The Rarest Pokemon Of The Original 150

The Pokemon Trading Card Game spread like wildfire, and the original 150 Pokemon expanded to 151 after Pokemon: The First Movie. Mewtwo and (especially) Mew were virtually unheard of at the time. Along with legendary Pokemon, pseudo-legendaries made completing the Pokedex an arduous task.

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Whether referring to them as the original 150 or 151 Pokemon (including the elusive Mew), it's undeniable that some Pokemon are rarer and harder to obtain than others. The rarity of a Pokemon often (but not always) correlates with its power and abilities. Pokemon are fascinating creatures, and the way they are obtained varies quite a bit. True Pokedex completionists have acquired all of these hard-to-get Pokemon, though this task is a daunting one. After all, merely gathering each of the original 150 proves challenging enough.

Updated January 22, 2025 by Stephen LaGioia: Classic Pokemon (which includes the original 150) has been overshadowed by the phenom known as Palworld of late, along with the far more recent and expansive Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. The ever-expanding Pokemon lineup clocks in at 1,025, with dozens of games and other media to its name. And yet, there remains a nostalgic charm to the original monsters. Indeed, dating back to Red & Blue and its original lineup of 151 (including Mew), several alluring rare Pokemon captured the imaginations and wonder of fans. In Pokemon Go, monsters like Eevee remain especially tempting, with their unique three-pronged evolution. And with so many populating the roster, we decided to update our list of the rarest original Pokemon.

27 Nidoking/Nidoqueen

Drill Pokemon

Nidoking:

Nidoqueen:

These evolved, beastly forms (Poison/Ground-types) are the final, fully-realized versions of Nidoran. These Pokemon staples are a sort of mammalian and reptilian hybrid, equipped with massive claws, sharp teeth, and intimidating spikes protruding from their heads. It is said that their powerful tails can topple a steel transmission tower with ease, so it makes sense that their whipping tails can utterly shatter unfortunate targets in their wake.

Players will need to obtain a coveted Moon Stone to evolve a Nidorino/Nidorina (at any level). Moon Stones can be found in the upper left area of the first floor of Mt. Moon, in the basement of Team Rocket's headquarters in Celedon City, or in the bottom right area of Route 2.

26 Clefable

Fairy Pokemon

This majestic Fairy-type (Normal-type in Gen 1) monster is among the small handful of already rare Pokemon that require a Moon Stone to morph into this even scarcer form. While the go-between evolution Cleffa doesn't exist in the first generation, obtaining this elusive Pokemon is still a challenge. That's because Clefairy, which only resides in Mt. Moon as well as a prize at the Celadon Casino, can be tricky enough to gather.

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This star-shaped Pokemon can be difficult to merely come across, let alone possess one for battle. It's a nocturnal and rather skittish creature, that swiftly flees when one approaches its vicinity. This happens often and easily, as it has highly sensitive ears. With its ability to flutter about and glide across the water, it's especially tough to catch.

Of course, this only applies to Pokemon lore, since it can't be caught at all in this form in Red & Blue. These qualities make it one of the rarest and most sought-after Normal-types in the early Pokemon entries.

25 Lickitung

Licking Pokemon

The aptly named Lickitung is a unique monster, to say the least — not just because of its massive tongue used to harm and otherwise bog down opponents, but because of its scarcity and elusiveness. In Red & Blue, players need to head to the gatehouse near the busy town of Fuchsia City (on the east side of Route 18).

On the second floor, they can speak with a boy standing near a window, at which point he'll offer to trade a Slowbro for Lickitung. This means that players first must find or evolve a Slowbro; a fairly tricky feat by itself, and then seek out this randomly-placed Gatehouse. In Yellow, however, players may catch Lickitung lurking in the Unknown Dungeon.

Pokemon trainers may not find a great deal of use for this strange Normal-type, yet it's something of a survivalist — as a few of its moves enable healing, and it holds solid HP as well as defense.

24 Mr. Mime

Barrier And Dancing Pokemon

Considering this colorful, clownish Pokemon doesn't appear in the wild at all in Red & Blue, it's a clear contender when it comes to rare, hard-to-procure Pokemon. However, once players learn how to seek out the performative Mr. Mime, the task becomes fairly simple. Players will need to look out for a man standing outside Diglett's Cave on Route 2. When speaking to him, he'll offer his Mr. Mime for an Abra; a Pokemon which can be fairly tough to gather, but is far more common than Mime.

Statistically, this Pokemon doesn't offer much in battle, though it does provide some unique moves to experiment with, along with respectable special and speed stats. Being a Psychic-type that can be secured somewhat early, Mr. Mime can be a cool novelty that can throw off opponents.

23 Jolteon

Lightning Pokemon

Each of the three Eevee variants proves scarce, especially for those players looking to collect the entire trio. Even the adorable bushy-tailed Eevee is quite rare in and of itself — let alone this powerful Electric-type evolution. This super-charged evolved variant of the far meeker Eevee has been a fan-favorite for retro Pokemon players, thanks to its sleek, electrified design and its hyper speed.

Arguably the best of the evolved Eevee trio, Jolteon is often sought by players looking to zap and stifle their opponents into oblivion, which is achieved by securing a Thunder Stone at the Celadon City Department Store (fourth floor). The asking price for this rare and coveted item is 2,100P.

22 Flareon

Flame Pokemon

Flareon is an appealing choice for many Pokemon players for its ability to learn many HP-melting Fire-type moves, as well as its raw power. It boasts an impressive Attack stat of 130, which allows it to overcome its meager HP and speed by swiftly wearing down its opponents.

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Like its elemental counterparts, this potent offshoot of Eevee cannot be found in the wild in the original Pokemon games. Rather, it takes on its fiery evolved form upon buying a Fire Stone at the Celadon City Department Store (fourth floor), for 2,100P.

It may not be the most appealing when it comes to its visual design, as it resembles Eevee far more than its other two evolved forms. But Flareon reaffirms the notion that looks can be deceiving.

21 Vaporeon

Bubble Jet Pokemon

While Vaporeon stands out among the Water-types in the Kanto region, this seafaring mammal isn't quite as popular as its Eevee brethren — as its only major advantage takes the form of HP. Still, it's no-less scarce — and its survivability, as well as its ability to learn strong moves like Hydro Pump, make it a sought-after Pokemon.

Like its similar-yet-opposing ilk, Vaopreon must have evolved from Eevee by way of a stone — fittingly the Water Stone, which is also found on the fourth floor of the Celadon City Department Store, with the same 2,100P asking price.

20 Pinsir

Stag Beetle Pokemon

Pinsir is a bulky and rather intimidating Bug-type Pokemon that towers over most others among its elemental group. With its large, spiky pincers, this monster can trap unsuspecting prey in a death grip that is nearly impossible to escape from. It also uses these horns to burrow into the ground to sleep at night, making evening sightings of Pinsir all the trickier. Not only is it quite rare, but it's non-existent in Red (except by way of trading).

Even in Blue and Yellow versions of the game, however, Pinsir is not too easy to obtain. Players need to head to the Celadon City Casino Exchange Corner or the Safari Zone to have a chance to get one. There are certainly rarer options, but it's one of the more exclusive when it comes to Bug Pokemon.

19 Hitmonlee And Hitmonchan

Kicking And Punching Pokemon

Hitmonlee:

Hitmonchan:

Inspired by the martial arts legends Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, these potent Fighting-types are unique in both their raw, offensive prowess and their exclusivity. These aggressive Pokemon can strike with such speed that the human eye often can't detect their motion. They're so strong that they can drill right through concrete walls. They're almost never seen in the wild, and only scarcely in urban areas.

Hitmonchan/Hitmonlee can only be obtained after completing the Saffron City Fighting Doko, and players must choose between one out of two. As such, they're rare in their own right, but collecting both of these fighters is a particularly tough feat.

18 Jynx

Human Shape Pokemon

This odd Ice/Psychic-type is about as distinct in its humanoid design as it is in its exclusivity. The Pokemon favors music, communicating through dance and song, though these serenading tunes shouldn't fool gamers — as they can also pack a punch. Known as the "Queen of Ice" in parts of the Galar region, obtaining this Pokemon is truly a gift of royalty.

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Players can only secure a single Jynx in the entire Red/Blue campaign, which makes it about as rare as can be. Still, it's at least fairly easy to secure, as players just need to visit the house next to the Poke Center in Cerulean City, trading a Poliwhirl for a Jynx at level 12.