Pokemon Go’s Mega Garchomp Raid leads to “weird” gender discovery

Jake Nichols
Garchomp Pokemon Go moveset

Mega Garchomp Raid Day has been and gone, but it seems some players have been left stumped by a “weird” gender discovery.

This weekend was a big one for Pokemon Go fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of Mega Garchomp Raid Day. Trainers around the world geared up to face the formidable opponent known for its significant power.

While the event was a success, with trainers taking advantage of the increased number of Remote Raid Passes and the boosted chance to encounter a Shiny Garchomp, it wasn’t without its share of surprises.

While Pokemon Go players snagged their fair share of Garchomps during the special event, one player, in particular, turned to Reddit to learn more about a “weird” detail they noticed.

The player showcased six of their Garchomps in an in-game screenshot, but one stood out with a different dorsal fin.

The one Garchomp had a complete fin without a cut, marking a significant difference from the small cuts on the dorsal fins of the other five Garchomps.

Passionate Pokemon fans didn’t take long to chime in with the reason behind the difference.

The answer lies in a subtle but significant difference: male Garchomps have a cut on their dorsal fins, while females do not. This minor detail distinguishes the male and female variants, giving each a unique appearance.

The revelation surprised many Pokemon Go players who were seemingly unaware of the gender-specific characteristics between Pokemon. Some shared their surprise in the Reddit thread, with comments like “holy s**t I never noticed that Garchomp has a gender difference.”

However, just as many players seemed to be stunned that there are Pokemon Go players out there who were not aware that Pokemon had gender differences.

Others provided some tips and feedback to the unknowing player, writing, “A good rule of thumb is that whenever you see small (sometimes bigger) visual differences, it’s usually a male/female thing.”

About The Author

Jake Nichols was formerly a Senior Writer on the Australian Dexerto team. A "washed-up" competitive gamer with an economics degree, he has a unique angle on industry trends. When not writing, he's snapping away in Marvel Snap and hunting purple sector times in sim racing games. You can contact Jake at jake.nichols@dexerto.com