Are you trying to catch a Pokémon Go Ditto and having no luck? You won't be alone.
The shapeshifting pocket monster has been a staple of the franchise since it was introduced as part of the original 150 Pokémon, and Ditto’s legacy persists in AI mobile gaming frontrunner Pokémon Go.
Popular for its unique ability to morph into its opponent and copy all of their moves during combat, Ditto’s amorphous blobby body and pudgy purple face have earned it a swathe of fans who are desperate to add it to their Pokédex – and there are plenty to find if you truly want to catch ‘em all and become the best Trainer in the land.
But catching Ditto in Pokémon Go is no simple task. It doesn’t openly show itself in the wild, opting to spend most of its time disguised as other Pokémon to throw you off its scent. This means it can be tricky to catch, but not impossible if you know exactly what you're looking for. Luckily for you, we can break it down.
Don't go out into the wilderness blind and prepare yourself with our tips and tricks on how to suss the current Ditto disguises.
Pokémon Go Ditto
Pokémon Go Ditto: All disguises
Ditto isn’t like most other Pokémon. It only knows two moves – Transform and Struggle. Transform lets it morph into other Pokémon, handing you an entirely new move-set to play with.
In the wild, you’ll only know you’ve actually caught Ditto when you’ve trapped it inside a Poké Ball, after which it will reveal its true self. But don’t run off catching as many Pokémon as you can in the hope of landing one: Niantic has restricted the number of Pokémon that Ditto can take the form of. Find one of them in the wild, and you have a chance – a slim chance, but a chance – of bagging yourself a Ditto.
So, which Pokémon do you need to go after? The pocket monsters that Ditto camouflages themselves as change every now and then to keep you on your toes.
We’ve compiled a list of all the current Pokémon that might be a Ditto in disguise:
- Ekans
- Gastly
- Spinarak
- Natu
- Surskit
- Numel
- Bidoof
- Finneon
- Lillipup
- Dwebble
- Swirlix
How do you know one of these Pokémon is a Ditto? After you catch one, instead of saying “Catch” the word “Oh?” will pop up above the Pokémon's head, and Ditto will reveal itself.
This won’t happen until after the Pokémon is caught, however, so make sure you actually catch the Pokémon and don’t give up early.
Pokémon Go Ditto: Tips on catching Ditto
Now you know which Pokémon to target, how can you improve your chances of nabbing a Ditto? You need to increase the rate of Pokémon you encounter and catch, hoping that at least one of those will be the blobby chap of your dreams.
The easiest way of doing that is to take advantage of lures and incense. Dittos are attracted to the same lures and incense as the Pokémon they’re pretending to be, allowing you to drop one of the traps and wait for the ‘mons to come to you. See a creature that appears in the list above? Jump on it and hope it's actually a Ditto.
If you are going to use lures and incense, we would recommend doing so only for a bit and using up one of your Lucky Eggs to increase the amount of Pokémon nearby and the amount of XP you get per catch – it’s a great way to power level. With that in mind, however, sometimes there are special events in Pokémon Go that will increase Incense time from 60 minutes to three hours, so you could be much more efficient if you wait until an event is happening.
It’s also worth remembering that disguised Ditto locations are universal. If another player captures a Ditto from a specific spot, you can head there and do the same. Ask your friends if they’ve seen a Ditto recently, or check out online Pokémon Go groups local to you in case anyone can give you useful neighborhood tip-offs.
