5 rare Pokemon to catch in Pokemon GO Taken Treasure

Catch these rare Pokemon in Pokemon GO Taken Treasure event
Check out these five rare Pokemon you must catch in Taken Treasure (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon GO players can catch some of the game’s rare monsters during the Taken Treasure event by participating in raids, hatching eggs, completing research breakthroughs, and more. By doing so, they will get close to obtaining more than five rare Pokemon. That said, this list prioritizes 'mons with higher rarity, and trainers should not miss adding them to their collection.

The Taken Treasure event is the last biggest event of January 2024. The developers have organized it to introduce the highly anticipated Shadow Ho-Oh and its shiny form. That’s not all; Varoom and Revavroom will also be available to capture. So, let’s learn how to get all of them in the game.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's viewpoints.


Catch rare Shadow Ho-Oh, Varoom, Shadow Kyogre, and more in Pokemon GO Taken Treasure

1) Shadow Ho-Oh

How to get a Shadow Ho-Oh? (Image via The Pokemon Company)
How to get a Shadow Ho-Oh? (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The Taken Treasure event introduces Shadow Ho-Oh and its shiny variant through five-star Shadow Raids in Pokemon GO. Players must know its weaknesses and build raid counters revolving around them. Since it is a dual Flying and Fire-type Pokemon, it’s weak to Rock, Electric, and Water-type moves.

The best way to attempt this raid would be to focus on using a raid party proficient in Rock-type attacks. That is because they deal the most damage than any other moves.

Here is the list of the monsters and their moves to defeat rare Shadow Ho-Oh:

  • Shadow Ramparados: Smack Down and Rock Slide
  • Shadow Diancie: Rock Throw and Rock Slide
  • Mega Tyranitar: Smack Down and Stone Edge
  • Shadow Rhyperior: Smack Down and Rock Wrecker
  • Mega Aerodactyl: Rock Throw and Rock Slide
  • Mega Swampert: Water Gun and Hydro Cannon
  • Primal Kyogre: Water Fall and Origin Pulse
  • Zapdos: Thunder Shock and Ancient Power
  • Zekrom: Charge Beam and Fusion Bolt
  • Thundurus (Therian Forme): Volt Switch and Wildbolt Storm

One important thing is that players will need to stock up on Max Revives and tag along with their friends to attempt the takedown of this Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon GO.


2) Tyranitar

How to get a Tyranitar in Pokemon GO? (Image via The Pokemon Company)
How to get a Tyranitar in Pokemon GO? (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Tyranitar is a Pseudo-Legendary beast in Pokemon GO. It’s one of the strongest and most desired critter, and players can challenge it in three-star raids of the Taken Treasure event. Upon successfully beating it, they can trigger a Tyranitar encounter near the Gym that hosts its raid. But before all that, players will need to learn its weaknesses. Knowing these will give them the knowledge they need to beat this rare Pokemon.

Being a Rock and Dark-type critter, Tyranitar is weak to Fighting (2X), Bug, Fairy, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water-type moves. Keeping that in mind, here are the 10 best counters against this three-star raid boss in Pokemon GO.

  • Terrakion: Double Kick and Sacred Sword
  • Mega Blaziken: Counter and Focus Blast
  • Keldeo: Low Kick and Sacred Sword
  • Shadow Machamp: Counter and Dynamic Punch
  • Shadow Hariyama: Counter and Dynamic Punch
  • Lucario: Counter and Aura Sphere
  • Conkeldurr: Counter and Dynamic Punch
  • Mega Luppuny: Double Kick and Focus Blast
  • Cobalion: Double Kick and Sacred Sword
  • Virizion: Double Kick and Sacred Sword

If players can’t use the above monsters, they can rely on the Pokemon they have but must utilize the best moves. This increases the chances of damaging Tyranitar significantly.


3) Varoom

How to get a Varoom? (Image via The Pokemon Company)
How to get a Varoom? (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Varoom is the debutant that will be available to capture in Pokemon GO Taken Treasure. Since we don’t know the rarity of this new debut, as well as when it might reappear in the title, the best option is to catch it before the event concludes. This rare creature is a dual Steel and Poison-type Pokemon vulnerable to Ground and Fire-type attacks. Additionally, it resists 10 elemental type moves.

Players must hatch 12 KM Eggs during the event to get Varoom. Those who need these items can spin PokeStops, turn on Adventure Sync to earn rewards, open Gifts, and more. After obtaining the Egg, they must complete a 12 km walk. We advise Pokemon GO trainers to incubate as many eggs as possible at once so they do not have to cover a long distance for just one.

Once Varoom is hatched, trainers can feed it 50 Pokemon Candy to evolve it into Revavroom in the game. Unfortunately, nobody can catch a Shiny Varoom in the Taken Treasure event.


4) Shadow Kyogre

How to get Shadow Kyogre? (Image via The Pokemon Company)
How to get Shadow Kyogre? (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The Team GO Rocket's main leader, Giovanni, is returning with a vengeance. In the event, he’s bringing a Shadow Kyogre with him, along with multiple Shadow Pokemon. So, players must take down the leader to acquire his powerful Shadow variant of Kyogre. It will be quite a challenge to do that, but with the best counters given below, one can teach him a lesson in this Pokemon GO event.

Shadow Kyogre is weak to Electric and Grass-type attacks. That said, use these counters to defeat it:

  • Mega Sceptile: Fury Cutter and Frenzy Plant
  • Roserade: Magical Leaf and Grass Knot
  • Kartana: Razor Leaf and Leaf Blade
  • Xurkitree: Thundershock and Discharge
  • Shadow Electrivire: Thundershock and Wild Charge
  • Zekrom: Charge Beam and Fusion Bolt
  • Shadow Zapdos: Thundershock and Thunderbolt
  • Zarude: Vine Whip and Power Whip
  • Raikou: Thunder Shock and Wild Charge

The first thing players will need to do to get this rare Pokemon is to complete the Seasonal Special Research story. Then, they will receive a Super Rocket Radar, which is a tool to find Giovanni in Pokemon GO.


5) Pawniard

How to get a Pawniard? (Image via The Pokemon Company)
How to get a Pawniard? (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pawniard is the last critter we have included in this list of rare Pokemon in the Pokemon GO Taken Treasure event. Talking about its rarity, the last time it was seen in the game was at GO Fest 2023 Global. That said, after months of its unavailability, this upcoming event is returning Pawniard again, and one can get it by hatching 12 km Pokemon Eggs.

As always, when a critter is in eggs, players need to incubate multiple at once for a chance to get it faster. Although this strategy doesn’t guarantee a desired Pokemon, it saves time and speeds up the hatching process.

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