Two Pokemon Go Gen 3 Region-Exclusive Pokemon Have Rotated

Pokemon Go developer Niantic recently expanded the game's Pokedex with the introduction of Gen 3 Pokemon, which arrived early last month as part of a big Pokemon Go update. As was the case with certain previous Pokemon, some of these monsters could only be encountered in a specific part of the world, namely Zangoose and Seviper, which were exclusive to the Americas/Africa and Europe/Asia, respectively. However, it appears the two Pokemon have now traded regions.

On Reddit, Pokemon Go players are reporting that they've begun encountering Seviper in America/Africa, while Zangoose is now appearing in Europe/Asia. Each creature's Pokedex entry has noted the longstanding rivalry between the two species, which makes this swap an amusing nod to the main series. Niantic hasn't said whether or not the two Pokemon have traded regions permanently or if they'll return to their original locations, so players will want to catch them soon while they still have a chance.

The rotation seems to have occurred shortly after the conclusion of Pokemon Go's holiday event, which ended on January 4. The event saw the return of the festive Santa hat Pikachu and Raichu, as well as a Santa hat Pichu that could be hatched from Eggs. The event also introduced an additional 20 Ice- and Water-type Gen 3 Pokemon to the game, including Milotic, Sharpedo, and Wailord. Another common sight during Pokemon Go's holiday event, the gift-giving Pokemon Delibird, is still available to capture, though it appears much less frequently now.

Pokemon Go's first Gen 3 Legendary, Groudon, is still available. The gigantic Ground-type will appear as a Raid Boss at Gyms until January 15. It'll presumably be followed by its Pokemon Sapphire counterpart, Kyogre. Niantic teased that the Legendary Water-type will come to the game by featuring it in a promotional image for the recent holiday event. The popular Psychic-type Mewtwo is also available, though unlike other Legendaries, it can only be encountered in the invite-only EX Raids.

Niantic recently introduced a weather system and a new AR+ mode to Pokemon Go. The latter makes Pokemon more aware of their surroundings, requiring players to more carefully approach the monsters to avoid startling them away. Niantic has also recently expressed interest in bringing Pokemon Go to China.