Pokémon Go players may have noticed a Pokémon on their radar that wasn’t there before. That’s because, seemingly overnight, Niantic has swapped the areas where you can catch Seviper and Zangoose.
If you're in the United States, you may have noticed Zangoose aren’t rare at all and appear in almost the same rate as Tauros (another region exclusive) when the game first went live. However, Zangoose’s natural enemy, Seviper was a rare find in America. That’s because Seviper was exclusive to Europe, Oceania and Asia when Gen 3 was first introduced.
But now there are reports that the two Hoenn Region Pokémon have swapped places: Seviper now appears in the Americas and Africa and Zangoose now appears in Seviper’s original regions.
That's right, travelers - in an unannounced shakeup, regional species Zangoose and Seviper have apparently swapped regions! pic.twitter.com/mLzWFTbGIt
— The Silph Road (@TheSilphRoad) January 5, 2018
Every generation of Pokémon in the popular mobile game have region exclusives that only appear in certain parts of the world. With the Gen 3 update this includes Plusle, Minun, Relicanth, and the aforementioned Seviper and Zangoose. Plusle only appears in Africa and The Americas. Minun appears only in Europe, Asia and Oceania while Relicanth only appears in New Zealand and its surrounding islands.
Niantic likely swapped the two region exclusives in an attempt to keep the game fresh, but how long this will last is still not certain. It’s very likely that Seviper and Zangoose will continue to swap places every few weeks to give players a chance to catch them both. This is a neat little feature in Pokémon Go. Seviper and Zangoose are natural enemies and, as evidenced in every Pokémon game they’re featured in, can’t be in the same area without fighting.
Zangoose’s Alpha Sapphire Pokedex entry states: “ Zangoose usually stays on all fours, but when angered, it gets up on its hind legs and extends its claws. This Pokémon shares a bitter rivalry with Seviper that dates back over generations.”
Seviper’s Omega Ruby Pokedex entry states: “Seviper shares a generations-long feud with Zangoose. The scars on its body are evidence of vicious battles. This Pokémon attacks using its sword-edged tail.”
Have you been able to catch both Seviper and Zangoose in Pokémon Go yet? Let us know in the comments section below.
