There’s another new wave of Pokémon in Pokémon GO, bringing us dangerously close to rounding out the Gen 3 Pokédex and introducing some interesting new monsters to catch. Last wave was sort of a grab bag, but this one is fairly focused on Dragon and Flying-types, with Legendary Dragon Rayquaza leading the pack. Unlike the Water and Ice event we don’t seem to have increased spawns for new additions, but for a limited time all wild Pokémon spawns are coming from Gen 3, meaning they should be easier to catch regardless.
This wave comes along with some of Gen 3′s strangest and strongest additions so far, so read on to see what’s interesting in this new mix. As usual, you’ll want to catch as many of these things as you can. But maybe focus on these ones while you have a chance:
Bagon, Shelgon and Salamence: Salamence is one of two non-Legendary in this list to have the potential to make an impact in the meta, and as such this evolution line is going to be a top priority out of these new monsters. It clocks in at a max potential CP of 3532, putting it just behind Dragonite when it comes to raw stats, though a higher attack rating might make it more useful in Raids. Like Dragonite, it’s a Dragon and Flying-type, so watch out for ice.
Beldum, Metang, Metagross: Metagross is the strongest non-Legendary in this wave, trailing Rayquaza by only a few points. Steel and Psychic is an interesting typing, as well, and steel moves should come in handy in Rayquaza raids. It helps it’s a weird steel spider as well, making it one of the more visually distinct high-level creatures we have in the game so far. IF you see anything from this evolution line, grab it.
Rare Castform: Castform is a particular type of Pokémon that changes form based on the weather, and so “rare” is going to be a relative term here. If you live in Arizona, Rain Castform might be your ultimate prize. If you live in Seattle, Sunny Castform might be hard to come by. But in the majority of places, Snowy Castform is probably going to be the most difficult to find: it’ll be unavailable for half the year even in cold climates. In some ways this is effectively a regional, because large swaths of the world get no snow at all. So be sure to grab the thing if you have a chance.
Plusle/Minun: Not new, but on the move. Plusle and Minun are like Zangoose and Seviper: they live on opposite sides of the world. At the moment, however, you can find both no matter where they are, and so it’s a good opportunity to pick up whichever creature you don’t have in your Pokédex yet. It’s unclear how long this will last, so move quickly.
Swablu: Swablu is the latest entrant in what I’m going to call the 400 club, along with Wailmer and Magikarp. Swablu takes 400 candies to evolve into Altaria, so you’ll want to take advantage if the thing seems to be in abundant supply, and maybe throw some Pinaps while you’re at it. Swablu also comes in a shiny variant, so going after it will raise your chances of getting one of those Rare Pokémon.
