Among all Pokémon species in the game, Mythicals are the rarest, but for a good reason. There are no encounters in the wild; only a few of them feature in 5-star raids, and they can't be traded.
But, to make things even more complicated, every Mythical has its own unique method for unlocking! But rare doesn't necessarily mean difficult, especially if you know what you're dealing with. So let's go over every Mythical Pokémon in the Pokédex, along with how to unlock each one.
What Counts as a Mythical Pokémon
When comparing legendary and mythical Pokémon, the most important distinction to make is that these two categories are entirely separate.
Mythicals are strong Pokémon that have always been tied to special distributions through events and research tasks, such as limited-time special research stories, one-off events, and even occasional raid events.
The list of Mythical Pokémon in-game is fairly long, but some of the more easily recognizable ones across the Pokémon world are Mew and Celebi, and while they are difficult to obtain freely, they aren't particularly stronger than Legendaries.
How to Catch a Mythical Pokémon in Pokémon GO
There are three types of acquisition routes for Mythical Pokémon in POGO.
Special Research
Most Mythicals fall into this category, being limited to research tasks that you must complete at your own pace. While some can be short, most can take months to complete, which is a good thing, as special research stays on your account permanently once claimed. The only real challenge is in claiming them in the first place!
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5-Star Raid Battle
Of all Mythical Pokémon, only Deoxys, Darkrai, Genesect, and Hoopa Unbound have been available through 5-star raid battles. They can be caught just like any other raid boss, but these raids have very limited windows for availability.
Mystery Box
These are obtained by connecting Pokémon GO to Pokémon Home (or Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee on Switch). After activating the item, Meltan spawns in your location for 60 minutes. If you activate it during special timed periods, you can get a Shiny Meltan instead.
Additional Notes
Here are a few additional notes to consider:
Most special research encounters give out unlimited Poké Balls. All Mythical Pokémon are basically guaranteed as soon as you start their encounter.
Capturing Mythicals from raids can be optimized in the standard way, using catch rate multipliers to raise your chances.
Meltan needs 400 candy to evolve to Melmetal, so use a Pinap Berry on every catch, set it as your buddy, and you should be on track to gather that 400 candy mark quickly.
Most shiny versions arrive years after the base Pokémon, so wait it out a bit, and the Mythical Pokémon of your dreams should get a Shiny eventually.
Here's a complete list of Mythical Pokémon and their regions for quick reference.
Mythical | Region | How to Catch | Shiny Available |
|---|---|---|---|
Mew | Kanto | A Mythical Discovery special research | Yes (Masterwork) |
Celebi | Johto | A Ripple in Time special research | Yes (Masterwork) |
Jirachi | Hoenn | A Thousand-Year Slumber: Special Research | Yes (Masterwork) |
Deoxys | Hoenn | 5-star raid battles (Normal, Attack, Defense, Speed) | Yes |
Darkrai | Sinnoh | 5-star raid battles | Yes |
Shaymin (Land) | Sinnoh | Limited-time special research | Yes (Masterwork) |
Shaymin (Sky) | Sinnoh | Form change with candy and stardust | Yes |
Victini | Unova | Limited-time special research | No |
Keldeo | Unova | Tales of Transformation / Finding Your Voice | Yes (Masterwork) |
Meloetta (Aria) | Unova | Limited-time special research | Yes (Masterwork) |
Genesect | Unova | 5-star raid battles (drives rotate) | Yes |
Diancie | Kalos | Special research and limited raids | Yes (Tour Kalos 2026) |
Hoopa (Confined) | Kalos | Misunderstood Mischief: Special Research | No |
Hoopa (Unbound) | Kalos | Form change, elite raids | No |
Volcanion | Kalos | Pressure Rising special research (March 2026) | No |
Marshadow | Alola | A Striking Shadow special research | No |
Meltan | Alola era | Mystery Box via Pokémon Home | Yes |
Melmetal | Alola era | Evolve Meltan with 400 candy | Yes |
Zarude | Galar era | Search for Zarude / Rogue of the Jungle | No |
Kanto Mythicals: Catching Mew
Mew is Pokémon's first Mythical Pokémon, both in the original games and in Pokémon GO. The “A Mythical Discovery” special research was released in March 2018, unlocked at trainer level 15, and never expires once claimed.
As for Shiny Mew, it can be obtained through the All-in-One #151 Masterwork Research, which is a paid quest line involving catching every original Kanto Pokémon and earning the Platinum Kanto medal.
Johto Mythicals: Catching Celebi
After reaching the seventh stage of A Mythical Discovery, you unlock “A Ripple in Time”, which is where you can get Celebi. It's a grind-heavy line involving various tasks, including walking a set distance with your buddy. Unlocking Shiny Celebi requires a Masterwork Research as well, but this time involving Johto-specific tasks.
Hoenn Mythicals: Jirachi and Deoxys
Deoxys is one of the Mythical Pokémon that can be obtained through a 5-star raid battle, but the raids rotate between four Forme types (Attack, Defense, Speed, and Normal), and the Deoxys from each one differ from the rest.
Defense Deoxys is near unkillable, while Attack Deoxys is a glass cannon. Defense Deoxys is best for GO Battle League, and Normal Deoxys is the middle ground between the three other types. This is the easiest Mythical to add to any roster, and the Shiny version can appear across all forms.
As for Jirachi, it can be obtained through the “A Thousand-Year Slumber” special research.
Sinnoh Mythicals: Darkrai and Shaymin
Only 2 of the 5 Mythicals from the Sinnoh region are obtainable at the moment, with Manaphy and Phione still absent from the game. Shaymin was released through the “Grass and Gratitude” special research, with Land Forme as the standard version. You can, however, swap to Sky Forme for 25 Shaymin candy and 10,000 Stardust. Shiny Shaymin can also be obtained, but only through a paid Masterwork Research.
The other Sinnoh Mythical, Darkrai, is the go-to Dark-type for countering Psychic and Ghost raid battles. But while it can be captured in a 5-Star Raid Battle, this is usually only available around Halloween. Its Shiny version can be caught through regular 5-star raids and Shadow Raids during the GO Wild Area event.
Unova Mythicals: Victini, Keldeo, Meloetta, and the Genesect Drives
The Unova region has four Mythicals, starting with Victini, a Psychic-type Pokémon introduced by the “Investigate a Mysterious Energy” research, the very first event-locked Victini quest. This Pokémon has a Fire/Psychic typing with decent stats, but no Shiny yet.
Keldeo (Ordinary Forme) debuted in December 2022, and its Resolute Forme arrived in late 2025 with “Tales of Transformation”. There are two available forms, Ordinary and Resolute, but Resolute requires a separate task to unlock. Shiny Keldeo was introduced via the Pony Tales Masterwork Research.
Meloetta has two forms, Aria and Pirouette, though the latter hasn't been released yet. Aria Forme originally launched in 2021 via Pokémon GO Fest research. Shiny Meloetta, however, launched in 2025 with the “A Dazzling Aria” Masterwork Research, but still only for Aria.
Genesect is a Bug and Steel type with a unique drive system. There are 4 drives available: Burn Drive, Chill Drive, Douse Drive, and Shock Drive, plus a base form with no drive. These are rotated through the 5-star raid battles, and each drive changes Genesect's signature charged move (Techno Blast).
Kalos Mythicals: Diancie, Hoopa, and Volcanion
The Kalos region has three Mythical Pokémon, and trainers can catch Mythical picks like Diancie, Hoopa, and Volcanion through a mix of special research and raids. Diancie is the Rock and Fairy type that has been distributed through several special research routes since its debut in 2023. Shiny Diancie has also been introduced through the Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos on February 28 and March 1 in 2026, though it requires the ticket-exclusive Sparkle and Shine Masterwork research to unlock.
Hoopa was released through the “Misunderstood Mischief” research and has two forms, Confined and Unbound, which cost 50 Hoopa candy and 10,000 Stardust to change. Volcanion is a Fire and Water type and is the newest Kalos Mythical, having debuted at GO Fest 2025, with its free “Pressure Rising” research following in 2026. Both have no shiny yet.
Alola Mythicals: Marshadow and the Coming Zeraora
Marshadow is a Fighting/Ghost type that now has a permanent special research, making it accessible to new Pokémon trainers who missed its original event window. Marshadow is non-tradeable and has no shiny yet. Zeraora is the new Mythical Pokémon headlining Pokémon GO Fest 2026, and every trainer gets a chance at a Zeraora encounter if they log in during the global event weekend from July 11 to 12 in 2026.
Alola and Galar Mythicals: Meltan, Melmetal, and Zarude
Meltan and Melmetal round out this category, with Meltan evolving into Melmetal at a steep cost of 400 candy. Since Meltan can only be obtained through a Mystery Box (a reward for connecting Pokémon GO to Pokémon Home and transferring 1 Pokémon), you need to make the most of it. Boost your candy with berries, and you can get enough candy after around 60 captures.
Zarude is a Dark/Grass type from the Galar region that can be obtained by completing special research called “Rogue of the Jungle”, and has also returned through some jungle-themed events such as Verdant Wonders. Zarude also cannot be traded, and has no shiny yet.
Which is your favorite Pokémon Go Mythic Pokémon? Let us know!
