Certain Pokémon are hard to encounter in Pokémon Go even if they are initially added with boosted odds. Varoom is one such Pokémon you might be struggling to encounter—especially if you’re eager to to evolve it.
First released during the Taken Treasures event in January 2024, Varoom and its evolution Revavroom quickly became one of the most sought-after additions in Pokémon Go from Scarlet and Violet. Unfortunately, the Single-Cyl Pokémon’s debut was marred by one of Niantic’s biggest continued gameplay failings, which makes it difficult to encounter as you casually play the game.
How to catch Varoom in Pokémon Go
As of its debut in Pokémon Go, Varoom is only available to encounter through hatching specific Eggs. Niantic placed Varoom exclusively in 12km Eggs when it was first added. This means the only way to encounter Varoom at all in Pokémon Go is by collecting 12km Eggs, which in turn can actually only be obtained by defeating Team Go Rocket Leaders since they are not available at PokéStops or Photo Discs.
Since the 12km Strange Eggs are the only way to get Varoom, the narrow way to obtain the Eggs and the hatch distance heavily limits the availability of the Steel/Poison-type. As a result, catching a Varoom is difficult, and getting its Shiny is currently not possible.
Locking Pokémon encounters to Eggs or Raids is something Niantic has been doing more frequently this year, with Charcadet and Drampa also being relegated to these methods respectively. It is unlikely the devs will change this approach, though these Pokémon will be featured in future events, giving you more chances to catch them… eventually.
