Why is Gible so rare in Pokemon Go?

Gible is currently one of the most sought after species in Pokemon Go, but why is the fan favorite from Gen 4 so rare?

The dual dragon and ground-type Pokemon was released in the mobile game in May 2019, much to the excitement of trainers everywhere. What fans didn’t anticipate, however, was just how rare it would be.

There have been reports from trainers at towns of varying sizes that they have yet to see even one Gible. Elsewhere, on one Discord channel with 4,000 people claimed they had zero sightings. Granted these reports came shortly after its initial release but the point still holds.

Now, the pseudo-legend has been out for several months but sightings are still few and far between. So, why does it spawn so very rarely?

Rare makes it more wanted

The answer to this couple be simple. There’s no doubt Gible is a very popular Pokemon but could it be so demanded because of its rarity.

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With anything in life, the rarer something is then, generally, the more wanted it is. Niantic could have selected Gible to be one of the more rare spawns (because some have to be rare) and this has spiralled into making it even more popular.

Garchomp is powerful

Another reason for its rarity could be because of Garchomp. Gible’s final evolved form is a very powerful Pokemon. Each of its base stats – attack, defense and stamina – are all ranked in the top 100 among the 688 species currently in the mobile game.

In terms of the maximum CP it can achieve, Garchomp is ranked 12 in the entirety of Pokemon Go. With it being so strong it wouldn’t make sense for Niantic to make it a common spawn. Pokemon like this need to be at least somewhat rare so they’re not seen in every single battle.

Pseudo-legend

There are legendary species in Pokemon and then there are pseudo-legends. Each generation has legendary Pokemon – such as Articuno, Entei and Groudon – which are understandably and justifiably rare.

However, trainers have also coined the term pseudo-legends. These aren’t official legendary Pokemon but because of their excellent base stats are considered legendary in a different way.

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Niantic and the Pokemon Company will be well aware of this. So, this is just another reason why they’d be discouraged from making Gible anything other than rare.

Shiny Gible

With some trainers still frustrated by the lack of Gible spawns, it is a pipe dream for a lot of fans to get hold of a shiny Gible. After all, players are struggling to find its normal version.

Interestingly, shiny Gible has been officially released and there is even proof of one lucky trainer managing to find one. It can be found in the wild and also in 10km eggs but don’t get your hopes up. One trainer claimed they hatched 40 10km eggs without getting a single one!

With shiny Gible out in the Pokemon Go wild it also raises questions about whether we will ever see it in a Community Day also. So, if you do encounter a Gible, make sure you catch it with a Pinap Berry and maybe save it to trade with a friend!