Category: Pokemon

Pokemon GO is gearing up for its 9th Anniversary Party, a festive week scheduled from July 1 to July 6, 2025. This exciting event promises fresh Pokemon debuts, including Party Hat Ivysaur and Venusaur, along with a new way to capture Gimmighoul. Since its launch on July 6, 2016, Pokemon GO has captivated fans and transformed the mobile augmented reality (AR) gaming landscape, garnering millions of monthly players worldwide.

Currently, the game is celebrating its Delightful Days season, which coincides with the anniversary festivities. The anniversary event will include costumed Pokemon, exclusive appearances of Gimmighoul, and various bonuses for players. For extra rewards from GO Pass events, fans might want to consider opting for the GO Deluxe Pass.

The anniversary party will commence on Tuesday, July 1, at 10:00 AM and conclude on Sunday, July 6, at 8:00 PM local time. During this period, Kanto starter Pokemon—Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle—will spawn more frequently in their festive party hats. Notably, players will experience the first-ever evolution of party-hat Bulbasaur.

Shiny Gimmighoul will also make its debut, and participants can find limited versions of Gimmighoul holding a unique 9th anniversary coin. In addition to discovering party hats in the wild, players can complete Field Research and Timed Research tasks to encounter Gimmighoul. Special event-themed bonuses will include increased friendship progress and enhanced chances of acquiring Gimmighoul Coins from PokeStops.

The event will also feature a limited-time hatch distance reduction and doubled XP for catching Pokemon on specified dates. As Pokemon GO marks a decade of gameplay, it continues to evolve, recently transitioning ownership to Scopely. July promises to be an exciting month, not just for the anniversary but also with the upcoming Quaxly Community Day and Eevee Community Day Classic.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has introduced an exciting Mass Outbreak event centered on the Ultra Beasts. From June 23 to June 29, players will have the opportunity to draw cards from the latest expansion released by deNA. This event is particularly noteworthy as it includes two Pokémon ex cards that can be obtained through gameplay. With the recent rollout of the Extradimensional Crisis miniset, Ultra Beasts are once again in the limelight.

This expansion introduces a total of 103 new cards, featuring Ultra Beasts across various categories such as regular and rare cards, along with full-art versions. Noteworthy additions include ex variants of Buzzwole and Guzzlord, as well as cards for Tapu Koko, Lycanroc, and Alolan Dugtrio. Additionally, players can look forward to new Item, Tool, and Support cards, along with shiny Pokémon to enhance their collections. During the upcoming Mass Outbreak event, players can expect to encounter rare Wonder Picks, each requiring three Wonder Stamina to activate, with a 1.2% chance of appearing during a screen refresh.

The available rewards will feature Guzzlord ex and Buzzwole ex, alongside rare variants like Nihilego, Naganadel, and Celesteela. Players will also gain access to free Wonder Picks that could yield a combination of Ultra Beasts, along with relevant Tool and Support cards. These free picks appear with a 15% chance whenever a new choice surfaces on the screen, allowing players to collect two exclusive flairs—one for each ex Pokémon. Furthermore, they can earn Wonder Hourglasses by collecting Ultra Beast cards and making Wonder Picks, which help refill their Wonder Stamina.

Looking ahead, deNA is preparing to diversify the gameplay experience by launching the Eevee Grove expansion, set to debut on June 26. This new themed booster pack will feature over 100 additional cards, including fan-favorites like Eevee and its evolutions—Flareon and Sylveon ex. With these additions, Pokémon TCG Pocket players are in for a thrilling time as they engage with the game’s dynamic new content.

In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, players have come together to devise solo strategies to tackle the formidable Baxcalibur the Unrivaled. This Ice Dragon Pokémon is the final evolution of Frigibax and Arctibax, and it has become infamous for its high HP and physical attack stats.

With its Ice-Tera typing and a diverse move set, including Swords Dance, Glaive Rush, and Crunch, Baxcalibur poses a significant challenge in Tera Raid Dens across the Paldea region in late June. To counter this daunting foe, trainers are focusing their strategies around bulky Pokémon that can utilize the Fighting-type attack Body Press.

By leveraging creatures like Orthworm and Avalugg, players aim to capitalize on Baxcalibur’s vulnerability to Fighting-type moves. One Reddit user, TranzitBusRouteB, outlined a successful build for Avalugg, recommending a combination of Iron Defense, Body Press, Chilling Water, and Recover to withstand Baxcalibur’s attacks while maximizing damage output.

Among the suggested Pokémon, Orthworm stands out for its Earth Eater ability, which allows it to heal itself whenever Baxcalibur uses Earthquake. However, Avalugg’s superior base defense makes it a top contender for delivering higher damage with Body Press.

Other Pokémon recommended for their potential against Baxcalibur include Archaludon and Zamazenta, both of which benefit from specific abilities to enhance their effectiveness during the raid. As trainers experiment with various builds and strategies, community discussions, including memes and screenshots, have emerged on platforms like the r/PokemonScarletViolet subreddit.

With the window to capture Baxcalibur closing on June 29, players are encouraged to refine their tactics and enjoy the excitement of this challenge together.

The Pokémon Center has announced exciting new additions to the Year of Eevee celebration, featuring life-sized plush toys of Glaceon, Leafeon, and Sylveon available for pre-order. This follows previous releases of Eeveelutions in the series, allowing fans to enhance their collections with these latest plushes, set to be released at the end of 2025. Since its inception in 1996, Pokémon has expanded significantly, becoming a staple in various entertainment and merchandise sectors. The brand’s immense popularity is largely due to its adorable pocket monsters, which appeal to audiences of all ages.

The iconic slogan “gotta catch ’em all” encourages engagement with the series—helping fans become ultimate Pokemasters. While Pikachu is widely recognized as the franchise mascot, the various Eeveelutions have also gained considerable popularity, culminating in their own celebrations and merchandise lines. Pokémon Trading Card Game players should mark their calendars for Thursday, June 26, as a notable day on the community’s agenda. The new plushes—Glaceon, Leafeon, and Sylveon—are crafted from soft fabric with embroidered details capturing the essence of these beloved characters.

Each plush reflects unique color palettes: Glaceon showcases icy blues, Leafeon features natural yellow and green tones, and Sylveon radiates fairy-like pink hues. Fans eager to add Glaceon, Leafeon, and Sylveon plushes to their collections can pre-order them at the Pokémon Center’s online store, with delivery expected to commence in December 2025. Each plush measures approximately 31 inches in length, with Sylveon being the tallest, Leafeon the widest, and Glaceon the smallest—accurately reflecting their official Pokédex sizes. Given the swift sell-out of previous plush releases, interested fans are encouraged to act quickly.

With a wide array of video games, trading cards, movies, TV shows, and merchandise, the Pokémon franchise continues to thrive, promising fans plenty of exciting releases on the horizon, including the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A game.

Pokemon GO has recently announced that Shadow Pokemon are not eligible for Hyper Training, a new feature involving Gold Bottle Caps. This item has been highly anticipated by fans, as it allows for the optimization of a Pokemon’s Individual Values (IVs). In the mainline games, using a Gold Bottle Cap initiates Hyper Training, instantly enhancing a Pokemon’s stats. However, the process will differ in Pokemon GO, where players must complete various tasks with their Buddy Pokemon, such as battling and exploring, before utilizing Hyper Training.

The development team shared via Twitter that Shadow Pokemon, while potent in PvP battles and raids, cannot undergo Hyper Training with the newly introduced Bottle Caps. This news is disappointing for players hoping to strengthen their unpurified Shadow monsters. Moreover, Pokemon with stats that are already maxed out will not be eligible for Hyper Training either. Despite the community’s long-standing request for Hyper Training, the introduction of Gold Bottle Caps has drawn criticism.

Initially, these items will only be available through the purchase of a GO Pass Deluxe during the Ancients Recovered event, starting on June 23. This exclusivity has led to concerns about the feature being less accessible to free-to-play users and has sparked debates about whether it promotes a pay-to-win model. Furthermore, some players worry about the limited-time nature of the Gold Bottle Caps. While not everyone is pleased with the restrictions surrounding Hyper Training, some players are eager to invest in the GO Pass Deluxe to perfect their rare shiny Pokemon.

The upcoming Ancients Recovered event is expected to enhance gameplay, featuring returning Legendary Giants and offering a free GO Pass that guarantees players a special Regi and a dressed-up Pikachu. This event presents an excellent opportunity for players to engage in battles and discover more powerful Pokemon.

In celebration of its fourth anniversary, Pokemon Unite will introduce the Legendary Pokemon Latios and Latias as new playable characters. These fan-favorite Eon Pokemon will become available starting July 21, though details about their gameplay mechanics within the title have yet to be disclosed. Latios and Latias, first seen in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, have a unique allure as roaming legendaries that players could pursue after achieving the status of Hoenn League Champion.

Both are classified as Dragon and Psychic types but present distinct characteristics. Latias, the smaller red Eon Pokemon, boasts superior defensive capabilities, while Latios, the larger blue counterpart, offers higher offensive power. Although they may not be the most formidable legendaries, their striking designs ensure that they stand out in the roster of Legendary Pokemon from the Hoenn region.

As part of ongoing promotions, players of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have a limited opportunity to obtain a free starter from the Alola region. Following the recent introduction of Alcremie, a Ranged Support character, Pokemon Unite confirmed that Latios and Latias will join the ranks on Aeos Island as part of their anniversary celebrations. They will join the existing roster alongside other notable characters like Blaziken and Gardevoir.

However, it remains uncertain whether players will access them as individual characters or a dual option. Pokemon Unite has urged fans to stay tuned for upcoming information on the Eon Pokemon as well as details regarding the fourth anniversary event. While it may not have achieved the same level of popularity as titles like Pokemon GO, the continuous updates and balance changes keep Pokemon Unite an engaging experience for players.

As the release date approaches, excitement builds for what surprises are in store from The Pokemon Company and Tencent.