There has been quite a lot of information come out about Pokémon GO events as of late. We've got lots of exciting news to go over, so let's not waste any more time and get straight into it!
GO FEST
The final Pokémon GO Fest of the year, the event in Yokohama, has concluded. We managed to unlock the Stardust rewards from Blanche's section of the Global Challenge. they are in effect until August 20 at 1:00 PM PDT.
SUICUNE DAY
Also as a part of Pokémon GO Fest Yokohama bonuses, we've unlocked Suicune Day! Like the previous Raid Days for Raikou and Entei, Suicune will appear in Raids for three hours with the newfound capability of being Shiny. Five free Raid Passes will also be given out.
Suicune Day takes place on Saturday, August 17, from 4:00 - 7:00 PM in your local timezone.
Suicune Day takes place on Saturday, August 17, from 4:00 - 7:00 PM in your local timezone.
ULTRA BONUS
Now for the biggest piece of news. Niantic has announced that we have unlocked an Ultra Bonus for this year's Global Challenge, just as we did last year. While they have not gone into specifics about the event, they have given us two big teases.
The first tease comes at the bottom of Niantic's blog post about GO Fest. In that they further confirm the existence of the 2019 Ultra Bonus, as well as giving us the timeframe for its three phases.
The second tease has taken place over on their social media. In multiple posts, Niantic has been referencing wishing and using a copious amount of star emojis. This tease is definitely referencing Jirachi, the Mythical Pokémon that has been obtainable in Special Research at the three GO Fest events this year. Whatever the Ultra Bonus holds, a global Jirachi quest line seems almost guaranteed.
More details about the Ultra Bonus are to come on August 20.
The first tease comes at the bottom of Niantic's blog post about GO Fest. In that they further confirm the existence of the 2019 Ultra Bonus, as well as giving us the timeframe for its three phases.
- PHASE 1: The first phase is from September 2 to September 9 at 1:00 PM PDT. "Trainers can enjoy a chance to work on their Johto Pokédex while exploring and raiding. Put on your walking shoes, as Pokémon never before seen in Eggs in Pokémon GO will be hatching during this time."
What could that mean? it definitely sounds like we'll be getting boosted spawn rates of Johto Pokémon, just as we've had for Kanto many times in the past. As for what else we could see, the Legendary Beasts temporarily returning to Raids as a second-chance for Shinies and/or Heracross and Corsola coming to 7KM Eggs like the Kanto regionals did last year seem possible going off of last year's event. - PHASE 2: The second phase is from September 9 to September 16 at 1:00 PM PDT. "Pokémon from all across the globe will join in the celebration this week, along with a special appearance by a Mythical Pokémon that will be able to challenge in raids."
This phase seems very reminiscent of what last year's Ultra Bonus gave us. Regional Pokémon that are out of their normal boundaries, and the current EX Raid Boss (Deoxys this time) coming to regular Raids for a limited time as a last-minute chance to get one before the EX Boss shifts to another Pokémon.
The Mythical Pokémon that will be able to be battled in Raids obviously is not confirmed to be Deoxys, but that is the most likely scenario in our eyes. Mew and Celebi have always been very exclusive, and will likely remain so. Jirachi will likely also keep with its pixie-like brethren, and Meltan and Melmetal will probably stay in their Let's Go! tie-in realm. Unless this is referring to an unreleased Mythical Pokémon, Deoxys is the only remaining and logical candidate. - PHASE 3: The third and final phase is from September 16 to September 23 at 1:00 PM PDT. Niantic describes the general details of this week in this interesting way:
"Unusual Pokémon will be appearing in the wild during this week. Noteworthy opponents are coming to raids, too. Over the course of the event, you may also be able to add some Pokémon to your Kanto Pokédex that previously eluded you in your part of the world. Venture out to take on challenges and make discoveries. As always, happy exploring, Trainers!"
Does this paragraph seem strange to you? Not only is this paragraph significantly the most vague out of the three, but it also lacks the typical flow that Niantic's writing has. And that may be because the words were chosen very deliberately. Look closely at the first words of every sentence, and notice what their first letters spell out. U, N, O, V, A. Unova.
Unova?! Many sharp-eyed Trainers have noticed that this paragraph could very well be hinting at Unova, the region of Pokémon's fifth generation. So could we be seeing Generation 5 by late September? It's certainly possible, especially considering that Generation 4 was released around that time last year and that Niantic recently hinted at Team GO Rocket in New York City advertisements with a hidden message.
But we should not take this potential tease as truth until we get the announcement from Niantic themselves. After all, this could be a very unfortunate coincidence that got our hopes up way too high.
As for what the Kanto part of this phase is referring to, many Trainers have been theorizing that the Kanto region-exclusives might be going global once again. If Generation 5 does get released, there are many Pokémon Niantic could use as replacements to Tauros, Mr. Mime, Farfetch'd, and Kangaskhan if they want to keep them globally available (which, if you ask us, it is past time they do).
The second tease has taken place over on their social media. In multiple posts, Niantic has been referencing wishing and using a copious amount of star emojis. This tease is definitely referencing Jirachi, the Mythical Pokémon that has been obtainable in Special Research at the three GO Fest events this year. Whatever the Ultra Bonus holds, a global Jirachi quest line seems almost guaranteed.
More details about the Ultra Bonus are to come on August 20.
COMMUNITY DAY
Ralts' Community Day has come and gone. And next month's Community Day has already been confirmed. As expected, it will feature the Sinnoh region's Grass-type starter, Turtwig. Triple catch Stardust and three-hour Lures are the additional bonuses. Torterra's exclusive move is still under wraps, but Frenzy Plant is pretty much guaranteed.
Turtwig's Community Day event takes place on Sunday, September 15, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM local time.
Turtwig's Community Day event takes place on Sunday, September 15, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM local time.
SAFARI ZONE
A Pokémon GO Safari Zone will take place in Montreal, Canada, from September 20 to 22 in Parc Jean-Drapeau. Unown, Tropius, and other special spawns will be available for attendees. Yanma will be spawning in increased numbers worldwide, implying that this will be the new Shiny Pokémon released for this event.
WATER FESTIVAL
Finally, the Water Festival. Pokémon GO's iconic Water-type event is returning once again in 2019 from August 23 to August 30 at 1:00 PM PDT. Here's the rundown of this rather sizable event:
- Water-type Pokémon will be appearing more frequently in the wild, Raids, and Eggs.
- Wartortle, Poliwhirl, Seaking, Lapras, Qwilfish, Mantine, Lotad, Feebas, Piplup, Buizel, and Finneon will appear more frequently in water biomes.
- A new move, Crabhammer, will be added to the movepools of Crawdaunt and Kingler.
- A Legendary Raid Hour will occur on August 28 from 6:00 - 7:00 PM local time featuring the Lake Trio; Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie. The Pokémon will only be available in their specific regions.
- Shiny Carvanha and Shiny Barboach will be released.
- Double Candy for hatching Pokémon.
- Buddy distances for Water-type Pokémon will be halved.
Well, that's it, Trainers! If you stuck with us through this whole article, thank you! We'll continue to keep you updated on all these Pokémon GO events, releasing our pre-release analyses of the Generation 5 Pokémon in GO, and more.
Speaking of which, if any news comes out of the Pokémon World Championships' opening ceremony about Pokémon Sword and Shield, we'll update you as soon as possible. For now, we are going to allow our writers to rest their fingers after typing out this huge article.
Thanks for reading, Trainers!
Speaking of which, if any news comes out of the Pokémon World Championships' opening ceremony about Pokémon Sword and Shield, we'll update you as soon as possible. For now, we are going to allow our writers to rest their fingers after typing out this huge article.
Thanks for reading, Trainers!
SOURCE: Niantic