GO Fest London and Osaka: The Best Pokémon to Look Out For

Good day, Pokémon Trainers! Pokémon GO Fest season is upon us and it promises to be larger and more exciting than ever before! But this brings up the ever-popular question,

What are the best Pokémon to catch?

Well, not to worry fellow trainer, I’m here to help narrow the field. And this time it’s a double feature! As Pokémon GO Fest London and Pokémon GO Fest London Osaka will be taking place during the same time and will have the same Pokémon spawn(that we know of). So this is the perfect guide to take a look at whether you’ll be out catching Pokémon in the UK or Japan!

Also worth noting is that we have a huge preparation guide ready that you might want to check whether this is your first GO Fest or if you just want to be completely prepared to face GO Fest 2023. We also have an IRL guide prepared that covers everything from which places provide the best play experience, to which restaurants you should check out if this is your first time playing Pokémon GO in London!

With that out of the way, Which Pokémon are truly worth getting?

Let’s begin and find out!

Dark Jungle

Do take note that London and Osaka GO Fests will be divided into two experiences- the park experience and the city experience. The park experience will have you exploring different themed habitats where specific Pokémon will spawn at Brockwell Park in London and Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park in Osaka. Whereas in the city experience, you will be able to find every Pokémon mentioned in each habitat along with event-exclusive raid encounters!

I will categorize the Pokémon in this guide based on the habitats available in the park experience. But do keep in mind that you can find all of these in the city experience as well. With that being said, let’s start off with Pokémon found in the first habitat, the eerie Dark Jungle:

Deino

Let’s start the list off with the first and only Dragon Pokémon to appear in this habitat. Deino is a unique Pokémon as all three of its evolutionary stages are useful for something. Deino itself is a mainstay in the 500 CP Little Cup meta. Where it not only plays well neutrally thanks to its high dragon damage pressure, but it’s also one of the main counters for this meta’s biggest threat, Bronzor thanks to Deino being part Dark. Its second stage Zweilous is also a solid pick for the Great League as it has decent bulk along with strong fast-move pressure thanks to Dragon Breath. Which is then again bolstered by its spammy-charged attack Body Slam.

And then finally, its final form Hydreigon is a solid Pokémon for the Master League and especially the Master League Premiere format. Where again Hydreigon shines thanks to its fast attack pressure from Dragon Breath. It’s also a decent raid attacker thanks to its impressive attack stat. This little dragon can do it all, so he’s definitely worth hunting down no matter your use case!

Dewpider

This little water-sliding spider’s evolution, Araquanid is a very solid Pokémon. It has a unique WaterBug typing, which makes it resistant to some of the Great League metas most prominent types. These include the likes of Water,Steel,Ice,Ground, and Fighting. Araquanid also has extremely high defensive stats to boost, ensuring it stays in the field for a long while. However, what brings it down a few pegs is its inability to apply too much shield pressure, along with being weak to two of the most prominent types in the great league Rock and Flying.

Nevertheless, Araquanid is a solid Pokémon for the great league and even more so for limited great league formats. Where some of its greatest threats aren’t hopefully lurking about. And even Dewpider itself can be a decent Pokémon for some Little Cup metas. Overall, definitely a Pokémon worth catching and investing into.

Burmy (Plant Cloak)

Burmy

Out of all of Burmy’s evolutions, Wormadam (Trash Cloak) is really the only one that sees much play. And even that is relegated to limited metas. Nevertheless, Burmy does have multiple forms and shares the same candy pool. So if it’s a Pokémon you particularly like, there’s no harm in catching a few.

Zubat

Now here’s the thing. Despite being the main counter for the omnipresent Fairy types, most Poison type Pokémon don’t reach the top of the PvP meta for one reason or another. But If I were to strictly categorize these Pokémon in terms of competitive viability, I would have to say Zubat is one of the Pokémon that deserves to be at the top. If you wanted to use any of these Pokémon for the Open Great League, it would have to be Zubat. As Zubat’s evolved form, Golbat, much like a lot of other flyers can do pretty well against some of the metas more prominent Pokémon. Though it does occasionally need a shield advantage to do so, and the shadow variant definitely does perform better. Its final form, Crobat however doesn’t have much use in any particular leagues.

Skorupi

Drapion, Skorupi’s evolved form is the second closest contender for being “almost viable for the Open Great League“. This is thanks to its wide coverage of charge attacks including Aqua Tail, Crunch, and Fell Stinger. This is once again a case of a Pokémon’s shadow variant being better than its default form. And for Drapion, that margin is quite high. Nevertheless, GO Fest can be a way to get more candy for your shadow variant. But ignoring all that Drapion does have a leg up over Golbat in that it’s viable for Ultra League as well.

Seviper and Pumpkaboo

While neither of these Pokémon are exceptional in PvP or PvE, you might still want to catch one of each. Pumpkaboo is rare Pokémon that has multiple forms. On the other hand, Seviper is a Pokémon that typically only spawns in North America, South America, and Africa. So while neither of these Pokémon are excellent they are still decent collector’s items for you to catch, especially since both will be available in their shiny forms as well.

Fairy Garden

As its name may suggest, this enchanting garden is home primarily to Grass and Fairy type Pokémon. Including:

Bulbasaur

One of the starters of the very first generation of Pokémon and the #1 Pokémon on the Pokédex, it’s Bulbasaur! And this jolly little fella has a lot to offer. To start off, its fully-evolved form Venusaur is a solid pick for both the Great League and the Ultra League. And quite a few have started using Venusaur as their grass Pokémon of choice after the infamous Trevenant nerf in the latest season of Pokémon GO. Venusaur does have a lot to offer. It has decent enough bulk matched with the very fast energy-generating Vine Whip. Making it a super spammy Grass and Poison type. Though it does need the legacy charged attack Frenzy Plant to reach its full potential.

It should be noted that the default Venusaur works better than its shadow form in the Great League. And the opposite is true for the Ultra League. Though the margin of difference is relatively small so you don’t have to worry too much either way. Also worth noting is that Shadow Bulbasaur itself is solid for some limited Little Cup metas. And finally, both Shadow Venusaur and Mega Venusaur are solid raid attackers. So if you don’t have one or a few of them built for your needs already, consider giving this underrated starter a chance!

Oddish

This Pokémon has two final-evolutionary forms, Vileplume and Bellossom. And both are okay Pokémon for the Great League and can definitely perform better in more limited formats. Vileplume is a tad better in its shadow form for the great league. On the other hand, Bellossom is better than Vileplume in both the Great League and as a limited or spice pick for the Ultra League.

You might choose to not evolve your PvP IV oddish at all, however. As Oddish, especially in its shadow form is a decent Pokémon for some limited Little Cup metas. So while overall not a top priority, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to catch a few of these little odd ones either!

Hoppip

Jumpluff, the final evolution of Hoppip has a lot to love if you want to use it for the Great League. It has solid bulk and a choice of three swiftly energy-generating fast attacks. Making Jumpluff both defensive and spammy when it comes to firing out charged attacks. However, all these benefits are somewhat tempered by the fact that Jumpluff GrassFlying typing gives it a whole five weaknesses, as opposed to only 4 resistances. A lot of these type weaknesses are very common in the Great League as well, especially Ice which it is 2.56 times weak to. Despite these shortcomings, Jumpluff is still solid when taking into account its shadow form and limited battle formats. So it certainly wouldn’t hurt to pile up some Hoppip candies.

Petilil

I’m putting this pure Grass Pokémon here as a wild card. Despite how cute the design is, neither Petilil nor its evolved form Lilligant has significant use for anything right now. As Lilligant is glassy, is a pure grass type which gives it a whole host of weaknesses, and running Charm as its only good fast attack with no low energy charged attacks.

However, Lilligant does have an alternative Hisuian form that isn’t available in Pokémon GO yet. When that form is available it might make Lilligant a bit more useful. So if you like this cute little grass Pokémon don’t feel bad about catching a few as it has future growth potential.

Ferroseed

Ferrothorn is a decent Great League pick thanks to its unique GrassSteel typing. However, do bear in mind that there are both quite a few steel types and quite a handful of grass types in the meta right now that can do Ferrothorn’s job better. Nevertheless, it is still a fun and unique pick and has more play in limited metas. It’s not the most common Pokémon available so definitely worth a few catches.

Dedenne

This cute little Pikachu clone is just great. Despite its deceptively cute appearance, Dedenne has the right combination of stats, typing (Electric,Fairy), and the fast energy-generating attack Thunder Shock going for it. All these make Dedenne a decent pick for Limited Great League metas. Though admittedly it’s just shy of being really useful for the Open Great League. And this could very well change with a move update or two. So feel free to keep a few Dedennes in your pocket!

Hypnotic Glacier

brr…Is it getting chilly in here? No? Well, it’s now time to talk about the Hypnotic Glacier habitat full of sub-zero Ice types. Including the likes of:

Seel

We’re starting this habitat strong with Seel! This Ice cold Water puppy was already a mainstay of the Little Cup format. And its evolution Dewgong is a decent pick for the Great League. And now with the “Season of Hidden Gems Update” giving Dewgong the charged-attack Drill Run, Dewgong is better than ever. Making it a beast in the Great League truly worth looking out for. Many are now delegating Dewgong to the role of their team’s safe swap or closer. This is thanks to Dewgong’s impressive bulk matched with its rapid firing, enemy attack decreasing Icy Wind. A strong recommendation from me is in favor of catching this one.

Shellder

While its evolution Cloyster can be an okay spice pick for some Limited Great League metas, especially in its shadow form, this is not the main reason Shellder is on here. Instead its the fact that Shellder provides a whopping 1000 Stardust on a successful catch is precisely why it gets a place on this list. When playing Pokémon GO, you can never truly have too much Stardust. Especially during GO Fest when there are so many great Pokémon to catch and power up. So this magnanimous donation from Shellder is greatly appreciated and you should definitely catch any Shellder you come across.

Snorlax

Don’t let the easy-going demeanor of this big fella fool you, Snorlax deserves its place with the legends!

And I mean that quite literally as well. This mono Normal type Pokémon wins against a key legendary Pokémon in all three of the main go battle league formats. It can win against Registeel in an even shield scenario in the Great League, can defeat the omnipresent Cresselia in the Ultra League, and can even win against the ever-threatening Dialga in the Master League. And this is ignoring the fact that it can beat both versions of Giratina in the ultra and master leagues as it resists Ghost type attacks and then punishes back with its own ghost-type fast attack lick.

Galarian Darumaka

Darumaka (Galarian)

While not particularly noteworthy in PvP Galarian Darmanitan (Zen Mode), Darumaka’s evolution is one of the best Ice type raid attackers, owing to its very high damage per second. It runs the heavy-hitting ice fang for fast-move damage. So if you’re someone who’s more into the PvE side of Pokémon GO Galarian Darumaka is a worthy investment.

Bergmite

The opposite of Darumaka, Avalugg, Bermite’s evolution is a very bulky Pokémon. Making it a good fit for the Master Premiere League. Both Avalugg and Hisuian Avalugg are solid choices. While regular Avalugg does greater fast attack damage with Ice Fang, Hisuian Avalugg has more charged attack pressure thanks to the rapid energy-generating Powder Snow. So you can’t really go wrong either way with Avalugg and it can be an okay pick for raid attacking as well. So, Bergmite, I just might.

Amaura

Last on the list for this habitat. And one that has just recently got its shiny to boot. If you haven’t managed to catch one with good IVs you’re in luck. As you will get another chance with the London and Osaka GO Fest. Aurorus, Amaura’s evolution has already seen some play in the Ultra League. Though unless it gets a move update it’ll probably be stuck to Limited Great League metas when it comes to the Great League. It’s a Pokémon rarely seen in the wild, so why not catch a few?

Volcanic Island

A relaxing tropical getaway or an explosive adventure? Either way, many different kinds of Pokémon await you in this habitat. Such as:

Charmander

While Bulbasaur is hanging out in his garden, the other two first-generation starters are over in this habitat. Let’s get the better of the two out of the way with Charmander! Charizard, Charmander’s final evolution has long been a fan favorite in the Pokémon series. And thankfully, or perhaps because of that, Charizard is useful everywhere in Pokémon GO. It’s a great Pokémon in the Great League in its shadow form, amazing in the Ultra League in its normal form, and solid in the Master Premiere League where it deals with the Steel types like Metagross.

Not only that, Charizard has two mega forms to make it a solid raid attacker as well. And even Shadow Charizard is decent for this. Overall, this long beloved Pokémon makes its presence known everywhere it appears so it’s definitely worth the catch! Though do bear in mind that it needs its legacy move Blast Burn to reach its full potential.

Squirtle

Blastoise, Squirtle’s evolution is a bit less impressive than its first-generation starter brethren. But it’s still a decent Pokémon for the Great League and Ultra League if a bit bland thanks to its mono Water typing. After all, it does have decent bulk and move set to make it strong in limited Great League metas and even in Open Ultra League in specific scenarios. Though much like with any starter, Blastoise kind of needs its legacy move, Hydro Cannon to be useful. Mega Blastoise is also a solid water-type raid attacker. Squirtle had two community days last month but if you still missed your chance you can collect a few during GO Fest.

Aerodactyl

Aerodactyl Wearing a Satchel

The last fossil Pokémon on this list is the original RockFlying dinosaur itself, Aerodactyl! While Aerodactyl isn’t a particularly useful Pokémon for PvP, it has a mega form which may as well be the best Rock type raid attacker available right now. Not only that, the Aerodactyl spawning in the wild will be a unique costumed Aerodactyl that will only be available for the London, Osaka, and New York GO Fests. Making this Aerodactyl an impressive collector’s item as well!

Dratini

GO Fest London and Osaka graces us with not one, but two Dragon type Pokémon that can be used in all three main PvP formats. Much like Deino, Dratini is great because there’s something unique that all three forms in its evolutionary line can accomplish.

In their shadow form, Dragonair and Dragonite are both very decent picks in the Great League. Why you would want one over the other depends on your team composition and personal use case. Dragonite works best as a pure Dragon, as you would want to partner up its fast-move Dragon Breath with the spammy Dragon Claw. Whereas Dragonair has better neutral coverage Body Slam and Aqua Tail to go with the same Dragon Breath. Shadow Dragonite is also a decent Pokémon for the Ultra League, as it can win against some of the meta staples such as Swampert, Scrafty, and Obstagoon. And finally, Shadow Dratini itself is pretty great for 500 CP Little Cup metas when they are available.

This doesn’t mean you should skimp on catching regular, non-shadow Dratinis during GO Fest, however. Not only because you can catch them to get candies as Dratini is a decently rare Pokémon. But also because, Dragonite, just in its base form, is one of the best Pokémon for the Master League and arguably, the best non-legendary Pokémon in that league thanks to its impressive total stats. So as far as wild Pokémon in this habitat goes, Dratini is definitely one you don’t want to miss!

Mantine

This flying stingray is a great Pokémon for the Great League thanks to its bulk and access to three different choices of quick energy-generating fast attacks. Which allows it to spam the opponent’s attack debuffing charged attack Bubble Beam. Though it’s potential is tempered somewhat with a double weakness to Electric and it’s coverage Ice Beam requiring a good amount of energy. Still it’s a solid Pokémon that can be used in the Ultra League as well. So it’s by no means a Pokémon you can easily skip on.

Lucario

For this habitat, I decided to save the best for last. If you look at Lucario’s typing, you can see why it’s special. Fighting and Steel, two of the most potent types in all of Pokémon! It brings a lot of other benefits along with this solid typing as well. It provides fast-move pressure with Counter, it spams with Power-up Punch and even has a handful of nuke moves available to it as well. All in all, even if it’s a lot more fragile than Medicham, it is still a solid Pokémon for the Great League and the Ultra League. And even more so in limited metas where it can absolutely dominate the competition!

Lucario has only been available so far from hatching Riolus from eggs and then evolving them. So it has been a rare and difficult Pokémon to build with competitive IVs. With GO Fest this all changes, so definitely be on the lookout for a few wild Lucarios!

Raid Encounters

This concludes our wild encounter segment. But continue to stick around, because the city experience brings the return of three well-beloved raid legendaries. Along with an exciting new encounter!

Five-Star Raids

London and Osaka Go Fests will be home to three five-star raids. And its worth noting that these raids will be available globally throughout August as well. Starting off with:

Cresselia

One of the best, if not the best Pokémon for the Ultra League, Cresselia has now found herself a place in the Great League as well thanks to the absence of Trevenant to threaten her lunar glory. What makes Cresselia so great is a combination of extreme bulk, matched with the fast energy-generating Psycho Cut. A combination of these two things insure Cresselia is on the battlefield for a long time, and threatening the opponent’s shields. Definitely consider doing a few raids and trading Cresselias around with your friends to get some PvP-compatible Cresselias.

Xerneas and Yveltal

The box legendary duo from the mainline Pokémon X and Y games are back! And although it hasn’t been directly stated, as both Pokémon are slated to get their signature moves this month of August, it’s very likely they will be available during GO Fest as well. So, let’s get to analyzing whether these Pokémon are worth it, shall we?

Starting with the Fairy type Xerneas. Xerneas is slated to get its signature fast move, Geomancy. While this probably won’t make Xerneas a must-have meta-breaker or anything like that, it is still a direct upgrade. This means an already decent pick for the Master League is just about to get better. As for the DarkFlying Yveltal, while its signature charge attack Oblivion Wing seems like a side grade at best, it’s already a decent Pokémon for the Master League and definitely no less worth your time. Both Pokémon are also decent Raid Attackers.

So as you can see, you can go for either Pokémon based on personal preference if you’re planning to build a team for the Master League.

Mega Raids

Mega Rayquaza

Rayquaza (Mega)

The only confirmed mega raid for this event, yet no less exciting. As Mega Rayquaza is a completely new Mega Pokémon to grace Pokémon GO! Not only that, if the prior released Primal Groudon and Kyogre are any indication then Mega Rayquaza stands to be one of the strongest Pokémon that will be available in Pokémon GO for a long while.

Collector’s Items

If more than PvP or raid viability, you’re more interested in that which is truly rare and exclusive, I have you covered as well. Even ignoring the already mentioned raid Pokémon and rare shinies such as Lucario and Seviper, there will be some event-exclusive including:

Pikachu Wearing an Amethyst Crown

This version of Pikachu will be exclusive to GO Fest this year, and will also be available as a shiny. This Pikachu will spawn in every habitat, so don’t miss your chance to catch this exclusive shiny!

All habitats will also spawn specific Unown with their shiny forms also being available. This includes the first appearance of Unown !. If you’ve taken the daunting challenge of catching every shiny Unowns you definitely don’t want to miss this chance!

Still want more? Here are the Pokémon that will make their first shiny appearance during London and Osaka GO Fests:

Conclusion

Pokémon GO Fest 2023 is shaping up to be more promising than ever before with many exciting Pokémon to collect! Hopefully, I have helped you narrow down which Pokémon you want to focus on during this event. Stay safe and have fun out there. I wish you all an amazing GO Fest 2023!

Goodbye for now, Pokémon trainers. Priom-out!