An exciting new event kicks off in the free-to-play mobile game at the end of February.
Pokemon Day is February 27, and Pokemon Go is ready to celebrate in a big way! (Pokemon Day marks the anniversary of the launch of the first Pokemon video games in Japan in 1996.)
From February 25 at 1 p.m. PT to March 2 at 1 p.m. PT, Pikachu and Eevee wearing party hats will be available to capture in the wild, while Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle wearing party hats will be available to hatch from 7 km Eggs. All five of these Pokemon will have the chance to be Shiny.
In addition, during this event, Armored Mewtwo will be available to challenge in Tier-5 Raids, and it will know the Charged Attack Psystrike.
On Pokemon Day itself, the movie Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back-Evolution will debut on Netflix. To celebrate, this Pokemon Day event in Pokemon Go will see Clone Pokemon appear in the game. Specifically, you’ll be able to challenge Clone Venusaur, Clone Charizard, and Clone Blastoise in Tier-4 Raids, while Clone Pikachu will have the chance to appear when you take snapshots using the game’s augmented reality (AR) camera. Once Clone Pikachu appears in a photo, you’ll have the chance to capture it.
During this Pokemon Day celebration, a special Raid Day event will take place on March 1 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time. During this three-hour window, Nidorino wearing party hats will be available to challenge in Tier-2 Raids, and Gengar wearing party hats will appear in Tier-4 Raids. These Gengar will know the battle moves Lick and Psychic. Plus, you’ll have the chance to encounter Shiny versions of both of these festive pocket monsters.
You’ll be able to collect up to five free Raid Passes by visiting Gyms during this Raid Day event, but remember, you can only hold a single Raid Pass at a time. That means you’ll need to collect a Pass and then use it to participate in a Raid before you can collect another Pass.
Finally, during this Pokemon Day event, you’ll be able to perform two Special Trades each day, rather than one.
Are you excited about this Pokemon Day celebration in Pokemon Go? Let us know in the comments, or tweet us at @superparenthq.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
