Pokémon officially brings back long-lost rare monster after 10 years

The most elusive Pokémon probably aren't the ones you think. The list of unavailable Pokémon is full of monsters that sound ordinary but, for one reason or another, aren't obtainable. That's why fans are so excited about the new Pokémon Legends: Z-A challenge.

The Pokémon Company has announced that the RPG is holding an event where players must evolve as many of the bug-type Spewpa as possible. If players can reach 600,000 points from evolution awards, the game will distribute a Poké Ball Pattern Vivillon to everyone on an undetermined date.

What makes Vivillon so rare in Pokémon?

Vivillon is the third-stage evolution of Scatterbug, a caterpillar-like Pokémon introduced in Pokémon X & Y. The critter is sought by collectors because its coloring and wing patterns depend on the trainer's real-world location. There are 20 Vivillon forms in total, and each one is themed after its country of origin. The warm-colored Sun Vivillon, for example, is exclusive to Mexico, whereas the cool-toned Tundra version can only be found in Norway. Though the monsters are region-locked, dedicated players can still obtain Vivillon's various forms through trades or by importing them from earlier games.

There's one notable exception: the Poké Ball Pattern Vivillon, a variant that has red, white, and gray wings. This Vivillon has been distributed a handful of times over the years, usually at exclusive events tied to a region or special occasion. And the last time the Poké Ball pattern Vivillon was temporarily available was in May 2016 — and only to players who were physically present in a specific Japanese Pokémon Center store.

The monster has proliferated online since then, as the Pokémon series has been prone to cheaters who can generate digital monsters out of thin air. Yet a legitimate Poké Ball pattern Vivillon has been missing in action for over a decade. For collectors who want to complete a Form or Regional "Living" Pokédex — or hardcore fans of Vivillon — this new event is a major deal.

The event feels particularly special because trainers who evolve Spewpa will be treated to a random pattern for the Pokémon. This means that Pokémon fans can theoretically collect variants of the flying-bug type without needing to trade or obtain a 3DS from a different region.

Though the distribution isn't set in stone yet, its completion is all but guaranteed. Pokémon Legends: Z-A players are a third of the way to the evolution goal after less than 24 hours. It's great news for plugged-in Pokémon fans, but this ensures that Vivillon will remain a rare, event-exclusive Pokémon for collectors in the future.