What are clone Pokémon in Pokémon Go?

For a limited time, you have the opportunity to catch clone Pokémon in Pokémon Go. These clone Pokémon are unique versions of their counterparts, specifically, Charizard, Venasaur, Blastoise, and Pikachu. To go about catching them, you need to encounter them in specific ways, and you should be able to spot them relatively quickly compared to their original forms.

What are clone Pokémon?

These clone Pokémon are showing up in Pokémon Go as apart of the Armored Mewtwo event. The event runs from Feb. 25 at 4pm EST to March 2, at 4pm EST, and you have until then to encounter them. For those who have seen Pokémon: The First Movie, where Mewtwo, the clone Pokémon, attempted to prove their superiority over the originals. Mewtwo created clones of the final evolutions of the original three starters from the first game. The clone Pokémon had distinct markings on them, making them standout when compared to their slightly clean counterparts.

Other than the distinct markings, they should be no different than their original variations. However, you won’t be able to catch them the same way.

How to catch clone Pokémon

To catch the clone Pokémon, you need to participate in four-star raids. Venasaur, Blastoise, and Charizard are going to be available in exclusive four-star raids that spawn throughout the event. You can jump on these anytime you find them, but you might want to bring a friend with you to help take them down.

You won’t find the Pikachu clone in the four-star raids. Instead, you need to take a picture while using the Pokémon Go application and hope the clone Pikachu photobombs your image. If they do, return to the main game, and you should see the clone Pikachu spawn nearby you, and you can freely capture them as if they were a traditional wild Pokémon in the game.

The Armored Mewtwo event ends on March 2 at 4pm EST. You have until then to try and capture as many clone Pokémon as you can, and there’s an exclusive raid launching starring Armored Mewtwo on March 1 from 2pm to 5pm during your local time.