Many Pokémon have special forms that change their appearance, attacks and sometimes their typing. They can be regional variants, just cosmetic changes or forms activated through items or in battle.
And many of the Pokémon already released in Pokémon GO have these special forms, but they have yet to be released. Whether it’s regional forms, a special look, or other forms, what about the remaining forms of Pokémon already available?
Recently, we saw the debut of Dusk Form Lycanrock in the Lustrous Odyssey event (January 6th), Annihilape, a regional evolution for Primeape, with the Raging Battles event (January 19th), and Hisuain Decidueye (February 11th).
Now stay with us as we look at the missing forms and some ideas on how we can get them.
Gen IV
The GO Tour: Sinnoh event is just around the corner, and with it some of the missing forms of fourth generation Pokémon will become available. We’re talking about Origin Form Dialga, Origin Form Palkia and the remaining forms of Rotom: the normal one Electric Ghost, Fan Rotom Electric and Heat Rotom Electric Fire.
On February 17th and 18th, Los Angeles will host the Pokémon GO Tour: Sinnoh – Los Angeles in-person event, and those who take part will be able to get these special forms in advance.
Origin Form Dialga and Origin Form Palkia will be released in raids. Easy to get them, right? As for Rotom, the little ghost will play a special role in the event.
Trainers will have to work together to solve a secret code that unlocks an encounter with Rotom. Once this code has been deciphered in Los Angeles, Trainers around the world will also be able to redeem it.
We just don’t know yet if it’s just the original version of Rotom, or if the forms can also be captured. If it happens like the previous ones, they can be captured through a snapshot encounter.
White-Striped Basculin, first discovered in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, will appear on Routes during the Pokémon GO Tour: Sinnoh – Los Angeles, but so far there’s no news about its evolution discovered in the Hisui region, Basculegion, the biggest WaterGhost fish we ever saw.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where Basculegion first appeared, White-Striped Basculin evolves when leveled up after losing at least 294 HP from recoil damage without fainting. For this reason, one potential option is the Adventure Together feature. With the White-Striped Basculin as a buddy, you have to battle with it a specific number of times without it dying. And then evolution occurs.
Gen V
The Zen Modes for both Darmanitan and Galarian Darmanitan are still missing until this day.
Zen Mode is an ability that changes Darmanitan appearance and its typing. Unovan Darmanitan becomes FirePsychic and Galarian Darmanitan becomes IceFire, the only Pokémon with this typing. To switch to Zen Mode, Darmanitan’s HP has to drop to or below half in battle.
So, it’s kinda difficult to come across a solution to introduce Zen Mode Darmanitans in Pokémon GO. Since it’s activated only in battle, by losing HP, this most chilled version of Darmanitan probably will get its own Tier 3 raids. And even its dedicated Raid Day.
It’s important to note that Galarian Darmanitan Zen Mode is going to be one of the best Ice Pokémon in the game.
Black Kyurem and White Kyurem, two highly anticipated legendary Pokémon, were already released! But by accident… So now we want the official release!
When will it happen? We don’t know. But it’s not that hard to figure out how they’re going to be released, is it? Although the trainers want fusion implemented in the game, it will probably be through raids.
The potential that Black Kyurem has is what makes this release even more exciting, as it is one of the best Legendary Pokémon in the game. Black Kyurem is a DragonIce Pokémon, and it will be a monster through and through.
Keldeo has two forms: Ordinary Form and Resolute Form. Both are WaterFighting. But we don’t talk about Keldeo, or do we?
The Ordinary Form Keldeo was released via a Special Paid Research back in December 2022. More than one year later, we still haven’t been able to get Keldeo for free.
We will get it soon, since all the remaining Swords of Justice are already available shiny and with its signature moves for a while. Being a Mythical Pokémon, probably through a Special Research, this time, a free one.
In the main games, teaching Ordinary Form Keldeo Secret Sword will cause it to change into Resolute Form. This can be applied to Pokémon GO as well. We already have the option to change forms to several Pokémon by spending some stardust and candies, and Keldeo could receive the same treatment.
By teaching Sacred Sword to Ordinary Form Keldeo (probably by spending an Elite TM, as it is a signature move), a “Change Form” button would unlock, allowing to change Keldeo’s form for a certain amount of stardust and candies.
Meloetta, the Melody Pokémon, is another Mythical Pokémon with two forms: Aria Form NormalPsychic and Pirouette Form NormalFighting. Meloetta changes forms when it uses the move Relic Song during a battle and reverts to Aria Forme when switched out or when the battle ends.
The Aria Form was released during GO Fest 2021. Since that day, we didn’t got any other chance to capture Meloetta.
Being another form change based on battle, Pirouette Form Meloetta can get the same treatment as Resolute Form Keldeo. We can teach Relic Song to Meloetta via Elite TM, and a “Change Form” button is unlocked, allowing us to change Meloetta’s form for a certain amount of stardust and candies.
Gen VI
We all thought we’d get the highly-antecipated-fan-favourite Ash Greninja during Froakie’s Community Day, right? Well, that didn’t happen and Niantic has let us down once again.
In the main games and the anime, Greninja needs an ability known as Battle Bond for it to ‘Bond Evolve’ and turn into Ash Greninja. But, we don’t have abilities in Pokémon GO. What we do have is the Buddy system. And Niantic can take advantage of that to release Ash Greninja.
After getting your choosen one Greninja to best buddy, a “Bond Evolve” button would be unlocked. And, once again, with some candy and dust, your Greninja could turn into Ash Greninja. It would work with any Greninja, but just like Mega Evolution, for only eight hours.
Ash Greninja can also be released during a Raid Day, just like other special forms for starters.
From a total of 20 different patterns of Vivillon, two are still missing from Pokémon GO: Fancy and Poké Ball. In the main games, these two patterns were event-exclusive, until Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, where the Fancy pattern became the default pattern.
So, since every pattern comes from a specific part of the planet, these two can be event-exclusives on Pokémon GO as well. The Poké Ball pattern are too special to be released just as a spawn, so can be distributed in in-person events such as GO Fest or gaming expos.
Gen VIII
Zacian and Zamazenta are the legendary duo from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and both were released in Pokémon GO back in August 2021, part of the Ultra Unlock event. More than two years later, we still don’t have their shiny variants or their “crowned” versions.
When holding a Rusted Sword, Zacian becomes Crowned Sword Zacian and gains the Steel type, becoming FairySteel. Zamazenta, when holding a Rusted Shield, transforms into Crowned Shield Zamazenta, and also gains the Steel type, becoming FightingSteel.
Well, in Pokémon GO we don’t have items. And we already have Genesect’s example, with the Drives, only available through raids. So, probably these more robust versions of Zacian and Zamazenta will also be released through raids.
Also, they learn a new signature move with their new versions: Behemoth Blade for Zacian and Behemoth Bash for Zamazenta. So, raids are probably the best chance to see the Crowned Sword and Shield doggos.
Gen IX
Generation IX brought us Dudunsparce, Farigiraf, Annihilape and Kingambit, new evolutions for old Pokémon that needed some love.
Primeape was the first to be able to evolve into Annihilape, during the Raging Battles event. So it’s easy to create other events where the other old Pokémon that got some love on Pokémon Scarlet and Violet can shine, so we can finally see Dudunsparce and Farigiraf in game. Yes, I left Kingambit, Bisharp’s evolution, out on purpose.
Bisharp is special, since it’s part of a three-evolution line now. That way, is a potential candidate for a Community Day. We saw that happening for Teddiursa and Ursaluna before.
Anyone aboard for Pawniard community day?
Gimmighoul is a little fella available by sending a Postcard to Pokémon Scarlet or Violet. You get the Coin Bag in Pokémon GO, and by using it, Roaming Form Gimmighoul will appear near you for a certain period of time.
But Gimmighoul has another form: the Chest Form. In the main games, Chest Form Gimmighoul appears randomly throughout the map, just like a scavenger hunt game. And it could work like that in Pokémon GO.
By using the Coin Bag, we could have the limited chance to find Chest Form Gimmighoul on Routes, below gyms or by spinning stops. It would be a fun add to the Coin Bag, and it could even make it more interesting.
Regional Variants
We’ve already talked about White-Striped Basculin, the regional version of Hisui. But there are a few more regional variants yet to be released, of Pokémon from almost every generation.
The wild bull Pokémon from Kanto, Tauros, has gained three variants in the latest Pokémon games, Scarlet & Violet. Paldean Tauros comes in Combat Breed Fighting, Aqua Breed Fighting Water and Blaze Breed Fighting Fire. Each version has different horns, manes and tails.
A good way to introduce these three forms to Pokémon GO is through in-person GO Fest. There are usually three in-person GO Fest events in the summer, and it would be the ideal opportunity to make each version available at each of the events.
The major issue is that the Kantonian Tauros is a regional Pokémon, only available in America. Probably the breeds can be regional too?
In Galar, Corsola, which comes straight from Johto, has gained an evolution, Cursola. Both Galarian Corsola and Cursola are Ghost. According to the Pokédex entry for Pokémon Shield, Galarian Corsola was born due to climate changes. It evolves into Cursola at level 38.
Given the lore of this regional variant, they could be released at a special event. Perhaps in April, at Sustainability Week 2024?
Zorua and Zoruark have been given regional variants in Hisui. They became Normal Ghost, being the first Pokémon with that typing. Hisuain Zorua, just as its cousin, evolves at level 30.
Hisuian Zorua’s dex entry tell us that it is a “once–departed soul that returned to life in Hisui”. The annual Halloween event it’s the perfect fit for this family debut!
In Hisui, Sliggoo and Goodra also gained regional versions. Both dragons are now Steel Dragon. But these could be easier to introduce in Pokémon GO.
Without a doubt, we’re going to have a Goomy community day. Why not introduce the Hisuain forms of Sliggoo and Goodra there? Hisuain Sliggoo and Kalosian Sliggoo evolve in the same way, so there would be no need to come up with an alternative evolution. Only good things!
Other forms
Ursaluna is already unique Pokémon. It’s a GroundNormal regional evolution from an old Pokémon, Ursaring, but it gets even more unique.
Not really a regional variant, the first part of the DLC “The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero” brought Bloodmoon Ursaluna, a special version of Ursaluna that “crossed the sea and drifted ashore in a new land” and can only be found in the Timeless Woods, in Kitakami.
Ursaring can only evolve to Ursaluna during the full moon, but it can not evolve to Bloodmoon Ursaluna. What a shame, right? That probably means the Bloodmoon Beast will be raid-exclusive, if it’s ever released in the game.
And of course we had to finish the article with the mascot of the franchise: Pikachu.
Pikachu has five different cosplay versions: Belle, Libre, Ph.D, Pop Star and Rock Star. Of the five special costumed Pikachu, only two forms of Cosplay Pikachu remains unreleased: Belle and Ph.D. The other three were released on GO Fest 2021 (Pop Star and Rock Star) and through GO Battle League (Libre)
Pikachu Ph.D, or Ph.Dchu, was teased a few months ago, on the trailer for this season, Timeless Travels. Will we see it any time soon? Maybe GO Fest 2024? And since the Cosplay Pikachu were released as a pair, it can bring along Pikachu Belle.
Conclusion
Niantic still has a lot of forms to discover and release. Some of them will be very useful in the game, others are just a fun addition to the game.
And we think we will see some of them throughout this year, beside the ones that will be released on Pokémon GO Tour: Sinnoh.
On a side note: just give us Black and White Kyurem already. Thank you.
