How to Catch Ditto in Pokémon GO

With a 3% encounter rate, capturing a Ditto in Pokémon GO is no easy feat. Many users post their grievances on Reddit because of capturing Ditto is so uncommon. In this article, you will learn all there is to know about how to catch Ditto in Pokémon GO.

Ditto was added in 2016, and since then several outlets have covered the elusive Pokémon strategies to capture the Transform Pokémon. As the game releases updates, the Pokemon that Dittos disguises themselves changes. Reports from 2017 claimed that shiny Magikarps were more often than not disguised as Dittos.

As of 2023, Ditto has not been reported to hide as a Magikarp. Below is the list of Pokemon that Ditto is confirmed to prefer as disguises — hopefully this information will teach our readers how to catch them.

List of Disguises

It is no surprise that the Transform Pokémon has many tricks up their sleeve. As seen in other installments of the Pokémon franchise, Niantic’s Pokémon GO implemented Ditto’s ability to shapeshift as other Pokémon. Payers report capturing Ditto while the Pokémon was disguised as one of the following “costumes”:

• Diglett: These Ground-type creatures normally have a maximum CP of 764, and are known for moves such as Scratch and Mud Bomb. We are referring to the “Normal” version of Diglett and not the Alolan Diglett. No sightings or testimonies of Alolan Digletts turning into Dittos have been reported as of yet.
• Tympole: Although Tympoles are vulnerable to Grass and Electric-types, they can attack opponents with Bubble and Water Pulse. More importantly, these Pokémon have the ability to evolve into Palpitoad, who in turn can evolve into Seismitoad.
• Roggenrola: With a capture rate of 50%, do not be disheartened if a Roggenrola turns out to be a Ditto in disguise — it is rare for them to escape, even if you do not use a berry.
• Starly: weighs just a little bit over two kilograms, but packs quite the punch. Quick Attack, Tackle and Aerial Ace are just a few of the abilities this Flight-type Pokémon can use during combat. As of now, if you do it properly, Starly should be in your inventory in no time. Do not be alarmed if one turns out to be a Ditto, there are plenty more Starly specimens waiting for you.
• Snubbull: This Fairy-type bulldog is known to be a preferred disguise for Ditto specimens in Pokémon GO. Although they are vulnerable to Poison and Steel, a real Snubbull can evolve into a Granbull. Its base flee rate is 0%, so if a Ditto deceives you, fear not! There will be other chances.
• Corphish: A predecessor of Crawdaunt. This Water-type Pokémon is extremely vulnerable to Grass and Electric-type creatures, unless it is a Ditto in disguise. Many players allege finding a Ditto by capturing what they thought was a Corphish — only to be pleasantly surprised.
• Grimer: With a maximum CP of 1,553 Grimer is definitely among the strongest Pokémon that can be disguised as a Ditto. Though it can be upsetting to not obtain a Grimer that has a CP of 1,553 — if the Pokémon has a CP on the lower end, then it is very likely to notice that you stumbled upon a Ditto.
• Litleo: These fiery kitten-like Pokémon can function as glass cannons. With a maximum CP higher than Grimer’s, they are not to be underestimated. However, Litleo’s are vulnerable to Ground, Fight, Rock and Water-type Pokémons.

Recommended Ditto-Catching Materials

Incense

To catch Ditto, Pokémon trainers use incense to lure them toward them. Several players reported capturing their first Ditto thanks to using one incense, so make sure you always have one when you notice certain Pokémon roaming around.

Word of Mouth

Some reports say Ditto is found within a Pokémon spawn. It is very likely that some trainers, with previous experience on how to catch a Ditto (or many), can inform you of a particular Pokémon spawn that generates more Transform Pokémon than others. Read first-hand accounts of people in your local Pokémon GO community on how much incense they spent trying to capture a Ditto, where they used the incense, if lures were effective, and other key details that have too many variables.

Doing research can help, but players live in a different region than others quite often, so listen to local Pokémon trainers.

Patience

It is rare for a Ditto to show up right after using an incense or a lure, unfortunately. Many players wish this were not the case. Forums showcase Pokémon GO players that used two incenses, leading to the capture of a Ditto disguised as a Rattata. Others allege that even after three uses of incenses regularly, they have not come across the elusive Ditto.

Be patient, and keep an eye out for what many describe as “low-ranking Pokémon.” Forums, first-hand reports, accounts, anecdotes and other sources reiterate Ditto tend to disguise themselves as Pokémon that are not particularly high-ranking nor are they Mega Evolutions.

Some examples of Pokémon that Dittos have disguised themselves as include:

• Bidoof: In the wild, if the weather allows for the Pokémon to be boosted, Bidoofs can have a CP of 669. A common tactic trainers use when Dittos disguises themselves is noticing whether the CP correlates with the statistics of a Bidoof or a Ditto.
• Drowzee: Unlike Ditto, Drowzee was released with the launch of Pokémon Go back in 2016. Sometime after the introduction of the Transform Pokémon, they opted to transform into Drowzees and mimic their abilities. Trainers took note of this, and after a few updates, Dittos have not been seen mimicking a Drowzee for years as of the writing of this article.
• Dwebble: Do not let the adorable appearance fool you — Dwebble can have upwards of 1,137 CP. Unlike a Ditto, who is within the 700 CP range.
• Ekans: These snake-like Pokémon, true to their nature, snuck on many players as Dittos disguised as Ekans.
• Finneon: This fish-like Pokémon can use Water Gun and Ice Beam to defend itself against other wild Pokémon that surprises them. At Level 50, Finneon can have a higher maximum CP than Ditto. This makes it easier for players to differentiate between whether a Pokémon is a Ditto disguising as a Finneon, or a legitimate Ditto.
• Foongus: Astonish, Feint Attack, Energy Ball, and Grass Knot are just a few of the abilities that these cute mushroom-shaped creatures have under their belts. When players find a Ditto disguised as a Foongus, they keep a handful of berries just in case. Foongus are difficult to capture unless the trainer has something to increase their catch rate.
• Gastly: A Pokémon that is primarily made out of toxic gas, Gastly is a rare edition Pokémon in Pokémon GO. Understandably, some players are upset when they realize they capture a Ditto rather than a Pokémon with the potential to turn into Haunter.
• Hoothoot: This owl-shaped Pokémon does not have the ability to reach a CP higher than a Ditto. Posts from years ago highlight players noticing this inconsistency to differentiate a Ditto (disguised as a Hoothoot) from a real Owl Pokémon.
• Hoppip: The Cottonweed Pokémon was also a preferred transformation for the Ditto population during a brief time period. Because of its low flee rate, players were not upset when encountering a Ditto disguised as a Hoppip–there’s plenty of them to catch!
• Ledyba: Unlike most Transform Pokémon, Ledyba is a creature with a low flee rate. If a Ledyba was incredibly evasive, that player may have accidentally stumbled upon a secret Ditto.
• Lillipup: Though not by much, these adorable puppy-like Pokémon are capable of reaching a CP higher than a Ditto. When Dittos preferred to transform into Lillipups, the high flee rate and oddly high CP was a clear giveaway to players.
• Magikarp: This fish-like Pokémon has two components that helped trainers realize when a Magikarp is secretly a Ditto in disguise. For one, their CP is incredibly low, far lower than that of a Ditto. Additionally, Magikarps have a lower flee rate than a Ditto.
• Weedle: This spiky caterpillar-like Pokémon was for a limited time the preferred transformation of Dittos. Even when boosted, their CP is significantly lower than that of the Transform Pokémon. Whenever players noticed a Weedle with a suspiciously high CP, a lot of them recognized it as a Ditto in hiding.
• Whismur: With a maximum CP of 758, Whismur is slightly more powerful than the strongest Ditto. For a time, players had a difficult time distinguishing whether a Whismur was legitimate or a Transform Pokémon in disguise because of how close their CP statistics were.
• Yanma: A Pokémon resembling a dragonfly, Yanma can be surprisingly difficult to catch if the trainer does not have a berry. Not as elusive as a Ditto, which made them even more elusive for a moment.
• Zigzagoon: The Tiny Raccoon Pokémon was known to be unintentionally deceitful. Ditto specimens would transform as Zigzagoons, which resulted in mixed reactions on behalf of players.
• Zubat: These Poison and Flying-type bats are incredibly. At an international scale, Pokémon Go players show screenshots where Zubats appear quite often.

It is worth noting that incense or lures do not guarantee a 100% success rate when it comes to attracting a Ditto. Make sure you pay attention to your Pokémon Radar at all times to see if there is a clue of a shapeshifter closer than you think!