy sources | Catching Magikarp (3 Candy each), Pinap Berry catches (6 each), buddy walking (1 per 1km), transferring Magikarp (1 each) |
| Fastest method | Catch every Magikarp you see; use Pinap Berries; walk Magikarp as buddy |
| How many Magikarp to catch | ~133 catches with Pinap Berry = 400+ Candy |
Gyarados Stats and Best Moveset in Pokemon Go
Gyarados is a strong Water-type attacker and has been a staple of the Pokemon Go meta since the game launched. Its best moveset for raids depends on the content:
| Role | Best Moveset |
| Water attacker (raids) | Waterfall (Fast) + Hydro Pump or Aqua Tail (Charged) |
| Shadow Gyarados (if available) | Same moveset — Shadow boost makes it stronger |
| PvP (Master League) | Dragon Breath + Aqua Tail + Crunch |
| Community Day move | Aqua Tail — available if evolved during Magikarp Community Day |
Shiny Gyarados in Pokemon Go
Shiny Magikarp (gold/yellow instead of orange) and Shiny Gyarados (red instead of blue) have been available in Pokemon Go since the game’s early days. The Red Gyarados is one of the most recognizable shiny Pokemon in gaming history, referenced in the mainline games’ Lake of Rage. To get Shiny Gyarados: catch Shiny Magikarp and evolve it with 400 Candy. Magikarp has a standard shiny rate — approximately 1 in 450-500 encounters outside of events.
Mega Gyarados in Pokemon Go — Raid Guide
Mega Gyarados is the Mega Evolution of Gyarados — a dramatically more powerful Water/Dark-type Pokemon (it changes from Water/Flying to Water/Dark when Mega Evolved). Mega Gyarados appears as a Mega Raid boss in Pokemon Go and is one of the strongest Mega Pokemon in the game when used as a Water-type attacker.
How to Get Mega Gyarados
- Defeat Mega Gyarados in Mega Raids — it appears in 4-star (Mega) Raid eggs at gyms
- You do NOT catch a Mega Gyarados directly — after defeating the raid, you catch a regular Gyarados and earn Mega Energy
- Collect enough Mega Gyarados Energy (200 for first Mega Evolution; 40 for subsequent Mega Evolutions)
- Mega Evolve your Gyarados from its summary screen using the collected Mega Energy
Mega Gyarados Raid Counters
Mega Gyarados is Water/Dark type — its weaknesses are Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, and Grass. Best counters:
| Counter Type | Best Pokemon |
| Electric (best) | Zekrom, Xurkitree, Raikou, Magnezone, Electivire |
| Fairy | Togekiss, Gardevoir, Sylveon |
| Fighting | Lucario, Conkeldurr, Machamp |
| Grass | Kartana, Roserade, Leafeon |
Electric-type Pokemon are the most efficient counters for Mega Gyarados because they hit both of its types neutrally (Water takes neutral from Electric; Dark takes neutral from Electric) while benefiting from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus). A team of 5-6 high-level Electric attackers can duo Mega Gyarados in optimal conditions.
Lucky Pokemon in Pokemon Go — Full Guide
Lucky Pokemon are a special variant obtained through trading with friends. They cost 50% less Stardust to power up and have a minimum IV floor of 12 in all three stats (Attack, Defense, HP).
How to Get Lucky Pokemon — Trading Strategy
- Trade with Best Friends regularly — higher friendship level increases Lucky odds
- Trade old Pokemon: Pokemon originally caught in 2016 or 2017 have a significantly higher chance of becoming Lucky — as high as 75%+ for very old Pokemon
- Lucky Friends: Achieve Lucky Friends status with a Best Friend and your next trade produces two Guaranteed Lucky Pokemon
- You can check a Pokemon’s original catch date in its information screen — the year it was caught determines its ‘age’ for Lucky trade purposes
Best Pokemon to Target for Lucky Trades
| Pokemon | Why Lucky Is Valuable |
| Mewtwo | Best Psychic attacker — Lucky = 50% cheaper to max out |
| Rayquaza | Best Dragon/Flying attacker — massive Stardust investment |
| Machamp | Top Fighting attacker — popular raid choice |
| Garchomp | Top Dragon attacker — high Stardust investment |
| Gyarados | Top Water attacker — pair Lucky with Aqua Tail Community Day move |
| Lucario | Top Fighting attacker for raids and PvP |
IV Guide for Rare Pokemon — What IVs to Keep
Not every rare Pokemon is worth powering up. Understanding IVs helps you choose which ones deserve your Stardust and Candy investment:
| Content Type | IV Priority |
| PvE Raids (attacker) | Attack IV is most important — aim for 15 Attack, others less critical |
| Master League PvP | High CP (all IVs high) preferred — 15/15/15 ideal but rare |
| Great League PvP (1500 CP cap) | Lower IVs often preferred — lower CP = more stat points within cap |
| Ultra League PvP (2500 CP cap) | Mid-range IVs often optimal — check PvPoke.com for exact targets |
| Gym defense | HP IV most important — higher HP = harder to defeat |
For Lucky Pokemon with the 12/12/12 minimum IVs: the 50% Stardust discount makes them worth powering up as raid attackers even without perfect IVs — the Stardust savings over 40 power-up levels compensate significantly for the sub-perfect stats.
Uxie in Pokemon Go — Lake Guardians Guide
Uxie (#480), Mesprit (#481), and Azelf (#482) are the three Lake Guardian Legendary Pokemon from Generation IV (Sinnoh). They are region-exclusive Pokemon in Pokemon Go — each one appears only in specific geographic regions:
| Pokemon | Region | Available Areas |
| Uxie | Asia-Pacific | Japan, Australia, Southeast Asia, New Zealand |
| Mesprit | Europe, Middle East, Africa, India | UK, Europe, Africa, India |
| Azelf | Americas | USA, Canada, Mexico, South America |
How to Get All Three Lake Guardians
- Raids: When Lake Guardians appear in 5-star raids, they can be Remote Raided — players from other regions can join via Remote Raid Pass invitation
- Remote raid invitations: Ask friends in other regions to invite you to their Lake Guardian raids — this is the primary method for players outside the Pokemon’s native region
- Pokemon Go Fest: During Go Fest events, all three Lake Guardians may appear globally — the most accessible time to catch all three
- Trading: Trade with a friend who has a duplicate Lake Guardian from their region
Galarian Articuno in Pokemon Go
Galarian Articuno (#144 Galarian form) is the Galarian regional variant of Articuno — a Psychic/Flying type Pokemon introduced in Generation VIII (Galar). In Pokemon Go, Galarian Articuno is one of the three Galarian birds (Galarian Articuno, Galarian Zapdos, Galarian Moltres) that appear as extremely rare wild spawns during specific events.
How to Catch Galarian Articuno
- Galarian Articuno does not appear in raids — it is a wild spawn, making it significantly harder to catch than raid-exclusive Legendaries
- It appears during specific events — particularly Season of Light, Ultra Unlock events, and similar themed events
- When encountered: It uses a roaming mechanic in the mainline games, but in Pokemon Go it appears as a rare wild encounter during event spawn periods
- Shiny Galarian Articuno: Available; recognizable by its color variation from the standard purple-blue coloring
Unown in Pokemon Go — All 28 Forms
Unown comes in 28 forms in Pokemon Go: A through Z (26 letters), plus ! and ?. Each form is a separate Pokedex entry. Unown is extremely rare and appears almost exclusively at:
- Pokemon Go Fest: Event-specific Unown letters appear at Go Fest (for example, Unown G-O-F-E-S-T at Go Fest events)
- Safari Zone events: Location-specific letters related to the host city appear
- GO Snapshot photobombs: Occasional surprise appearances
Completing the Unown collection is one of the longest-term challenges in Pokemon Go — requiring attendance at multiple major events over several years. Players who travel to multiple Go Fest locations or Safari Zone cities have the best chance of completing their Unown Pokedex entries.
For Pokemon Go accessories including auto-catchers that help during rare Pokemon spawn events, see our guide to Pokemon Go Plus, Gotcha, and auto-catcher accessories — complete buying guide.
For Gyarados and Mega Gyarados raid counter teams personalized to your Pokemon, see Pokebattler — personalized raid counter calculator. For the best IVs for your Gyarados in PvP formats, see PvPoke — Pokemon Go PvP rankings and IV optimizer.
Pikachu in Pokemon Go — Costume and Special Variants
Pikachu Variants in Pokemon Go
Pikachu is one of the most common Pokemon in Pokemon Go, but it also appears in dozens of special costume variants tied to events, seasons, and collaborations. Costume Pikachu variants — Pikachu wearing a party hat, witch hat, explorer hat, flying Pikachu with balloons, and dozens more — appear during specific events and cannot be evolved into a matching Costume Raichu (with one exception: Flying Pikachu can evolve into Flying Raichu). Collecting Pikachu costume variants is a long-running side challenge in Pokemon Go that rewards consistent event participation. Shiny Pikachu and shiny versions of most costume variants are available, making shiny variant hunting a popular activity during Pikachu-focused events.
Pikachu as a Buddy
Walking Pikachu as your Buddy Pokemon earns 1 Candy per 1km — the same distance as Raichu. Unlike the mainline Pokemon games, there is no special interaction in Pokemon Go for walking Pikachu outside of earning Candy. However, Pikachu’s abundance in the wild makes it one of the easiest Pokemon to max out Candy for (given frequent wild encounters supplemented by buddy walking).
Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon Go — How to Get Strong Attackers
What Are Shadow Pokemon?
Shadow Pokemon are a special variant obtained by defeating Team Go Rocket Grunts and Leaders. They have a purple flame aura and deal 20% more damage than their regular counterparts — but also take 20% more damage. Shadow Pokemon are among the strongest attackers in the game for raid content because of this attack boost. To get a Shadow Pokemon: find a Team Go Rocket Poke Stop (dark and shaking) or Rocket Balloon, defeat the Grunt or Leader in battle, and then attempt to catch the Shadow Pokemon they leave behind using Premier Balls.
Best Shadow Pokemon for Raids
Shadow Gyarados, Shadow Machamp, Shadow Gardevoir, Shadow Mewtwo, and Shadow Rayquaza are among the most powerful raid attackers in Pokemon Go. Purifying a Shadow Pokemon removes the shadow status and gives it better IVs (all IVs increase by 2, to a minimum of 2/2/2), but removes the 20% attack boost. For raid content, keeping Pokemon as Shadow rather than purifying is almost always the better choice — the attack boost outweighs the IV improvement.
Galarian Birds — Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres in Pokemon Go
How the Galarian Birds Work
Unlike standard Legendary Pokemon that appear in raids, the three Galarian birds (Galarian Articuno, Galarian Zapdos, and Galarian Moltres) are wild spawn Pokemon in Pokemon Go. When encountered, they use a roaming flee mechanic — they have a very high flee rate even on the first Poke Ball throw. Recommended strategy for catching Galarian birds: use a Golden Razz Berry before every throw, use Excellent Curve Ball throws to maximize catch chance, and use your most accurate Poke Ball type (Ultra Ball). The shiny forms of all three Galarian birds are among the most visually striking in the game — each has a distinctive color variation from the standard forms.
Understanding which rare Pokemon are worth prioritizing in Pokemon Go comes down to their usefulness in content rather than just their rarity. Gyarados and Mega Gyarados are consistently useful Water-type attackers in raids — the 400-Candy grind to evolve Gyarados pays off for years of raid content. Lake Guardians (Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf) are primarily collectibles rather than meta-relevant attackers, but completing the trio satisfies the completionist drive that keeps many players engaged long-term. Galarian birds and Unown represent the pinnacle of Pokemon Go rarity — these are the Pokemon that separate casual players from dedicated players who attend events and build raid networks specifically to complete their Pokedex. For newer players: focus on Gyarados first (achievable through normal play), then build toward Lucky trade networks for meta Pokemon, and tackle event-exclusive rarities as you become more embedded in your local Pokemon Go community.
Bottom Line
| Gyarados candy cost | 400 Magikarp Candy — catch ~133 Magikarp with Pinap Berry |
| Mega Gyarados | Defeat in Mega Raid → earn Mega Energy → Mega Evolve your Gyarados |
| Best Mega Gyarados counter | Electric-type Pokemon — Zekrom, Xurkitree, Raikou |
| Lucky Pokemon | 50% Stardust discount; min 12/12/12 IVs; from trading |
| Uxie region | Asia-Pacific only — remote raid for players elsewhere |
| Galarian Articuno | Rare wild spawn during specific events — not a raid Pokemon |
| Unown | Go Fest and Safari Zone events — 28 forms to collect |
| Best IVs for raid attacker | High Attack IV most important; Lucky Pokemon worth powering up |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get Gyarados in Pokemon Go?
To get Gyarados in Pokemon Go, evolve a Magikarp using 400 Magikarp Candy. Catch as many Magikarp as possible — use Pinap Berries for double Candy on each catch (6 Candy instead of 3). Walk a Magikarp as your Buddy Pokemon to earn 1 Candy per kilometer. With consistent Magikarp catching and Pinap Berry use, you can accumulate 400 Candy in 2-4 weeks of regular play.
How do I get Mega Gyarados in Pokemon Go?
You cannot catch a Mega Gyarados directly. Defeat Mega Gyarados in Mega Raids (4-star raids) to earn Mega Gyarados Energy. Collect 200 Mega Energy for the first Mega Evolution, then Mega Evolve your regular Gyarados from its summary screen. Subsequent Mega Evolutions cost only 40 Mega Energy. Use Electric-type Pokemon (Zekrom, Xurkitree, Raikou) as raid counters.
What is a lucky Pokemon in Pokemon Go?
Lucky Pokemon are a special variant obtained by trading with friends. They cost 50% less Stardust to power up and always have a minimum IV of 12 in all three stats. Get Lucky Pokemon by trading with Best Friends (higher Lucky odds) or by trading Pokemon originally caught in 2016-2017 (very high Lucky chance). Becoming Lucky Friends with a Best Friend guarantees your next trade produces two Lucky Pokemon.
Where can I find Uxie in Pokemon Go?
Uxie is region-exclusive to the Asia-Pacific region in Pokemon Go — it only appears in Japan, Australia, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand. Players outside Asia-Pacific can get Uxie by: receiving a Remote Raid Pass invitation from a friend in Asia-Pacific when Uxie appears in raids, or by trading with a friend who has a spare Uxie. During Pokemon Go Fest events, all three Lake Guardians sometimes appear globally.
Is Gyarados good in Pokemon Go?
Yes — Gyarados is a strong Water-type raid attacker and has been part of the Pokemon Go meta since launch. Its best moveset is Waterfall + Hydro Pump or Aqua Tail. Shadow Gyarados (if obtained) is significantly stronger. Mega Gyarados is one of the top Water/Dark-type attackers in the game when Mega Evolved. For raids, Gyarados with Aqua Tail (Community Day move) is especially efficient.
