Pokémon Go is notoriously behind the rest of the Pokémon universe, especially when it comes to the pocket monsters that inhabit its world. But finally, almost a year after the Switch’s Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were released, the mobile game is to see its first smattering of Paldean beasties.
During the free Adventures Abound event, starting September 5 and running until September 10, all manner of Paldean-themed happenings are occurring, including the introduction of Scarlet and Violet’s starter Pokémon, Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly.
Alongside them will appear Lechonk, the breakout cutesy star of the recent games, with the surprise that it’ll be arriving in POGO with a shiny available immediately. And like the starters, all its evolutionary stages will be in there too, meaning that yes, soon your character screen will allow you to pose next to a fabulous dancing Quaquaval.
The way Niantic has presented the news leaves some ambiguity as to just how players will get their starters. There’s talk of a branching Special Research, which will involve choosing a Paldean partner, and then adventuring with them through the Adventures Abound arc. Which, you might think, would imply you can only get one of the three, and have to decide. However, that’s definitely not the case.
In fact, all three look like they’ll be coming at you from all angles. They’re set for wild encounters, alongside Lechonk, and chances for shiny Hoppip, Houndour, Buizel and Fletchling; all three and Lechonk are going to be in 7km eggs; and they’ll also all be rewarded as Field Research rewards.
Lechonk is also getting his own Timed Research, ever further boosting your chances of securing some shiny pre-bacon goodness. And if all that weren’t enough, another four Paldean ‘mon are arriving come the end of the event, with Nymble (and thus Lokix), Pawmi (so also Pawmo and Pawmot), Bombirdier, and Frigibax (meaning Arctibax and the splendid Baxcalibur too) all headed to the game.
It’s a shame that we’re not seeing Finizen, Tandemaus, Tinkatink and Belibolt straight away, but tragically I’m not in charge. Also, it seems like a special madness not to open with a bang and put the Treasures of Ruin into raids, because who in their right mind doesn’t want a Chien-Pao as their buddy?
However, raids will do something right, with a bunch of Unowns in the 1-stars, a possibly shiny Turtonator in 3-star, and for the first time (from September 8), Kartana available in the Southern hemisphere, and Celesteela in the Northern, meaning you can finally pick them up without location-spoofing or trading.
Even after all this, they’ve announced there will be even more Paldean shenanigans to coincide with the release of Scarlet and Violet’s first DLC, The Teal Mask, with at least some avatar items.
This sounds like a gimme for Niantic, just adding incredibly popular new Pokémon to the flagging mobile game, so it’ll be fascinating to see how they can mess it up.
