A Look Back at Every New Pokémon Released in 2024

2024 has been a pretty dynamic year for Pokémon GO trainers, featuring several new additions to the game such as Dynamax and Gigantamax, GO Wild Area, Fusions, Biomes, and so much more!

But what about arguably the core aspect of the game: new Pokémon? After all, it’s all about catching ’em all! So, did 2024 fare well with all the new pocket monsters up for grabs? Did these new folks break the meta? Let’s find out!

Lycanroc Dusk (January 6) Pokemon Encounter icon

Lycanroc (Dusk)

The iconic Lycanroc Dusk was the first new Pokémon released in 2024 alongside its shiny, but not without controversy. Only the Rockruff obtained from the start of the Lustrous Odyssey event could be evolved into the Dusk form. So all previous Hundo/Shundo Rockruff had to settle with the Midday and Midnight form instead.

The Dusk form is not only rarer in the main series games but it was the very Pokémon that won Ash Ketchum the Alola Championship in the anime, ending the protagonist’s drought of winning championship tournaments. 

With Lycanroc Dusk being so popular, fans were furious with this ruling about Rockruff. Additionally, Rockruff was locked behind Eggs and Raids, rubbing salt on the wound. 

None of the Lycanroc are relevant in combat, but still, a new Pokémon and shiny having limited access left a sour taste right at the start of the year.


Hisuian Typhlosion (January 14) Pokemon Encounter icon

Typhlosion (Hisuian)

The enigmatic Hisuian Typhlosion (and its shiny) made its way into the game in its own Raid Day event. It wasn’t such a monumental grab since its shiny hardly looks any different from the regular. Moreover, regular Typhlosion is very good in the Great and Ultra League, while the Hisuian variant is just a Dex filler.

 

Annihilape (January 19) Pokemon Encounter icon

Annihilape

Annihilape. Oh my… arguably the most whirlwind addition to Pokémon GO in 2024, this Fighting/Ghost type evolution of Primeape terrorized the meta right at its inception. 

This Pokémon broke into the GBL meta, carving a niche for itself in every PvP League until the Max Out Season nerfed Counter. Many thought it was the end of Annihilape but November graced Annihilape and Primeape with their signature attack, Rage Fist

Now, this gets more interesting! Rage Fist is not only cheap at only 35 energy but it also gives a guaranteed ATK buff (1.25x) when it’s used. This prompted the Dual Destiny GBL update to nerf Dual Destiny and then remove it later! 

Annihilape remains a powerhouse in GBL and is undoubtedly one of the best new Pokémon!


Varoom & Revavroom (January 27) Pokemon Encounter icon

The first Steel/Poison Pokémon in the franchise, Vroom and Revavroom are available from 12km Eggs obtained from Team GO Rocket leader battles. They are based onautomobile engines are thus, sport an amazing design. 

They are on the rarer side of 12km hatches but when it comes to the meta, they are just Dex fillers.


Drampa (February 5) Pokemon Encounter icon

Drampa

The only Normal/Dragon type Pokémon, Drampa is locked behind Raids (and Eggs in earlier Season/event). It has a gorgeous shiny that’s worth pursuing and a high ATK stat even though the bulk is just decent.

Drampa needs a moveset upgrade to be relevant and until then, it’s lost in the huge crowd of Dragon types in the meta.


Hisuian Decidueye (February 11) Pokemon Encounter icon

Decidueye (Hisuian)

As evident from Hisuian Typhlosion’s release in January ’24, another Raid Day event on Feb 11 featured Hisuian Decidueye. While it has a drastically different shiny, it is also not meta-relevant, unfortunately. Decidueye is clearly better.


Enamorus Incarnate (February 14) Pokemon Encounter icon

Enamorus (Incarnate)

Valentine’s Day ’24 marked the debut of Enamorus Incarnate but this Legendary didn’t receive any love from the community thanks to its Elite Raid exclusiveness. While the event’s timings and non-availability of Remore Raid Pas access made it a challenge, Enamorus is a worthy Fairy and Flying type attacker in PvE. 

With 281 ATK, the Fairy Wind + Dazzling Gleam combo, and its huge resistance to Fighting types, Enamorus Incarnate is a great addition to your team of Fairy type counters.

Dialga Origin & Palkia Origin (February 16) Pokemon Encounter icon

Dialga Origin is a bulkier version of Dialga although it has 5 less ATK. But what sets this titan apart from its regular form is its signature move, Roar of Time. In PvP, Roar of Time is a Draco Meteor clone in terms of stats but unlike DM, RoT doesn’t suffer from the self ATKL debuff effects, making it a slight upgrade.

In PvE, Dragon Breath still holds back the Dialga squad but the Steel/Dragon typing makes it not take super-effective damage from Dragon attacks. As such, Dialga Origin can survive in Raid battles for quite a while.

Lastly, the Origin forms have Adventure Effects associated with their signature moves. Roar of Time disrupts time and pauses the timers of Incense, Daily Adventure Incense, Lucky Eggs, and Star Pieces for 6 minutes. This timer can be increased by using Dialga Xandy and Stardust.

Palkia Origin is a straight-up upgrade to Palkia, boasting higher ATK and bulk. Additionally, the signature Spacial Rend is insane in both PvP and PvE. With Palkia having both Dragon Tail and Dragon Breath in its arsenal, it was a win-win! 

In Raids, Palkia Origin is the #1 Dragon attacker when not accounting for Megas and Shadows. 

Coming to its Adventure Effect shenanigans, Spacial Rend disrupts space, and for 10 minutes you will be able to encounter wild Pokémon at an increased distance. You can increase the timer by using Palkia Candy and Stardust.


Rotom & White-Striped Basculin (February 16) Pokemon Encounter icon

Two interesting Pokémon but only meant to fill your Pokédex at the moment.


Poipole (March 1) Pokemon Encounter icon

Poipole

Ultra Beast Poipole debuted in the World of Wonders Season as a part of Research quests. While this Pokémon didn’t offer much value, trainers waited with bated breath for its evolution, Naganadel.


Charcadet, Armarouge & Ceruledge(March 5) Pokemon Encounter icon

Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration event marked the debut of the Charcadet family, some of the most popular mons from the Scarlet and Violet games.

Armarouge and Ceruledge have phenomenal designs but without their signature moves Armor Cannon and Bitter Blade, they really don’t leave any impact in the meta. Also, Charcadet is limited to 10km Eggs, much to the chagrin of players.

Mega Heracross (April 13) Pokemon Encounter icon

Heracross (Mega)

The first new Mega Evolution in 2024 came in the form of Mega Heracross, the Herculian Bug/Fighting type with a monstrous ATK of 334! It also packs Counter and Close Combat, making it one of the best Fighting types in the PvE meta. In fact, it’s the best Mega after Mega Lucario and Blaziken. 


Wiglett & Wugtrio (April 22) Pokemon Encounter icon

The Rediscover Kanto campaign brought convergent species (different Pokémon species, similar characteristics), Wiglett and Wugtrio. Primarily found in the Beach Biome, these quirky mons were nice addiitons to the Pokédex. That’s about it.


Naganadel, Blacephalon & Stakataka (May 23) Pokemon Encounter icon

The final leg of Ultra Beasts made their highly anticipated debut and trainers were excited! Naganadel isn’t talked about enough but this Poison/Dragon fan-favorite is one of the strongest Poison type attackers in the PvE meta. The additional Dragon typing gives it extra resistance to Grass types, making Naganadel a top-tier counter to beat them. It’s not viable as a Dragon type and is average in PvP, but ultimately, it’s a fantastic PvE Pokémon.

Blacephalon, the Pennywise of the Pokémon world, is the strongest non-Mega, non-Shadow Fire type and the second strongest non-Mega, non-Shadow Ghost type.

In simple words, Blacephalon is a must-have!

Stakataka has a crazy 298 DEF but sadly, it’s one of the least useful Ultra Beasts overall. Its Rock/Steel typing makes it extremely susceptible to Fighting and Ground type attacks (double weakness) while also being weak to Water type attacks. That said, it looks extremely creepy with all those eyes, eh?

Necrozma Raid Day

Necrozma, Dusk Mane Necrozma & Dawn Wings Necrozma (May 30) Pokemon Encounter icon

Necrozma is fine but its fusions are two of the strongest Pokémon in the entire game!

The Psychic/Steel Dusk Mane Necrozma dethrone Metagross (and its Shadow) from the Steel type throne while also eliminating any chances of the eventual Mega Metagross to topple this OP Legendary. Sunsteel Strike is insanely powerful and cements DM Necrozma as one of the top attackers in both PvP and PvE.

Similarly, Dawn Wings Necrozma is the top Ghost type thanks to Moongeist Beam. With exceptional neutral coverage, this thing is a weapon of mass destruction in PvE and PvP.

At this point, the Necrozma fusions define the Master League and often pop up the the best counters list, even against Raid Bosses they don’t do super-effective damage against!

If all this wasn’t grand enough, their shinies were also up for grabs! Wait, there’s more! These signature moves also have Adventure Effects.

On activating Sunsteel Strike, Pokémon that typically appear during daytime will be attracted to your location, similar to the effect of Incense. On the other hand, Pokémon that typically appear during nighttime will be attracted to your location by using Moongeist Beam.


Rotom Heat (May 30) Pokemon Encounter icon

Rotom (Heat)

Another Dex filler. Next.


Marshadow (May 30) Pokemon Encounter icon

Marshadow

The Mythical Marshadow shares its Fighting/Ghost typing with the viral Annihilape. With 265 ATK, Marshadow is clearly better in PvE (Annihilape has only 220 ATK). However, Annihilape takes the edge in PvP thanks to Rage Fist being amazing.

Ultimately, Marshadow is a cool Mythical with a shining future prospect in its signature attack, Spectral Thief.


Tandemaus & Maushold (July 17) Pokemon Encounter icon

The adorable couple Tandemaus is infamous for its evolutions where it’s literally joined by little Tandemaus to become Maushold. The Family of Four form has two Tandemaus offspring while the much rarer Family of Three has only one Tandemaus offspring. Trainers tested their luck in trying to collect both forms and it was certainly fun!

Mega Lucario (July 27) Pokemon Encounter icon

Lucario (Mega)

The ruler of the Fighting type throne finally made its debut in a special Raid Day event as a part of the Ultra Unlock. It featured boosted odds of getting Rare Candy XL as well as shiny Lucario. That’s not all Mega Lucario learned the Fighting type Fast Move, Force Palm, making it even better than it already was. 

Mega Lucario is not only the best Fighting type but also sweeps most Team GO Rocket battles like a pro. 

One of the most memorable debuts in 2024 for sure!


Grookey, Thwackey & Rillaboom (September 3) Pokemon Encounter icon

Galar Pokémon galore! After waiting for a long time, Gen 8 Pokémon finally made their debut in the Max Out Season. The starters were up for grabs, as expected.

Rillaboom boasts the highest stat product of all starters in PvP but is currently held back by a decent moveset. With Frenzy Plant, it will certainly turn into one of the best Grass types in both the PvP and PvE meta.


Scorbunny, Raboot & Cinderace (September 3) Pokemon Encounter icon

The fire bunnies are neat, and Cinderace has the second highest ATK stat of all Fire type starters, right behind Blaziken. With Blast Burn, it would be a serviceable Fire attacker in PvE but not as noteworthy as the other two Galar starters.


Sobble, Drizzile & Inteleon  (September 3) Pokemon Encounter icon

The name’s Leon… Inteleon. This Water starter is ridiculous, sporting a jaw-dropping 262 ATK stat, on the level of many Legendaries and Pseudo Legendaries.

It’s already pretty powerful even though its bulk is really low. With its eventual access to Hydro Cannon, Inteleon would blow its competition out of the water, quite literally. This starter, without any Mega Evolution, would surpass Surf Kyogre and take its rightful place as one of the hardest-hitting Pokémon, barring Shadows and Megas. If you’re lucky enough to have caught a Hundo Sobble, keep it for its Community Day!

Dreepy, Drakloak & Dragapult (September 3) Pokemon Encounter icon

The Gen 8 Pseudo Legendary line of Dragapult is a speed demon in the main series games and a strong Dragon and Ghost type attacker in Pokémon GO!

Dragapult has Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe, backed with a wonderful 266 ATK, just behind Salamence’s 277 and Haxorus’ 284. This moveset combo makes it quite viable in PvP and PvE, even though it’s not top-notch at the moment.

From the Ghost side, Astonish (a pre-nerf Counter clone) is great and goes well with Shadow Ball to establish Dragapult as a scary Ghost type attacker in PvP and even PvE to a good extent.

The icing on the cake is the fact that Dragapult has a signature move called Dragon Darts that could very well make it deadlier. In a nutshell, a useful and fun Pokémon to wield.


Stonjourner (September 3) Pokemon Encounter icon

Stonjourner

Stonjourner is a regional exclusive to the United Kingdom in Pokémon GO. While it doesn’t offer battle viability, it’s a nice collectible for its regional status. Go catch up with your UK friends in person if possible and trade!


Hatenna, Hattrem & Hatterene (September 18) Pokemon Encounter icon

The Psychic Spectacular 2024 event introduced the mysterious Hatterene family. This Pokémon has the same ATK and Psychic/Fairy typing as Gardevoir, although Hatterene lacks as much bulk. This makes Gardevoir objectively better in all regards but Hatterene is still a worthy catch and usable. 


Mega Mawile (October 12) Pokemon Encounter icon

Mawile (Mega)

Mega Mawile is one of those underwhelming Megas. Yes, its Steel and Fairy typing can help it withstand Dragon type attacks and thus, keep the Fairy type damage boost in Raids running for longer but that’s about it.

Morpeko
Morpeko

Morpeko (October 22) Pokemon Encounter icon

Morpeko is a menace in PvP, using its signature Aura Wheel move to change from Electric to Dark typing, and vice versa. Aura Wheel is basically Wild Charge without the ATK self-debuffing effects. 100 DMG at just 45 energy minus any concerns. How OP is that?! 😯 


Gigantamax Venusaur, Charizard & Blastoise (October 26) Pokemon Encounter icon

Gigantamax Venusaur is obviously strong but its base ATK is low, bringing it to comparison with Dynamax Rillaboom. Vine Whip is the go-to Fast Move due to quick energy gains and to use GMax Vine Lash as early as possible.

Gigantamax Charizard is the strongest of the Kanto starter Gigantamax Pokémon, with GMax Wildfire boasting enormous damage figures. It has future competition but overall, a great GMax mon to have.

Gogantmax Blastoise is the tankiest of the GMax Kanto trio but also the least damaging. This is why GMax Cannonade is just a little stronger than Inteleon’s Max Geyser, and the latter is easier to get.


Gigantamax Gengar (October 31) Pokemon Encounter icon

Gengar (Gigantamax)

Gigantamax Gengar is a ridiculously powerful Gigantamax thanks to having the second highest ATK (261) of all GMax Pokémon (only behind Gigantamax Inteleon which has 262 ATK). It also has Shadow Claw, what more could you ask for?!

That said, remember that it’s fragile and would need Max Guard and/or Max Spirit support. All in all, an OP GMax option you wouldn’t regret investing in.


Toxel, Toxtricity Amped and Low Key & Gigantamax Toxtricity (November 16) Pokemon Encounter icon

The popular Toxel debuted in 10km Eggs, requiring 400 Candy for evolution to either the Amped or Low Key form. Both forms have the same stats and are no different in combat.

To make it easier for trainers, Dynamax and Gigantamax Toxtricity were available in Max Battles during the GO Wild Area event. 

Toxtricity, in general, is nothing to take home about and is hardly meta-relevant. However, Gigantamax Toxtricity is incredibly powerful thanks to the massive damage output of GMax Stun Shock, making it the strongest Electric type Gigantamax Pokémon in the game.

Galarian Corsola

 

Galarian Corsola & Cursola (November 27) Pokemon Encounter icon

Galarian Corsola is one of the best additions to the Great League meta with an ‘astonishing’ moveset and the perk of being the bulkiest Ghost type in this PvP League!

It’s truly one of the strongest Great League mons that can beat many top threats and is a match-winner! However, it’s limited to 7km Eggs. 

Cursola has a high ATK of 253 but a terrible moveset. As such, it’s completely outclassed in PvE and even in PvP by its own pre-evolution, Galarian Corsola.


Sinistea & Polteageist (November 27) Pokemon Encounter icon

It’s a cup of tea! Sinistea is worth pursuing due to the goal of acquiring the very rare variant with the Authentic mark and evolving it into Antique form Polteagiest. Normally, you’d only find the Phony variant so good luck finding one with the Authenric mark. 

The Authentic mark is located below the Pokémon. But don’t worry, your Team Leader in Pokémon GO will tell you whether it’s the Antique or Phony form when you appraise Sinistea.


Gigantamax Lapras (December 8) Pokemon Encounter icon

Lapras (Gigantamax)

Gigantamax Lapras is an absolute tank, with high DEF and huge HP, making it take hits like they’re nothing. On the flip side, its ATK is pretty underwhelming. It’s the only Ice type Gigantamax Pokémon and will come handy against potential DMax Dragon types with a double weakness to Ice.


And there you have it, trainers! These were all the new Pokémon released in 2024. Quite a variety, to be honest, and sets a good precedent for 2025.

But what do you think? What was your favorite Pokémon from this lot and what do you expect to see next year? 

Till then, I wish you sign off 2024 with lots of joy and cheer, and enjoy a fabulous start to 2025! 😀 

Author & tags

MeteorAsh15
MeteorAsh15https://www.charlieintel.com/author/niladrisarkar/
Niladri Sarkar is a vastly experienced Content Writer who specializes in Pokémon competitive battles, combat mechanics, design, and lore. Having previously worked with reputed organizations like Dexerto and Smogon, Niladri has immense knowledge in Pokémon GO, TCG Pocket, VGC, Unite, and mainline games like Scarlet & Violet. He has been with GO Hub since September 2019 and is known as their resident Dragon Master. You can reach out to Niladri at [email protected].
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