Pokémon GO Fest New York 2024: 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! But before we get to that it’s worth noting that this guide only accounts for those that we know for sure will be available during the New York City GO Fest period according to the information shared by Niantic.

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 want to be completely prepared to face GO Fest 2024.

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

Let’s begin and find out!

Brilliant Skies

Do take note that the New York City GO Fest 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 Randall’s Island Park. 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 with Pokémon found in the first habitat, the Brilliant Skies:

Pidgey

We are starting strong with Pidgey. Pidgey might initially appear as a common and unassuming Pokémon. But its evolution Pidgeot has a lot of uses. For starters, Pidgeot has been one of the best Pokémon for the Ultra League for a while.

And now, especially with the shadow form, Pidgeot can be solid in the Great League as well. Going so far as to win a Play! Pokémon tournament being piloted by one of the best players in the world right now. What helps Pidgeot out is its pool of charged attacks.

Running Feather Dance with Brave Bird, you can constantly keep your opponents on their toes as to whether you’re hitting hard or just debuffing. If that isn’t enough Pidgeot has a mega form which can be a solid Flying type Raid Attacker.

Dratini

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.

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. It’s also great for PvE as a Dragon type Raid Attacker. 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.

Shadow Dragonite is rank #9 as a Dragon type attacker for raids, with the non-shadow version coming in at #22, so they are still decent dragon type attackers for PvE. XL Candy can be hard to come by, so this is a good chance to grind for more. So as far as wild Pokémon in this habitat goes, Dratini is definitely one you don’t want to miss!

Skarmory

Another comeback story. Skarmory was an early favorite for PvP but eventually fell off. Now with Steel Wing being buffed Skarmory is back with a vengeance in the Great League. It has a really unique SteelFlying type that is shared by only one other Pokémon that isn’t even available in GO yet. This combination of typing and the sheer pressure Steel Wing brings makes Skarmory a real threat. Making it one of the premier fliers along with Gligar.

If you’re willing to invest the XL Candies, Skarmory can actually be decent in the Ultra League as well. All in all, I think for any fans of PvP a chance to catch a good Skarmory, is a chance worth taking.

Rufflet

Rufflet evolves into Braviary. Which is available in two forms in Pokémon GO, the regular Unovan Braviary, and Hisuian Braviary. Both of them can be decent Raid Attackers. Regular Braviary even slightly beats out Hisuian Braviary in that regard. Though as far as PvP is concerned things get a bit interesting.

This is because neither Braviaries are particularly noteworthy for PvP. However, Rufflett itself is a solid Spice/ Limited Great League Pokémon. Its main drawback is its pure Flying move pool, leaving it with very little coverage. Nevertheless, it can still be very decent in the right hands and circumstances. You’re going to need XL Candies to build one for PvP though.

Jangmo-o

The last one worth mentioning in this habitat, Jangmo-o’s final evolution Kommo-o can be very good in the Master Premier League, as most pseudo-legendary dragons are. However, Jangmo-o’s second form, Hakamo-o actually benefits more from this season’s move updates than its final form, Kommo-o does.

As Brick Break now requires less energy and has a guaranteed chance to debuff your opponent’s defense. This will allow Hakamo-o to make use of its Fighting sub-typing offensively finally. This gives quite a lot more potential as its Dragon typing already gave it resistance against elemental types, and now it can threaten bulky Normal types like Lickitung as well.

Currently Kommo-o is rank #42 as a Dragon type raid attacker, it only has access to Dragon Claw and Dragon Tail, so with a Community Day it could potentially see a boost to it’s use as a raid attacker. It is rank #37 as a Fighting type raid attacker, and unlikely to make many waves in that department.

Ghostly Woods

Eerie-mysterious Pokémon can be found in this habitat. Among them, the noteworthy ones include:

Gligar

Starting off strong with this habitat, we have Gligar. Gligar has become one of the best flying types in the Great League. You’d think Gligar would be at a disadvantage considering its Flying[dig] type combination makes it double weak to Ice. But it was going strong when Ice types were around and now that they are somewhat gone from the meta, Gligar is even stronger!

Which isn’t to say its evolved form Gliscor is any slouch either. Gliscor itself is also a lot better than most Pokémon in the Great League and the Ultra League. It’s just that Gligar far outclasses most Pokémon in the Great League in general, whether it be in its regular or shadow form. So ya, all of this is to say, if you play PvP at all, you absolutely do NOT want to miss this chance to get a good Gligar. Check out our database for ideal IVs!

Golett

Golett’s evolution Golurk has a shadow form. Which can be decent as a Ground and Ghost type Raid Attacker. Obviously, Shadow Golett’s will not be spawning in the wild. However, this is still a good chance to get candies to build up your shadow Golurk.

Flabébé

Flabebe (Orange)

This is the orange Flabébé that can be found globally but is pretty rare. So it makes for a decent collector’s item. Especially in its shiny form. However, it’s definitely not just a collector’s item. Florges, Flabébé’s final form, is one of the best Fairy types for not only the Master Premier League but also the Open Master League.

The Master League generally tends to be dominated by Flying,Dragon, and Fairy type Pokémon. And Florges is a unique non-legendary that’s powerful enough to not only defeat a lot of the dragons but also some of the prevalent fairy types. Such as Zacian and Xerneas, in specific shielding scenarios. Not only that, Florges is also one of the best Fairy type Raid Attackers.

Phantump

Now here’s a blast from the past. Trevenant, Medicham, and Noctowl were the dreaded rock-paper-scissor trio of the Great League just last year. Trevenant, Phantump’s evolution was solid for the Ultra League as well.

But unfortunately, a Seed Bomb nerf, put a stain on ol’ Trev’s potential. Well, Seed Bomb has been buffed back now. So despite the prevalence of Flying types in both metas, Trev is still a solid investment. Definitely catch some and consider trading them with a friend since that decreases the cost of evolution.

Oranguru

Let’s end our discussion of this habitat with Oranguru. Oranguru isn’t a Pokémon you’d likely see in open meta. However, when a Limited Great League meta comes along Oranguru chooses to show itself. This is thanks to a combination of respectable bulk, along with the clunky but heavy damage-dealing fast attack Confusion. And of course, access to Trailblaze to not only buff Confusion but also threaten the ever-present Water type Pokémon. So while not a top priority, you can still consider building one up for some non-open meta fun.

Poolside Cabana

Many water types can be found in the Poolside Cabana. These include:

Chinchou

I wouldn’t be surprised if you know about Chinchou even if you have just a cursory knowledge of Pokémon GO PvP. After all, Chinchou’s evolution, Lanturn has been one of the longest-lasting favorites in the Great League. This will without a doubt still stay somewhat true despite the recent Spark nerf.

Lanturn is one of the two Electric type Pokémon to see regular play in the Great League. The other one being Charjabug. Lanturn just has a lot going for it. It has decent bulk and Surf and Thunderbolt as charged attacks. Lanturn’s boons aren’t even limited to just Lanturn. An unevolved Chinchou can actually be solid for 500 CP Limited Little Cup metas, such as the Little Element Cup.

Mantine

We’re going from talking about the Spark nerf to talking about the Pokémon that directly benefits from it. Mantine is a fantastic Pokémon for the Great League. It has solid bulk and multiple choices when it comes to both fast and charged attacks. However, for fast attacks, you might want to stick to Wing Attack in most cases.

But to get back on point, the only thing holding Mantine back was its double weakness to Electric. And with one of the two main Electric users being nerfed Mantine can roam free now. As such, Mantine is definitely a solid Pokémon to invest in and I recommend keeping an eye out for solid IVs during GO Fest.

Ducklett

This little duckling and its evolution Swanna might not have a place in the Great League, Ultra League, or Maser League. It might not even be a good raid Pokémon. However, despite all this, you should not ignore this little waterfowl.

Why? Because Ducklett itself is a fantastic 500 CP Little Cup Pokémon. So much so that there were limited metas in the past specifically not allowing Ducklett in the little cup. So ya, it wouldn’t be too bad of an idea to catch a few Duckletts.

Frillish

Jellicent, Frillish’s evolution is very interesting for PvP. As it’s not typically thought of as a top meta Pokémon in the Great League. Yet it has a lot of utility and can catch your opponents off guard. It has access to Bubble and Hex, both of which are fast energy-generating moves. And even in terms of charged attacks, Jellicent has a choice between more damage with Surf or guaranteed debuff with Bubble Beam.

This is helped by its natural bulk. This is only enhanced further in the Ultra League, where it’s an absolute wall with its enhanced stats and very defensive WaterGhost typing. So I’d definitely consider catching a few if you want one for PvP, Ultra League Jellicent requires XL candies just so you know.

Rugged Quarry

We reach the final habitat. And many rough-edged, ground, rock, and steel types make the Rugged Quarry their home. Some of these include:

Onix

I remember just a few seasons ago, Steelix was an absolute menace! This was thanks to getting access to Breaking Swipe. Which had a 100% chance of debuffing your opponent’s attack. This made Steelix a fantastic Pokémon for both the Great League and Ultra League.

This was of course in the past. Due to how dominating Steelix was, especially in the Ultra League, Breaking Swipe got nerfed. The attack debuff of Breaking Swipe is no longer guaranteed. Making it less reliable. However, Steelix is still very solid in those leagues. It just now commonly runs Psychic Fangs instead.

To add to all this, Steelix has a mega form that can be okay as a Ground and Steel type Raid Attacker. So ya, this one’s another solid want to catch and power-up.

Beldum

Beldum’s final evolution, Metagross, both in its shadow and regular variants, are some of the best Steel type Raid Attackers. They are only defeated by a recent entry which we will get to later. Metagross can be a pretty decent Psychic type raid attacker as well.

Metagross’s usefulness doesn’t even end there. It can also be a fantastic Pokémon for the Master Premier League and even the Open Master League! Where it’s strong enough to take down legendaries such as Xerneas, Lugia, and Mewtwo. However, one thing worth noting is that Metagross does need its legacy move Meteor Mash to be viable as a PvP Pokémon and a steel-type raid attacker.

Shieldon

This is a Pokémon that perhaps evokes strong emotions in certain trainers when mentioned. Bastiodon, Shieldon’s evolution, is a fantastic Pokémon for the Great League.

Bastiodon is an extremely bulky Pokémon like Lickitung. But it plays very differently. Rather than being a neutral safe swap, Bastiodon is a polarising late-game closer. True to its design, Bastiodon can be an absolute wall! Mixed in with the big damage-dealing fast attack, Smack Down, Bastiodon can just outlast most of the competition late game.

However, to keep it in check, its RockSteel type combo makes it particularly weak to Fighting types and the many Water types in the meta right now. Nevertheless, it is a very strong Pokémon that can be annoying to fight against. It needs XL Candies so might as well catch any that come across your way!

Drilbur

Excadrill, Drilbur’s final evolution can be a potential spice pick in the Great and Ultra Leagues thanks to its shadow form. It has a Mud Shot, Drill Run, and Rock Slide moveset. This means it is so spammy and damage-dealing that it can beat meta mainstays rather comfortably. But this is assuming that Excadrill has some shields to hide behind because it is very frail in these leagues.

However, interestingly Excadrill’s best use case is in the Master League. That Steel subtyping helps a lot here. As it gives Excadrill resistance against Flying, Fairy, and Dragon. The three most popular types in the Master League. In fact, Excadrill’s usefulness makes it one of the non-legendary Pokémon that you can make use of in the Open Master League and not just Master League Premier. Not only that Shadow Excadrill is actually one of the best Steel and Ground type Raid Attackers. The regular form isn’t half bad either!

Sableye

Typically you want a purified Sableye with access to the charged attack Return. We took a deep look as to the reason why before. Shifts in the meta have certainly made Sableye less safe of a safe swap. But it is still one of the better Pokémon for the Great League. Recently, Shadow Sableye has seen some success in the Play! Pokémon circuit as well. It’s one of the Pokémon that requires XL Candies if it has ideal IVs, so better catch ’em all!

Tyrunt

We can move away from PvP for a bit. As Tyrantrum, Tyrunt’s evolution, is a fantastic Rock type Raid Attacker. And it doesn’t need to be a shadow Pokémon or a legacy move to find success. It can be an okay Dragon type raid attacker as well, but over on that side, you do have a lot better options.

Amaura

Amaura’s evolution, Aurorus is an interesting case since you typically don’t expect it in the open Great League but can be very good for certain Limited Great League metas. This is thanks to its unique RockIce typing. This gives it the ability to beat just about every BugDragon and Flying types (minus Skarmory) and even most fellow Ice types as well.

It can perform even better in the Ultra League, where it has access to more bulk to last longer. It has even seen play in certain 500 CP Limited Little Cup metas. Lastly, it can also be a decent Rock and Ice type Raid Attacker. So overall, not very impressive in any field but definitely one that can have many uses.

Carbink

Now, I do not hide my love for Carbink. It’s such a cool combination of cute and competent. It’s arguably one of the best Pokémon for the Great League, despite all of the Water types available to counter it right now. Carbink is very solid for multiple reasons.

First, it is extremely bulky! One of the bulkiest Pokémon in the Great League. Second, it has a very unique RockFairy typing giving it a whole host of strengths and weaknesses. It can destroy most Flying and Dark types with ease thanks to that typing. Lastly, despite being so defensive it can dish out damage quickly too with its fast attack of choice Rock Throw.

All in all, Carbink is a very good Pokémon to keep an eye out for if you’re at all interested in PvP. It’s also a pretty rare Pokémon. It was released last GO Fest, and has only been available on rare occasions so far. As such, GO Fest is a fantastic place to get it. Especially if you want to build one with good IVs for PvP as it needs a lot of candies and XL candies.

Raid Encounters

This concludes our wild encounter segment. But continue to stick around, because the city experience brings with it well-beloved Ultra Beasts. Along with some very exciting new encounters!

Necrozma

So Necrozma isn’t just debuting in Pokémon GO. It’s coming in full force with 3 unique forms! Basic Necrozma’s base form, Dusk Mane, and Dawn Wings will all be available in 5-star raids during GO Fest. However, to actually get Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings, you have to avail yourself of GO’s newest mechanic, Fusion! More info on this can be found here.

But suffice it to say these ARE the big catches of GO Fest this year. Even ignoring the collector’s value and coolness factor, Necrozma has a lot of potential. For starters, from what we know already Dusk Mane is likely to be the current best Steel type Raid Attacker. Dawn Wings, is the best Ghost type Raid Attacker. And all three can be decent Psychic type raid attackers. As for PvP, they seem to be very solid in the Open Master League.

Ultra Beasts

So there’s a sizable number of ultra beasts appearing in 5-star raids in every GO Fest this year. As such, I believe it’s worth briefly going through the use cases of each of the ones that are worth getting gameplay-wise.

Guzzlord is the most obvious one for PvP. It’s honestly good for all three leagues, Great League, Ultra League, and Master League. Though you primarily want it for the Great and Ultra leagues. Its impressive bulk along with its fast charging fast attacks make it fantastic for those leagues.

Nihilego can also be good for the Master League, but its main use is elsewhere. It useful as a Raid Attacker, both as a Poison type and as a Rock type. The same applies to Kartana, who is rated the second best Grass Raid Attacker right now according to our database. And again, the same is very much true for Xurkitree, the second-best Electric type Raid Attacker at present!

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 Flabébé and Oricorio, there will be some event-exclusive including:

These versions of Pikachu and Eevee will be exclusive to the in-person GO Fests this year, and will also be available as a shiny. The moon crown Pikachu and Eevees will spawn in the Ghostly Woods and Rugged Quarry habitats. On the other hand, the sun crowns will spawn during Brilliant Skies and Poolside Cabana habitats. These aren’t the only costumed Pokémon though. As a Lapras wearing a scarf will be available in the Poolside Cabana habitat. So definitely keep an eye out for these costumed shinies!

While they aren’t shiny, these two are rare Pokémon regardless. Klefki is only available in France typically. And Rotom Heat isn’t typically spawning around in general. Even during GO Fest New York City, Rotom Heat will only be available by taking snapshots.

All habitats will also spawn specific Unown with their shiny forms also being available. 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 New York GO

Fest:

Shiny Ducklett	Shiny Swanna

Conclusion

This year certainly seems to be the year of experimentation. We had overworld attacks with Origin Dialga and Palkia during the GO Tour. And now fusions during GO Fest! With that in mind, Pokémon GO Fest 2024 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. There will definitely be more information to come. I wish you all an amazing GO Fest 2024!

Goodbye for now, Pokémon trainers. Priom-out!