The Pokemon Company / NianticDespite making its Pokemon Go debut in 2016, the purple Transform Pokemon Ditto still manages to evade many trainers, which can be frustrating if you’re trying to catch one to fill out your Kanto Pokedex or complete a specific Special Research Task.
It can be a bit of a struggle to find this elusive creature because of the changing ‘mon that it will disguise itself as. For example, while Zorua can disguise itself as a Trainer’s current Buddy Pokemon, Ditto has a list of disguises that change over time.
To help you out, we’ve rounded up all the details and tips you’ll need to learn how to catch a Ditto of your own this month – and what it’s currently disguising itself as.
Catching a Ditto in Pokemon Go
The most important thing to know when trying to catch Ditto is that it will never appear as a Ditto on the overworld map. Instead, it will disguise itself as one of several other Pokemon, so trainers won’t know it’s a Ditto until it’s been caught.
This means that the only way to get a Ditto is to look at its potential disguises in the table above and catch every single one while out and exploring. It’ll require some patience, but eventually, one should reveal itself as a Ditto.
Niantic Boosting your chances of catching Ditto
During certain limited-time events, like the Go Tour Unova from March 2025, there can be a boost in Ditto spawns on the map. Naturally, these are ideal times to try and catch one. Using the Nearby feature can help you locate potential Ditto disguises on the map.
It’s also important to point out that the list of Pokemon that Ditto can disguise itself as changes every now and then (though this has not happened in quite some time at this point), so you’ll need to keep up to date with the current crop of disguises.
Can Ditto hatch from an Egg?
Players cannot hatch Ditto from an Egg in Pokemon Go, and the only way to find one is by catching a disguised one out in the wild.
Ditto disguises list
Ditto’s disguises tend to only rotate with the launch of a new season, the latest of which is the Might and Mastery season. Even though the season kicked off on March 4, 2025, Ditto’s current disguises remain exactly as they have been since late 2023:
| POKEDEX # | POKEMON | SPRITE | GEN/REGION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0043 | Oddish |  | Gen 1 / Kanto |
| 0109 | Koffing |  | Gen 1 / Kanto |
| 0111 | Rhyhorn |  | Gen 1 / Kanto |
| 0118 | Goldeen |  | Gen 1 / Kanto |
| 0167 | Spinarak |  | Gen 2 / Johto |
| 0322 | Numel |  | Gen 3 / Hoenn |
| 0399 | Bidoof |  | Gen 4 / Sinnoh |
| 0574 | Gothita |  | Gen 5 / Unova |
| 0577 | Solosis |  | Gen 5 / Unova |
| 0712 | Bergmite |  | Gen 6 / Kalos |
| 0759 | Stufful |  | Gen 7 / Alola |
Can Ditto be Shiny in Pokemon Go?
The good news for trainers is that Shiny Ditto is available in Pokemon Go. Just like other Shiny variants in the game, though, catching a Shiny Ditto is going to take a lot of persistence (and plenty of luck).
The below picture shows you how a Shiny Ditto looks in-game, with its lovely blue colorway instead of the purple, non-shiny variant:
Niantic / The Pokemon CompanyDitto’s shiny form was originally tied to Special Research that could only be claimed during the Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto event, but this rare variant can now be encountered in the wild (if you’re lucky).
Players will recognize it easily, as its iconic pink body will turn light blue, resembling a Slime from the Dragon Quest franchise.
Now you know how to catch yourself a Ditto, check out our other guides covering the best attacker and defender tier list, the best Eeveelutions, Mega Evolutions, the highest CP a Pokemon has, or the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go.