Shiny Pokemon GO Fest unlock steps and a pair of surprise shinies
To gain access to easier-than-normal Shiny Pokemon for Pokemon GO Fest starting this week, you'll need to follow some steps. Today we're taking a look at the steps you'll need to take to get to a new, more extraordinary place in your Pokemon GO journey via Global Challenges and Rewards for Pokemon GO Fest – with the newly rebranded Pokemon GO Global Challenge list.
UPDATE: Extended challenges and in-event exclusives have appeared! Wait, what's this? There's a Jirachi in this event series? Yes, yes indeed, Jirachi! Only Pokemon GO Fest attendees are able to collect Jirachi once finishing all their other tasks. Users at the event series will need to spin 7 Pokestops or Gyms, make 3 new friends, send 3 gifts to friends, and catch 5 different Pokemon of the following types: Fairy, Water, Ghost, Ground, and Ice.
Users will also need to take snapshots of a bunch of different Pokemon, and collect three Unown! Snapshots need be taken of Ralts, Ghastly, Hippopotas, Snover, and Horsea. At the Pokemon GO Chicago event, Unown are spawning in BIG numbers, and spell out the phrase "WAKE UP!"
Challenge/Trick 1: Shiny Raiku (JUNE)
The first bit of action starts on Thursday, June 13, 2019, at 9AM PDT (GMT −7). This challenge will last until Sunday, June 16, 2019, at 5PM PDT (GMT −7). This is the main challenge, and one that'll last the entirety of Pokemon GO Fest Chicago, 2019.
The main Pokemon GO Fest challenge includes the following tasks, with respective rewards: 2× Catch Candy, guaranteed 1 Rare Candy per raid, 1/2 Hatch Distance, and 2× Hatch Candy.
Main Challenge Research Tasks:
• Pokémon GO Fest Chicago event attendees—Complete 1 million research tasks
• Team Instinct—Complete 15 million research tasks globally
• Team Valor—Complete 15 million research tasks globally
• Team Mystic—Complete 15 million research tasks globally
If and when each of the research task bonuses are unlocked, the active bonus schedule will start on Tuesday, June 18, 2019, at 1PM PDT. This bonus-active event will run until Tuesday, June 25, 2019, at 1PM PDT.
Once ALL of the above tasks have been completed, before the rest of the bonuses, Niantic will flip a switch. At that time – we're assuming they'll announce the timing when it happens, in real time – Raiku will be available in Pokemon Gym raids. These specific raids will include a much higher-than-normal chance of encountering the fabled Shiny Raiku.
Challenge/Trick 2: Shiny Entei (JULY)
This challenge will run from July 4th at 1PM to July 7th at 9PM PDT, that's Thursday to Sunday. That aligns perfectly with the schedule for Pokémon GO Fest Dortmund, Germany.
In this challenge, a certain number of research tasks need be completed by different sets of gamers. Like what's listed in challenge one, but this time for Dortmund, Pokemon GO Fest attendees need to complete 1 million research tasks to unlock 3× Catch XP.
Each of the three teams, Instinct, Valor, and Mystic, need to complete 15 million research tasks globally to unlock each of three bonuses: 1-hour Lucky Eggs, 3× Hatch XP, and 2× Raid XP. The bonus reward activation timeline runs from Tuesday, July 9, at 1PM, to exactly one week later.
The trick with this challenge is staying attentive in a manner similar to that of the first challenge. They probably wont appear at the same time, given their different time zones, but we shall see! As all research tasks are completed, Entei will be released to raids, and chances of a Shiny Entei will be higher than ever before.
UPDATE: Niantic suggests now that Entei will appear specifically on Sunday, July 14, 2019, but they have not yet given a time of day. This is still assuming the prerequisites are filled – but given how fast they were completed last year, that shouldn't be an issue.
Challenge/Trick 3: Shiny Suicune (AUGUST)
Starting on August 5th at 6PM PDT and lasting until August 12th at 1PM PDT (GMT -7), this last challenge takes place during Pokemon GO Fest Yokohama, Japan, 2019. This challenge is slightly different from the other two, likely due to the above-average ravenously-dedicated nature of the average Japanese Pokemon fan.
Pokemon GO Fest Yokohama event attendees need to complete two million research tasks, and when they do, the reward is 3× Catch Stardust. Teams Instinct, Valor, and Mystic (worldwide) will need to complete 25 million research tasks. When they do, the rewards will be guaranteed 3,000 Stardust per raid, 3× Hatch Stardust, and 1-hour Star Pieces, respectively. BELOW: Shiny Suicune made by 睡眠Ｚ!
If unlocked, these bonuses will appear from Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at 1PM PDT until Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at 1PM PDT. The final challenge series, if unlocked, will be available on Saturday, August 17th, 2019. The timing of this challenge unlock has not yet been shared, but it'll include Suicune released to raids, where you'll have a much higher-than-normal chance of finding Shiny Suicune awaiting your Pokeballs!
Other new Shiny Pokemon
Also active in high numbers over the next week are Shiny Abra and Shiny Horsea! You don't even need to do anything special to find them, they're pretty much all over the place. Granted, you'll probably want to head to a water biome to find Horsea – but still, there's (hopefully for you, too) a whole bunch!
If you see any other shiny Pokemon this week, let us know! It would not be a shock to find a few more previously-undisclosed newly-shiny Pokemon out in the wild as well. And if you're at Pokemon GO Fest, have fun, make lots of friends, and don't you DARE forget to catch 'em all.