Just when you were expecting Pokémon Go to start ramping up Gen 4, it went and threw us an Alolan Forms curveball. So, what are these tropical variants of a dozen-and-a-half Gen 1 Pokémon and how do you hatch, catch, and evolve them? Here's what we know so far!

Which Alolan Pokémon are currently available in Pokémon Go?

As of July 2018, all of them!

  1. Alolan Exeggutor (Catch/Raid)
  2. Alolan Grimer (Hatch from 7 KM Egg)
  3. Alolan Muk (Evolve)
  4. Alolan Meowth (Hatch from 7 KM Egg)
  5. Alolan Persian (Evolve)
  6. Alolan Vulpix (Hatch from 7 KM Egg)
  7. Alolan Ninetails (Evolve)
  8. Alolan Sandshrew (Hatch from 7 KM Egg)
  9. Alolan Sandslash (Evolve)
  10. Alolan Rattata (Catch)
  11. Alolan Raticate (Evolve)
  12. Alolan Diglette (Hatch/Catch)
  13. Alolan Dugtrio (Evolve)
  14. Alolan Geodude (Hatch/Catch)
  15. Alolan Gravler (Evolve)
  16. Alolan Golem (Evolve)
  17. Alolan Raichu (Raid)
  18. Alolan Marowak (Raid)

July 20, 2018: Alolan Diglett, Geodude now hatching from 7 KM eggs

It's unclear if Alolan Geodude and Diglett have stopped spawning in the wild or if they've simply become ultra-rare spawns. What is clear is that, as of now, they've joined their fellow Alolan Pokémon in hatching from 7 KM eggs. (The ones you get from gifts.)

No word yet on what that's done to the hatching ratio for those eggs.

July 19, 2018: Alolan Exeggutor, Raichu, and Marowak now Raid Bosses

With the coming of Registeel Legendary Raids, Alolan Raids have also begun. Here's what you can find:

  • Tier 2: Alolan Exeggutor
  • Tier 2: Alolan Raichu
  • Tier 4:. Alolan Marowak

Regular Kanto Marowk was Tier 2, so that's some serious Alolan escalation there.


July 13, 2018: Alolan Geodude and Diglett start spawning for of Pokémon Go Fest Chicago

Alolan Geodude and Alolan Diglett are spawning and that means Alolan Gravler, Golem, and Dugtrio can be evolved now as well!

  1. Alolan Diglette (Catch)
  2. Alolan Dugtrio (Catch)
  3. Alolan Geodude (Catch)
  4. Alolan Gravler (Evolve)
  5. Alolan Golem (Evolve)

June 30, 2018: Alolan Rattata now hatching from 7 KM Eggs

The Alolan Form of Rattata is now hatching from 7 KM Eggs. This might be good for people for whom Alolan Ratticate was, for some reason, not spawning in their area. But, since Alolan Rattata is available in the wild, and the other Alolan Forms are only available from Eggs, it seems like an odd choice, and is proving to be a controversial one. Especially at 7 KM.

June 23, 2018: Alolan Rattata now spawning in the wild

The Alolan form of Rattata is now in the wild and available for you to catch. And, yes, you can evolve it into Alolan Raticate as well. That increases the total number of Alolan forms now available by two. (No word yet on whether Alolan Raticate is also spawning in the wild.)

Catch:

  1. Alolan Rattata

Evolve:

  1. Alolan Raticate

Unlike standard Rattata and Raticate, Alolan Raticate has a second typing: Dark. It appears in Sightings, so you should be able to track it down if it's in your vicinity.

Good luck!

June 21, 2018; Alolan Forms now hatching from 7 KM eggs, Alolan Exeggutor is back

As previously announced, the 7 KM eggs received from Gifting are now available, and the following Alolan Forms have already been hatched in Pokémon Go:

  1. Alolan Grimer
  2. Alolan Meowth
  3. Alolan Vulpix
  4. Alolan Sandshrew

These can be evolved into:

  1. Alolan Muk
  2. Alolan Persian
  3. Alolan Ninetails
  4. Alolan Sandslash

Also, Alolan Exeggutor appears to be spawning in the wild again, though nowhere nearly as much as when it first appeared.

June 18, 2018: More Alolan Forms coming as 7 KM eggs... from gifting!

Pokémon Go is introducing some new game mechanics, including Friendship, Trading, and Gifting. As part of Gifting, more Alolan Forms will be on their way... as 7 KM eggs!

When you spin a Photo Disc at a PokéStop or Gym, you have a chance of receiving a special Gift. Although you can't open the Gifts you receive from PokéStops, you can send them to a friend on your Friend List. Inside the Gift will be a stash of helpful items, which your friend will receive along with a postcard showing where you picked up your Gift. Gifts can also include a special surprise: an Egg that, when hatched, will contain an Alolan form of a Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region!

No word yet on which Alolan Forms will come from the new 7 KM eggs, but hopefully we'll find out soon!

June 16, 2018; Pokémon Go pre-announces Alolan Diglett and Geodude

Pokémon Go Fest 2018 is coming in July and, with it will be the Alolan Forms of Diglett and Geodude.

From Pokémon Go:

The Alolan forms of Diglett and Geodude will be in on the fun, too. Beginning [the weekend of July 14 and 15] Alolan Diglett and Alolan Geodude will be appearing globally for the first time in Pokémon GO. Don't miss the chance to encounter the unique forms of these Pokémon.

There may be more before then, but there'll definitely be those to by then.

May 29, 2018: Alolan Exeggutor is out... and very, very tall!

Look up. Waaaay up. That giant Poké-palm-tree you're seeing is Alolan Exeggutor and its the first of the Alolan Forms to be released in Pokémon Go.

From Pokémon Go:

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! are coming to the Nintendo Switch in November 2018! Once released, Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region that you have caught in Pokémon GO can be brought into these two new Nintendo Switch games. In celebration of this announcement, Alolan Exeggutor will now appear all over the world in Pokémon GO! This is the first Alolan form of a Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region to arrive in Pokémon GO. Keep an eye out for this Pokémon's tall and stately presence all over the world, where it will appear more often for a limited time. Enjoy, Trainers, and stay tuned for more news about Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! soon.

Alolan Eggs looks as ridiculously amazing in-game, and especially in-Gym, as you'd expect. They're spawning all over the place right now but, since there's no way of knowing how long that will last, go catch 'em while you can.

More on Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!

What has Pokémon Go said about Alolan Forms?

Very little. Just a tease.

Sunny days are ahead! Whether your forecast calls for rain or shine, we're celebrating all around the world by introducing some special Pokémon from the tropical Alola region to Pokémon GO. Get ready for some of the Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region to appear in their Alolan forms! These unique variants were first seen in the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon video games, and they will make their way to Pokémon GO in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for news related to this exciting change—and don't forget to tell your friends! Stay safe, and happy exploring!

Even less from Pokémon proper:

So far in Pokémon GO, we have seen Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn regions. Next up, be on the lookout for the Alolan forms of Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region, which will soon make their debut. Stock up on Poké Balls and get ready to expand your Pokémon collection!

What are Alolan Forms in Pokémon Go?

Here's what Bulbapedia has to say:

In the Alola region, a species' regional variant is referred to as its Alola Form (Japanese: アローラのすがた Alola form). A Pokémon in its Alola Form is described as Alolan — for example, Exeggutor in its Alola Form is referred to as Alolan Exeggutor. Only Pokémon introduced in Generation I have Alola Forms.

In Alola, when breeding Pokémon whose offspring has a regional variant, the offspring's form depends on its parents. If either parent is the species' normal form and holds an Everstone, and if the offspring is in the same family as that parent, then the offspring will hatch as the normal form. In all other cases, the offspring will always hatch in its Alola Form.

In Pokémon Sun and Moon, if a Pokémon evolves from a species that does not have an Alola Form to one that does, such as Cubone, it will always evolve into its Alola Form and cannot evolve into its normal form. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the Pokémon will evolve into its Alola Form while in Alola itself, but can also evolve into its normal form while in Ultra Space.

What makes an Alolan Form different from a regular Pokémon?

The Alola versions of Pokémon look different and also have different types, which means they can learn different movesets as well.

Which Gen 1 Pokémon have Alolan Forms?

There are 18 Alola variants, all of them for Gen 1 Pokémon.

  1. Rattata - Normal / Dark
  2. Raticate: Normal / Dark
  3. Raichu: Electric / Psychic
  4. Sandshew: Ice / Steel
  5. Sandlash: Ice/Steel
  6. Vulpix: Ice
  7. Ninetails: Ice / Fairy
  8. Diglett: Ground / Steel
  9. Dugtrio: Ground / Steel
  10. Meowth: Dark
  11. Persian: Dark
  12. Geodude: Rock /Electric
  13. Graveler: Rock / Electric
  14. Golem: Rock /Electric
  15. Grimer: Poison / Dark
  16. Muk: Poison / Dark
  17. Exeggutor: Grass / Dragon
  18. Marowak: Fire / Ghost

Wait, no Alolan Pikachu, Exeggute, or Cubone?

No. While the other Alolan variants are all families, and can presumably evolve from one to the next, Alola Raichu, Exeggutor, and Marowak are all stand-alone split evolutions and will presumably require some other mechanic like weather, time of day, etc. to evolve.

We'll have to wait and see how Pokémon Go handles all that.

Are there Shiny Alolan Forms as well?

Image via Know Your Meme

There are indeed. Let your quest for 100% Shiny Alolan Raichu begin!

(Raichu is currently the only Shiny Pokémon in the game with an Alolan Form, but that could change fast.)

Complete list of Shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Go

When exactly are the Alola variants coming to Pokémon Go?

They've all been available, one way or another, over the summer and most are still readily available through 7 KM eggs and Raids.

What is the hatch rate for Pokémon Go Alolan 7 KM Eggs?

Note: Alolan Geodude and Diglett have recently been added to the 7 KM Egg pool so the numbers need to be reworked.

Previously, according to The Sliph Road:

  • Rattata: 27.6% (8)
  • Meowth: 27.6% (8)
  • Sandshrew: 27.6% (8)
  • Grimer: 13.8% (4)
  • Vulpix 3.4% (1)

What are the best movesets for Alolan Pokémon in Pokémon Go?

  1. Alolan Exeggutor: Dragon Tail or Bullet Seed + Solar Beam
  2. Alolan Muk: Poison Jab + Gunk Shot
  3. Alolan Golem: Rock Throw + Stone Edge or Wild Charge
  4. Alolan Raichu:
  5. Alolan Marowak:

What about Pokémon Go Gen 4?

That's the big questions. Previously, this was the pattern:

  • Pokémon Go Gen 1: July, 2016.
  • Pokémon Go Gen 2: Februrary, 2017.
  • Pokémon Go Gen 3: October, 2017.

So, if that pattern held, we were looking at:

  • Pokémon Go Gen 4: July, 2018.

But, now, with the Gen 7 Alolan Forms launching this summer, that might push Gen 4 back to February of 2019, or it could just be filler for May until Gen 4 arrives on (imagined) schedule in July.

We'll have to wait and see.

Pokémon Go Gen 4: What you need to know

Any Pokémon Go Alolan Forms questions?

Drop them in the comments below!

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