It’s easy to talk about how popular Pokémon GO has been since its release a few weeks back – it’s rolling out in more and more parts of the world, and everyone and his cousin seems to be checking out what the fuss is about, may they be fans of the Pokémon franchise or not. But we don’t get to hear much in comparison about how complete this Android and iOS game from Niantic Labs is – the game comes with all the 151 Pokémon from the Game Boy’s blue, red, green, and yellow editions from back in the day. And while you’ve got your commons, which, of course, include the likes of Pokémon, Charmander, Bulbasaur, and others, you’ve also got Rare, Very Rare, and Epic Pokémon. They don’t come with such official classifications in the game, but are rather classified as such by players.
What kinds of Pokémon are Rare, Very Rare, and Epic, in that case? As we hinted at above, it’s mostly based on player opinion – Squirtle, of course, wouldn’t be Rare by any stretch of the imagination, but Gyarados can be considered Rare, and Ditto could be filed under the Epic category, as we’ll be telling you further down in this guide. So if you want to add more of these hard-to-find Pokémon to your collection, keep on reading as we now bring you our latest set of Pokémon GO cheats, tips and strategies, which deals with the ways in which you can collect more Rare, Very Rare, and Epic Pokémon.
1. There’s No Official Rarity List
Neither Niantic Labs nor Nintendo have an official list of Rare, Very Rare, and Epic Pokémon – this is something we cannot stress enough. But there are a dime a dozen player-created lists that are based on their own experience playing Pokémon GO. We suggest checking out some of these lists for yourself, even if they’re unofficial, as that would at least give you an idea of which Pokémon are hard to find, and set your expectations accordingly. This is also a wise thing to do if you’re new to the franchise and aren’t familiar with the characters beyond the basic ones we mentioned above.
2. Level Up
We’ve mentioned this tip in previous Pokémon GO strategy guides, and we’re mentioning it again, because this is the most fundamental, yet the most effective way you can improve your chances of stumbling upon some Rare, Very Rare, or Epic Pokémon. The creatures you see while hunting will be directly related to your experience level, so keep on leveling up to increase those odds. Sure, it’s going to take a lot of playing and a lot of time spent on the game, but if you’re really dedicated to playing Pokémon GO, it’s going to be worth the time and effort, just as long as you don’t let the game get in the way of “the real world.”
3. Hatch A 10km Egg
Leveling up can be very time-consuming, so you may be wondering about the best way to increase your odds of getting rare Pokémon (or rarer) without having to level yourself up too much and spend so much time doing it. The answer would be to hatch a 10km egg, which is an egg that, of course, would require you to move ten kilometers in order to hatch it. If you don’t have room for such an egg, then work on hatching the other ones you have as soon as possible. The downside here would be all the moving you’ll need to do here, but then again, that might give some players incentive to exercise by hatching eggs while jogging, biking, etc. As a bonus tip, 5km eggs do have a solid percentage of rares, though not as high as the percentage in 10km eggs.
4. Visit Areas With Lots Of PokéStops
Pokémon GO is a game that attracts throngs of people, and you might as well be part of those huge crowds, as these areas are generally rich in PokéStops. The more people are in an area and the more PokéStops present, the more reason you should be looking for your Rare, Very Rare, and Epic Pokémon in those places. Generally speaking, crowds form when a large number of people have dropped lures, which do exactly as they say they do – lure Pokémon closer and make them easier to catch. Sure, you will likely end up with more commons, but the chances of finding rare or better Pokémon could go up dramatically in such scenarios.
5. Evolve Your Pokémon
Sometimes, there are Pokémon that are considered to be Rare, Very Rare, or Epic because they are evolutions. As such, all you may have to do to get a certain Pokémon would be to evolve the one you have right now. As we’ve mentioned several times in previous guides, you’ll need Candy to evolve your Pokémon, and that Candy is specific to the Pokémon, unlike other commodities that can be used on any, regardless of type.
6. The Search For Ditto Continues
There is one Pokémon that apparently isn’t included in the game, but is reportedly included in the source code. According to those who have hacked into the game, Ditto is indeed included in the source code, and while that’s gotten him filed under the Epic category in most cases, word on the street is that he will be added in a new Pokémon GO update. Now that’s something you should be looking forward to, as updates may or may not make certain characters less rare.
7. Legendary Pokémon Are Not Classified As Rare, Very Rare Or Epic
We already touched on this in a separate strategy guide, but you should not confuse Legendary Pokémon with those that are thought of to be Rare, Very Rare, or Epic. The list of Legendary Pokémon includes Articuno, Mewtwo, and Zapdos, to name a few, and it looks like the best thing to do to acquire them would be to win them at events Niantic will be organizing. Hopefully they do the same with some rares in the future.