Pokémon Go Gen 2: The Ultimate Guide

Pokémon Go has gotten 80 new Pokémon from the second generation. It started in late 2016 with Togepi, Pichu, and the other Gen 2 babies first encountered in the Johto Region from the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games. In early 2017, though, the rest arrived, from Ampharos and Blissey to Tyranitar and Umbreon.

So, now you have the the chance to hatch, catch, and evolve 'em all — for a second time!

July 24, 2018: Entei and Ho-Oh return for a limited time

Entei, the Legendary Fire Beast, and Ho-Oh, the Legendary leader of the Beasts, are back in Pokémon Go... for a limited time only.

Ho-Oh has the shortest clock. It's taking over Legendary Raids from Regirock from August 24 to August 27.

Entei is sticking around a little longer — the entire month of September as the Field Research weekly breakthrough award.

Happy catching.

August 20, 2018: Celebi is live and Johto Event has begun!

It's Johto Time. As part of the start of Celebi's A Ripple in Time Special Research:

No word yet on when the Johto Event will end, but Shiny Sunkern, Pineco, and Natu have been released, so get to checking!

How to complete a Ripple in Time and get Celibi fast

July 26, 2018: Raikou returning to Pokémon Go... as Field Research!

If you missed out on Raikou during its Raid window, or simply missed getting a good one or half-dozen, here's your chance to get up to four more:

Raikou rewards will start at 1pm PT / 4pm ET on August 1, so if you really want to get one as fast as possible, don't open your rewards until after then.

Also, since rewards can't flee, you might want to use a Pineapp Berry in your encounter so you can snag a little extra candy.

Which Gen 2 Pokémon are currently out and in the game?

As of August, 2018:

1. Chikorita: Grass - 801
2. Bayleef: Grass - 1296
3. Meganium: Grass - 2227
4. Cyndaquil: Fire - 831
5. Quilava: Fire - 1484
6. Typhlosion: Fire - 2686
7. Totodile: Water - 1011
8. Croconaw: Water - 1598
9. Feraligatr: Water - 2721
10. Sentret: Normal - 519
11. Furret: Normal - 1667
12. Hoothoot: Normal / Flying - 640
13. Noctowl: Normal / Flying - 2040
14. Ledyba: Bug / Flying - 663
15. Ledian: Bug / Flying - 1275
16. Spinarak: Bug / Poison - 685
17. Ariados: Bug / Poison - 1636
18. Crobat: Poison / Flying - 2466
19. Chinchou: Water / Electric - 1067
20. Lanturn: Water / Electric - 2077
21. Pichu: Electric - 376
22. Cleffa: Normal - 620
23. Igglybuff: Normal / Fairy - 512
24. Togepi: Fairy - 540
25. Togetic: Fairy / Flying - 1543
26. Natu: Psychic / Flying - 925
27. Xatu: Psychic / Flying - 1975
28. Mareep: Electric - 887
29. Flaaffy: Electric - 1402
30. Ampharos: Electric - 2695
31. Bellossom: Grass - 2108
32. Marill: Water / Fairy - 420
33. Azumarill: Water / Fairy - 1503
34. Sudowoodo: Rock - 2065
35. Politoed: Water - 2371
36. Hoppip: Grass / Flying - 508
37. Skiploom: Grass / Flying - 882
38. Jumpluff: Grass / Flying - 1553
39. Aipom: Normal - 1188
40. Sunkern: Grass - 316
41. Sunflora: Grass - 2048
42. Yanma: Bug / Flying - 1326
43. Wooper: Water / Ground - 596
44. Quagsire: Water / Ground - 1929
45. Espeon: Psychic - 3000
46. Umbreon: Dark - 2052
47. Murkrow: Dark / Flying - 1392
48. Slowking: Water / Psychic - 2482
49. Misdreavus: Ghost - 1781
50. Unown: Psychic - 1022
51. Wobbuffet: Psychic - 1024
52. Girafarig: Normal / Psychic - 1863
53. Pineco: Bug - 1045
54. Forretress: Bug Steel - 2263
55. Dunsparce: Normal - 1615
56. Gligar: Ground / Flying - 1758
57. Steelix: Steel / Ground - 2439
58. Snubbull: Fairy - 1124
59. Granbull: Fairy - 2440
60. Qwilfish: Water / Poison - 1910
61. Scizor: Bug / Steel - 2801
62. Shuckle: Bug / Rock - 300
63. Heracross: Bug / Fighting - 2938
64. Sneasel: Dark / Ice - 1868
65. Teddiursa: Normal - 1184
66. Ursaring: Normal - 2760
67. Slugma: Fire - 750
68. Magcargo: Fire / Rock - 1543
69. Swinub: Ice / Ground - 663
70. Piloswine: Ice / Ground - 2284
71. Corsola: Water / Rock - 1214
72. Remoraid: Water - 749
73. Octillery: Water - 2124
74. Delibird: Ice / Flying - 937
75. Mantine: Water / Flying - 2032
76. Skarmory: Steel / Flying - 2032
77. Houndour: Dark / Fire - 1110
78. Houndoom: Dark / Fire - 2529
79. Kingdra: Water / Dragon - 2424
80. Phanpy: Ground - 1175
81. Donphan: Ground - 3022
82. Porygon2: Normal - 2546
83. Stantler: Normal - 1988
84. Tyrogue: Fighting - 404
85. Hitmontop: Fighting - 1905
86. Smoochum: Ice / Psychic - 1230
87. Elekid: Electric - 1073
88. Magby: Fire - 1178
89. Miltank: Normal - 2312
90. Blissey: Normal - 3219
91. Raikou: Electric - 3349
92. Entei: Fire - 3412
93. Suicune: Water - 2823
94. Larvitar: Rock / Ground - 904
95. Pupitar: Rock / Ground - 1608
96. Tyranitar: Rock / Dark - 3670
97. Lugia: Psychic / Flying - 3598
98. Ho-Oh: Fire / Flying - 4650
99. Celebi: Psychic / Grass - 3090

Which Gen 2 Pokémon are we still waiting on?

1. Smeargle: Normal - 389

Smeargle has a unique ability, Sketch, which means that, like Ditto, it'll likely come later once Pokémon Go figures out how to handle it.

What are the common Pokémon of Gen 2?

Gen 1 had a bunch of really common Pokémon that spawned in every parking lot, on every street corner, and at every PokéStop. Gen 2 is much the same.

• Hoothoot is the new Pidgey
• Ledyba is the new Weedle
• Sentrat is the new Rattata
• Spinarak is the new Caterpie

Depending on your environment, you'll also see a lot of:

• Murkrow
• Natu
• Swinub
• Wooper

Note: None of the common Pokémon in Gen 2 require only 12 Candies to evolve. So, if you're into farming and grinding to power-level, you'll need to stick to your Gen 1 staples of Pidgey, Caterpie, and Weedle. (And their evolved forms and Pinap Berries to get even more Candy faster.)

What's the Dragonite of Gen 2, Tyranitar?

Exactly that. Tyranitar is a rock/dark Pokémon that looks like Godzilla. It's a three-stage evolution, just like Dragonite, so you can hatch Lavitar, catch Lavitar, Pupitar, and Tyranitar, and need 25 and 100 Candies for the evolutions.

Unlike Dratini and Dragonair, which could be found occasionally at water spawns, Lavitar and Pupitar seem to favor the same mountains as Dragonite. The Tyranitar line also seems to spawn less frequently than the Dragonite line, at least for now.

These are the Gen 2 Pokémon you should evolve and power up for battling in Gyms

And the Snorlax, Blissey?

The Snorlax on Hulk serum, more like it. Blissey is the evolution of Chansey, which was formidable enough as a high-HP defender all on her own. Add even more CP and HP, and you get more than a tank — you get a fortress.

Chansey spawns rarely and randomly, though mountain and desert regions seem to get her more than the water biomes. Blissey is the same, only even more rare.

You need 50 Chansey candy to evolve Blissey, but once you have her, she'll be a giant pink wall on any Gym you put her in.

How to beat Blissey in Pokémon Go

What are the Legendary and Mythical Pokémon in Gen 2?

The Legendary Beasts were previously available as Legendary Raid Bosses, and may either re-appear that way, or be bonus encounters from Field Research, the way the Gen 1 Legendary Birds were, or both.

• Raikou
• Entei
• Suicune

(Legendary) Tower Duo:

Lugia was the first Pokémon Go Legendary Raid, released in July of 2017. Ho-Oh followed the Legendary Beasts later in the year. Both have returned several times now, including with their Shiny forms.

• Lugia
• Ho-Oh

Mythical

Celebi debuted at Pokémon Go Fest Chicago 2018 and is now available to everyone through the A Ripple in Time Special Research Quest.

• Celebi

How to complete a Ripple in Time and get Celibi fast

And which ones are the Gen 2 Starters?

Just like Gen 1 has Starter Pokémon — Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander — so does Gen 2. They're not currently used as such in Pokémon Go, though. New players who start now will still be offered one of the original, Gen 1 starters (or Pikachu if they do the "walk away and back 10 times" trick).

• Grass-type: Chikorita to Bayleef to Meganium
• Fire-type: Cyndaquil to Quilava to Typhlosion
• Water-type: Totodile to Crocanaw to Feraligatr

These are the Gen 2 Pokémon you should catch — and keep catching!

Any Pokémon like Ditto in Gen 2 — ones we may not see for a while?

Ditto is the Gen 1 Pokémon that can take on the shape of almost any other Pokémon. While it wasn't in the original release last July, it showed up a few months later. That's led to some speculation Pokémon Go would do the same thing with Gen 2.

Unown, who in stark contrast to Ditto has many, many forms all its own — one for each letter of the alphabet! — has already been found. So count that one — er, twenty-six — out.

Smeargle and Delibird, on the other hand, haven't been found in the game yet. Smeargle has the ability to "sketch" or copy the last move used by any other Pokémon, and Delibird has "present", which hasn't been introduced into the code yet.

So, like Ditto, Pokémon Go might be saving Smeagle and Delibird for a later release.

Speaking of Ditto, can it hide as any Gen 2 Pokémon?

Sure can! Just like Ditto can hide as a common Gen 1 Pokémon, including Pidgey, Rattata, Zubat, and Magikarp, it can also hide as a common Gen 2. In fact, the first Gen 2 I caught — a Hoothoot — turned out to be Ditto. 😑

• Hoothoot
• Sentret
• Yanma

Yanma is a strange one since it doesn't appear to be anywhere nearly as common as all the others.

How to catch Ditto in Pokémon Go

Any region exclusives in Gen 2?

Yes! Just like Taurus (U.S. and southern Canada), Farfetch'd (Japan, Hong Kong, and the vicinity), Mr. Mime (Western Europe), and Kangaskhan (Australia), Gen 2 has exclusives — but with a twist!

• Heracross: Central and South America — below San Antonio, Houston, and New Orleans, and above Tampa.
• Corsola: Southern U.S. to northern South America, northern Australia, northern Africa, south Asia — near the coasts.

Here's a map, via The Silph Road:

Note, parts of the Southern U.S., including Florida, intersect three regionals. So, if you're planning your next vacation or road trip...

Which Gen 2 Pokémon hatch from Pokémon Eggs, and which Eggs?

It changes often but most Pokémon from Gen 2 have been available to hatch from eggs at one time or another.

Gen 2 babies, still hatch, not catch?

Correct. Most of the Gen 2 babies actually arrived back in December of 2016. They're still here, and there's a new one, but you still can't catch them in the wild. You can only hatch them from Pokémon Eggs.

• Cleffa (baby Clefairy)
• Igglybuff (baby Jigglypuff)
• Pichu (baby Pikachu)
• Togepi (baby Togetic)
• Magby (baby Magmar)
• Smoochum (baby Jinx)
• Elekid (baby Electobuzz)

And the new one:

• Tyrogue (baby Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Hitmontops)

And what are the Buddy walking distances for Gen 2?

If you can't hatch or catch enough of a certain species of Pokémon to get the Candy you need to evolve it, you can still choose one of those Pokémon as your Buddy and start walking. For Gen 2, here's how far you need to walk with your Buddy for each piece of Candy you want to earn:

• Chikorita - 3 KM
• Bayleef - 3 KM
• Meganium - 3 KM
• Cyndaquil - 3 KM
• Quilava - 3 KM
• Typhlosion - 3 KM
• Totodile - 3 KM
• Croconaw - 3 KM
• Feraligatr - 3 KM
• Sentret - 1 KM
• Furret - 1 KM
• Hoothoot - 1 KM
• Noctowl - 1 KM
• Ledyba - 1 KM
• Ledian - 1 KM
• Spinarak - 1 KM
• Ariados - 1 KM
• Crobat - 1 KM
• Chinchou - 3 KM
• Lanturn - 3 KM
• Pichu - 1 KM
• Cleffa - 1 KM
• Igglybuff - 1 KM
• Togepi - 3 KM
• Togetic - 3 KM
• Natu - 3 KM
• Xatu - 3 KM
• Mareep - 5 KM
• Flaaffy - 5 KM
• Ampharos - 5 KM
• Bellossom - 1 KM
• Marill - 3 KM
• Azumarill - 3 KM
• Sudowoodo - 5 KM
• Politoed - 3 KM
• Hoppip - 3 KM
• Skiploom - 3 KM
• Jumpluff - 3 KM
• Aipom - 3 KM
• Sunkern - 3 KM
• Sunflora - 3 KM
• Yanma - 3 KM
• Wooper - 3 KM
• Quagsire - 3 KM
• Espeon - 5 KM
• Umbreon - 5 KM
• Murkrow - 3 KM
• Slowking - 3 KM
• Misdreavus - 3 KM
• Unown - 5 KM
• Wobbuffet - 3 KM
• Girafarig - 3 KM
• Pineco - 5 KM
• Forretress - 5 KM
• Dunsparce - 3 KM
• Gligar - 5 KM
• Steelix - 5 KM
• Snubbull - 3 KM
• Granbull - 3 KM
• Qwilfish - 3 KM
• Scizor - 5 KM
• Shuckle - 3 KM
• Heracross - 3 KM
• Sneasel - 3 KM
• Teddiursa - 3 KM
• Ursaring - 3 KM
• Slugma - 1 KM
• Magcargo - 1 KM
• Swinub - 3 KM
• Piloswine - 3 KM
• Corsola - 3 KM
• Remoraid - 1 KM
• Octillery - 1 KM
• Mantine - 5 KM
• Skarmory - 5 KM
• Houndour - 3 KM
• Houndoom - 3 KM
• Kingdra - 3 KM
• Phanpy - 3 KM
• Donphan - 3 KM
• Porygon2 - 3 KM
• Stantler - 3 KM
• Tyrogue - 5 KM
• Hitmontop - 5 KM
• Smoochum - 5 KM
• Elekid - 5 KM
• Magby - 5 KM
• Miltank - 5 KM
• Blissey - 5 KM
• Larvitar - 5 KM
• Pupitar - 5 KM
• Tyranitar - 5 KM

Are Gen 2 Pokémon harder to catch than Gen 1?

Sorta-but-not-really. Gen 2 isn't harder to catch but when Gen 2 was released, Pokémon Go seems to have made Gen 1 about 25% easier to catch. In other words, they adjusted the catch rate for Gen 1 so those Pokémon won't escape Poké Balls quite so often as they did before.

So, Gen 2 Pokémon aren't harder to catch, Gen 1 has just gotten easier. (Relativism is hard!)

Pokémon Go did add a new catch mechanic, though: Critical Catch. No bounces. No escapes. Just fireworks and an instant add to your collection. They appear to be random right now but if a pattern is discovered, I'll update and let you know!

How to stack bonuses and catch tough Pokémon in Pokémon Go

What about Unown, how do you catch all 26 versions?

Painfully slowly. Sigh. Unown is one of the rarest and hardest to find Pokémon in Pokémon Go Gen 2. It has 26 different incarnations, one for every letter of the alphabet, from A to Z. (Gen 3 adds two more, ? and !).

It doesn't seem to nest though a couple of places claim to have consistent spawns.

How to catch Unown in Pokémon Go

But there are new berries to help, right?

Kinda! A Razz Berry, which has been around since Pokémon Go launched, gives you a 1.5x catch bonus. So, if you hit it, it's less likely to escape. The new berry types have different effects:

• Nanab Berry stops a Pokémon from darting around s much, making it easier to hit in the first place. So far, I haven't found them to be too useful, though.
• Pinap Berry does nothing to make Pokémon easier to hit or catch. But, if you do hit and catch them after using a Pinap Berry, you get double Candy.

Which of those are the new Gen 2 evolutions for your existing Pokémon?

The new evolutions in Gen 2 are these:

• Golbat to Crobat
• Gloom to Bellossom (split)
• Poliwhirl to Politoed (split)
• Eevee to Espeon (split)
• Eevee to Umbreon (split)
• Slowpoke to Slowking (split)
• Onix to Steelix
• Scyther to Scizor
• Seadra to Kingdra
• Porygon to Porygon 2
• Chansey to Blissey

How to evolve Gen 1 Pokémon into Gen 2

Which Gen 1 Pokémon don't need any special items or tricks to evolve to Gen 2?

Pokémon Go Gen 2 introduces evolution items, "friendship", and other mechanics to the previously simple evolutionary process. That doesn't mean all Pokémon need those tricks to get their Gen 2 evolutions, though. A few are still straightforward:

• Golbat to Crobat
• Eevee to Espeon (split)
• Eevee to Umbreon (split)
• Chansey to Blissey

Simply get the candy you need, tap the button, and boom — Gen 2.

Which Pokémon need "evolution items"?

Most evolutions from Gen 1 to Gen 2 require "evolution items". They're available from PokéStops, just like Pokémon Eggs. You get them from spinning.

• Sun Stone: Evolve Gloom to Bellossum.
• King's Rock: Evolve Poliwhirl to Politoed.
• King's Rock: Evolve Slowpoke to Slowking.
• Metal Coat: Evolve Onix to Steelix.
• Metal Coat: Evolve Scyther to Scizor.
• Dragon Scale: Evolve Seadra to Kingdra.
• Up Grade: Evolve Porygon to Porygon 2.

You can only use an Evolution Item once, which is why you need 2x King's Rock to get both Politoed and Slowking and 2x Metal Coat to get both Steelix and Scizor.

So far, evolution items have also proven incredibly rare. It's theorized you have a 1/300 chance of getting one from a PokéStop, which means you'll probably need to spin 2500-3500 to get all the Evolution Items you need. (Considering some might be repeats.)

It took me 30 days and 2660 spins to get all the items I needed (plus four extra.) Luckily, Pokémon Go now guarantees an evolution item for a 7-day streak bonus. So, don't stop spinning!

How to get and use Evolution Items in Pokémon Go

Is Steelix really as big as it looks? Like too big to fit on a Gym big?

Buffy Season 3 Mayor big. Ginormously so.

Is there a trick to force Eevee to evolve into Umbreon or Espeon in Gen 2?

There is indeed. Like in Gen 1, to get your first Umbreon or Espeon, all you have to do it re-name the Eevee you want to evolve after its trainer from the original Pokémon animated series.

• Sakura for Espeon
• Tamao for Umbreon

To get additional Espeon and Umbreon, though, you have to use Pokémon Go's version of "friendship": Make Eevee your Buddy, walk 10 KM, and then evolve during the day for Espeon or at night for Umbreon.

How to evolve Eevee into multiple Espeon and Umbreon in Pokémon Go Gen 2

And there's another trick to evolve Tyrogue into Hitmontop?

Indeed, just a different kind of trick. It's also an homage to the original game but instead of being based on nicknames it's based on stats (IV). Catch or hatch a Tyrogue, the new base-level hitmon. Then, when you hit the evolve button, you'll get:

• Hitmonlee when Attack is the highest stat.
• Himonchan when Defense is the highest stat.
• Hitmontops when HP is the highest stat.

How to evolve Tyrogue into Hitmontop in Pokémon Go Gen 2

Can you catch Steelix, Slowking, Umbreon, Espeon, and the rest in the wild?

No, not yet at least. None of the Pokémon that require an Evolution Item have been seen or caught in the wild, nor has Umbreon or Espeon. The only exception is Hitmontop, which seems to be spawning randomly like the other Hitmon.

For the rest, you need their Evolution Items or their tricks.

What Pokémon Go candy do you need to hoard for Gen 3... and Gen 4?

Pokémon Gen 2 might just have launched but it's never too early to start preparing for Gen 3... and Gen 4. That's because Gen 3 was more of a departure than a sequel to the beloved franchise. There are a couple of new babies but no new evolution. But that simply sets and even bigger, better, stage for the super-evolutions coming in Gen 4.

Gen 1 Candy to collect for Gen 4:

• Magnemite to evolve Magneton into Magnazone.
• Lickitung to evolve into Lickilicky.
• Rhynhorn to evolve into Rhyperior.
• Tangela to evolve into Tangrowth.
• Elekid to evolve Electabuzz into Electivire.
• Magby to evolve Magmar into Magmortar.
• Eevee to evolve into Leafeon and Glaceon (Split).
• Porygon to evolve Porygon2 into Porygon-Z.
• Togepi to evolve Togetic into Togekiss.

Gen 2 Candy to collect for Gen 4:

• Aipom to evolve into Ambipom.
• Yanma to evolve into Yanmega.
• Murkrow to evolve into Honchkrow.
• Misdreavus to evolve into Mismagius.
• Gligar to evolve into Gliscor.
• Sneasel to evolve into Weavile.
• Swinub to evolve Piloswine into Mamoswine.
• Togetic

If Pokémon Gen 3 and Gen 4 work like Gen 2 did, you won't need Candy to evolve the new babies. You'll need Pokémon Eggs.

New Gen 3 babies:

• Azurill (baby Marill)
• Wynaut (baby Wobuffet)

New Gen 4 babies:

• Mime Jr. (baby Mr. Mime)
• Bonsly (baby Sudowoodo)
• Mantyke (baby Mantine)

How to prepare for Gen 3 and Gen 4 in Pokémon Go

Any Pokémon Go Gen 2 questions?

If you have any questions on Pokémon Go Gen 2 or any theories you want to share, drop them in the comments below?