Pokemon Go runs a constant calendar of events that boost spawn rates, increase shiny chances, offer bonus XP or Stardust, and introduce new Pokemon or mechanics. Understanding the event schedule is essential for getting the most out of the game — missing a Community Day or a special raid hour means missing your best chance at rare Pokemon and shinies for months. This guide covers everything: how Community Day works and when the next one is, lucky Pokemon and lucky friends, raid hours, the Might and Mastery event, the Welcome Party for new players, Mew Special Research, Unown in Pokemon Go, and how to switch teams.
For the complete guide to earning PokeCoins to spend during events, see our article on Pokemon Go coins, shop, and how to earn PokeCoins free — complete guide.
Pokemon Go Community Day — How It Works
Community Day is Pokemon Go’s most popular recurring event — a monthly event that runs for 3 hours (sometimes 6 hours for special editions) where a specific Pokemon spawns at dramatically increased rates across the entire map. Community Day is the best opportunity each month to catch large quantities of a featured Pokemon, find its shiny form, and earn its exclusive Community Day move.
What Happens on Community Day
- Featured Pokemon: One specific Pokemon spawns at massively boosted rates — typically 25x or higher normal spawn rate — making it appear almost everywhere on the map during the event window
- Shiny rate boost: Community Day has a significantly boosted shiny rate for the featured Pokemon — approximately 1 in 25 encounters instead of the standard 1 in 500. This makes Community Day the best time to catch shiny versions
- Exclusive Community Day move: Evolving the featured Pokemon (or its final evolution) during the event window — or for a few hours after — unlocks a special Community Day move that cannot normally be learned
- Bonus effects: Each Community Day includes additional bonuses — commonly 3x Stardust, 3x XP, 2x Candy, or reduced egg hatch distance
- Lure duration boost: Lure Modules and Incense last for 3 hours during Community Day (versus the standard 30-minute and 1-hour durations)
Community Day Hours — When It Runs
| Community Day Type | Hours |
| Standard Community Day | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM local time (3 hours) |
| Community Day Classic | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM local time (3 hours) — features older featured Pokemon |
| Special/Extended Community Day | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM local time (6 hours) — holiday editions |
| Post-event evolution window | Up to 5 hours after event ends — still get Community Day move |
When Is the Next Pokemon Go Community Day?
Niantic typically announces Community Day dates 2-3 weeks in advance. The most reliable ways to find the current Community Day schedule:
- Official Pokemon Go blog: pokemongolive.com/en/blog — Niantic posts all event announcements here first
- In-game News tab: The Pokemon Go app shows upcoming events in the News section (tap the binoculars icon)
- Leek Duck: leekduck.com is a comprehensive community-run Pokemon Go event calendar that aggregates all announced events with countdown timers
- Pokemon Go subreddit (r/pokemongo): The community posts event announcements within minutes of Niantic releasing them
Community Day occurs once per month, typically on the third Saturday of each month. A Community Day Classic (featuring an older previously-featured Pokemon) occasionally occurs on the Sunday of the same weekend. December typically features a special two-day Community Day Weekend covering multiple featured Pokemon.
Community Day Exclusive Moves — Why They Matter
The Community Day exclusive move is the most important reason to participate. These moves are typically the best or among the best attacks for that Pokemon species in raids, PvP battles, or both. Examples of impactful Community Day moves:
- Hydro Cannon (Blastoise): One of the strongest Water-type Charged Moves in the game — makes Blastoise a top Water attacker
- Frenzy Plant (Venusaur): One of the strongest Grass-type moves — makes Venusaur a top Grass attacker
- Blast Burn (Charizard): One of the strongest Fire-type moves — Charizard with Blast Burn is a top raid attacker
- Shadow Claw (Gengar): Gengar with Shadow Claw became the top Ghost attacker for raids
If you miss the Community Day event window, the exclusive move is gone until Niantic runs a special event (Community Day Weekend or Elite Charged TM usage). Elite TMs are extremely rare items that let you teach Community Day moves outside of the event window — save them for the most impactful moves.
Might and Mastery Pokemon Go — What Is It?
Might and Mastery is a seasonal Pokemon Go event that ran in 2025, focusing on powerful Pokemon and strength-based themes. The event typically features:
- Boosted spawns of powerful or Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon
- Special Field Research tasks themed around battling
- Raid battles featuring powerful Pokemon
- Potential debut of new Pokemon or forms introduced as part of the seasonal theme
Might and Mastery follows Pokemon Go’s pattern of seasonal themed events — similar to events like Rivals’ Week, Ultra Unlock, and Season of Legends that focus on specific Pokemon categories or gameplay mechanics. Check the Pokemon Go blog for the specific Pokemon featured and exact bonus details when Might and Mastery returns in your current season.
Welcome Party Pokemon Go — New Player Event
The Welcome Party is a Pokemon Go event designed to help new players and returning players get up to speed quickly. It typically includes:
- Boosted spawn rates for common and beginner-friendly Pokemon — Pikachu, Eevee, and starter Pokemon appear more frequently
- Simplified Field Research tasks with generous rewards for new players
- Increased PokeStop drop rates giving new players more Poke Balls, Potions, and Berries
- Buddy Pokemon bonuses making it easier to earn Candy for evolution
- Special in-game prompts guiding new players through core mechanics
Welcome Party events align with new seasons, major game updates, or times when Niantic is trying to re-engage lapsed players. If you are a new player who started during a Welcome Party event, the increased resources and simplified tasks give you a significant head start on building your first viable team.
Pokemon Go Lucky Pokemon — Complete Explanation
What Are Lucky Pokemon?
Lucky Pokemon are a special variant in Pokemon Go that have two unique properties: they cost 50% less Stardust to power up, and they always have a minimum IV of 12 in all three stats (HP, Attack, Defense). Lucky Pokemon are visually distinguished by a sparkle effect on their summary screen and the word ‘Lucky’ displayed on their information page.
How to Get Lucky Pokemon
Lucky Pokemon are obtained exclusively through trading with friends. When two players trade Pokemon, each traded Pokemon has a chance of becoming Lucky. The Lucky chance is not guaranteed — it is probabilistic and increases based on two factors:
- Friendship level: Trading with a Best Friend (highest friendship level) gives higher Lucky odds than trading with a lower-tier friend
- Pokemon age: Older Pokemon — specifically Pokemon caught in 2016 or 2017 — have a dramatically higher chance of becoming Lucky when traded. This is sometimes called a ‘Lucky trade’ when trading an old Pokemon
Guaranteed Lucky Pokemon — Lucky Friends
When two players reach Best Friend status, there is a small daily chance that the next trade between them will be a Guaranteed Lucky trade — meaning both Pokemon exchanged in that trade automatically become Lucky, regardless of their age or IVs. This Guaranteed Lucky status is called being Lucky Friends.
- Lucky Friends is a temporary status that activates randomly after reaching Best Friend level
- Opening a Gift, trading, battling together, or raiding together can trigger Lucky Friends status
- Once Lucky Friends status is active, the NEXT trade between those two players produces two Guaranteed Lucky Pokemon
- After the Guaranteed Lucky trade completes, Lucky Friends status is consumed — you go back to Best Friends and must wait for Lucky Friends to randomly activate again
Are Lucky Pokemon Worth Powering Up?
Yes — Lucky Pokemon are among the most efficient Pokemon to power up in the game. The 50% Stardust discount makes them significantly cheaper to reach high CP than non-Lucky equivalents. A Lucky Pokemon with good IVs (14/15/15 for example) is more cost-effective to power up than a perfect IV non-Lucky Pokemon because the Stardust savings over 40 power-up levels are substantial. Lucky Pokemon with IV floors of 12/12/12 are already decent — the Stardust savings usually make them worth powering up even if the IVs are not perfect.
Pokemon Go Raid Hours — Weekly Events
Raid Hour is a weekly Pokemon Go event that runs every Wednesday evening from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM local time. During Raid Hour, the featured 5-star Legendary or Mythical raid Pokemon appears in nearly every gym in your area simultaneously — dramatically more raids than the standard 2-3 raids per gym in a typical hour.
How to Make the Most of Raid Hour
- Join a local raid group: Raid Hour requires a group of 5-10+ players to defeat most 5-star raids. Join your local Pokemon Go Discord or Facebook group before Raid Hour to coordinate
- Use Remote Raid Passes: If you cannot physically travel to raids, Remote Raid Passes let you join raids from home during Raid Hour — join raid lobbies through the Nearby screen or through raid invitation links shared in online communities
- Prepare your team: Before Raid Hour, check what Pokemon counter the featured raid boss. Websites like Pokebattler (pokebattler.com) show the optimal raid counter team
- Stack premiere balls: Win the raid to earn Premiere Balls for catching the boss. More players in the lobby = more Premiere Balls
Other Regular Raid Events
- Spotlight Hour: Every Tuesday from 6-7 PM — one Pokemon spawns at boosted rates with a bonus (double XP, double Stardust, etc.). Not raid-specific but pairs well with raid prep
- 5-Star Raid rotation: Legendary raids rotate approximately every 2-4 weeks — check the current rotation on the Pokemon Go blog
- Mega Raid rotation: Mega-evolved Pokemon appear in Mega Raids on rotating schedules — Mega Energy from raids powers up Mega Evolutions
Mew in Pokemon Go — A Mythical Discovery
Mew is obtainable in Pokemon Go through a Special Research quest called ‘A Mythical Discovery’ — an 8-part research chain that is permanently available to all players who have not yet completed it. Unlike many Pokemon, Mew cannot be caught in the wild or through raids — it is exclusively available through this research quest.
A Mythical Discovery — Task Overview
- Part 1: Spin 5 PokeStops, catch 10 Pokemon, transfer 5 Pokemon
- Part 2: Earn 2 Candies walking with your Buddy, make 10 Great Throws, hatch 3 Eggs
- Part 3: Reach Trainer Level 15, battle in 2 Raids, battle in the Gym 2 times
- Part 4: Earn Silver Kanto Medal, evolve 20 Pokemon, walk 25km
- Part 5: Catch Ditto, catch 10 Ghost-type Pokemon during the day, reach Trainer Level 25
- Part 6: Reach Level 15 with a Buddy, battle 10 Raids, evolve a Magikarp
- Part 7: Catch 50 Pokemon using a Berry, make 1 Excellent Throw, earn a Gold Kanto Medal
- Part 8: Catch Mew — the final reward
A Mythical Discovery is available to every player — take your time with it as there is no expiration date. Some tasks (catching Ditto, earning Gold Kanto Medal) can take weeks or months to complete.
Unown in Pokemon Go — How to Find It
Unown is one of the rarest Pokemon in Pokemon Go. It comes in 28 different letter forms (A through Z, !, and ?) — each a separate Pokedex entry that counts toward your Unown collection. Unlike most Pokemon, Unown does not spawn in the wild under normal circumstances. It appears primarily at:
- Pokemon Go Fest events: Unown appears in specific letters related to the event theme at Go Fest — the primary way to catch Unown forms
- Safari Zone events: Niantic’s in-person Safari Zone events feature location-specific Unown letters related to the host city
- Local events: Some Niantic-sponsored local events feature specific Unown letters
- Photobombs: Occasionally Unown appears as a photobomb surprise in GO Snapshot
Specific Unown letters are extremely rare outside events. Players who want to complete their Unown collection typically attend multiple Go Fest and Safari Zone events over several years. The shiny versions of Unown are among the rarest shinies in the game.
Pokemon Go Team Switch — How to Change Teams
Once you join a team in Pokemon Go (Team Mystic/blue, Team Valor/red, or Team Instinct/yellow), you cannot change teams freely. Niantic sells a Team Medallion item in the Pokemon Go shop for 1,000 PokeCoins that allows a one-time team switch. There is a 365-day cooldown after using the Team Medallion before you can switch again.
- Cost: 1,000 PokeCoins — purchasable from the Pokemon Go shop
- Cooldown: 365 days after each switch — you can only change teams once per year
- What you keep: All your Pokemon, items, progress, and friend connections stay the same
- What changes: Your gym defense assignment changes to your new team’s gyms; your team badge resets
Before spending 1,000 PokeCoins on a Team Medallion, consider why you want to switch. If it is to coordinate with friends, the most common reason, make sure your friends are consistently playing that team before committing.
For the best Pokemon Go accessories to help you catch more Pokemon during events — including auto-catchers that work during Community Day — see our guide to Pokemon Go Plus, Gotcha, and auto-catcher accessories — complete buying guide.
For all upcoming Pokemon Go events including Community Day dates and Raid Hour schedules, see the Leek Duck Pokemon Go event calendar — all events and countdowns. For official event announcements from Niantic, see the Pokemon Go official blog — events and announcements.
Bottom Line
| Community Day hours | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM local time; monthly (3rd Saturday) |
| Best Community Day strategy | Use Incense + Lure; evolve for exclusive move within 5 hrs after event |
| Raid Hour | Every Wednesday 6:00–7:00 PM local time |
| Lucky Pokemon | From trading; 50% cheaper Stardust to power up; min 12/12/12 IVs |
| Lucky Friends | Guaranteed Lucky trade — next trade after Lucky Friends activates |
| How to get Mew | ‘A Mythical Discovery’ Special Research — 8 parts, no expiry |
| Unown | Primarily at Go Fest and Safari Zone events — extremely rare normally |
| Team switch | 1,000 PokeCoins; Team Medallion; 365-day cooldown |
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the next Pokemon Go Community Day?
Niantic announces Community Day dates 2-3 weeks in advance. Community Day typically occurs on the third Saturday of each month from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time. To find the next Community Day date: check pokemongolive.com/en/blog for official announcements, check leekduck.com/events for a community calendar with countdown timers, or check the in-game News tab in Pokemon Go.
What is a lucky Pokemon in Pokemon Go?
A lucky Pokemon is a special variant obtained through trading that costs 50% less Stardust to power up and has a minimum IV floor of 12 in all three stats. Lucky Pokemon display a sparkle animation on their summary screen. They are obtained by trading with friends — older Pokemon (caught in 2016-2017) have higher Lucky trade odds. Becoming Lucky Friends with a Best Friend guarantees that your next trade produces two Lucky Pokemon.
What is Raid Hour in Pokemon Go?
Raid Hour is a weekly Pokemon Go event every Wednesday from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM local time where the current featured 5-star Legendary raid Pokemon appears in nearly every gym simultaneously. It is the best opportunity to catch Legendary Pokemon — maximize it by joining a local raid group, using Remote Raid Passes, and preparing your counter team in advance using Pokebattler.com.
How do I get Mew in Pokemon Go?
Mew is obtained by completing the ‘A Mythical Discovery’ Special Research quest — an 8-part research chain permanently available to players who have not yet caught Mew. The quest involves spinning PokeStops, hatching eggs, catching Ditto, reaching specific trainer levels, and earning Kanto medals. There is no time limit — complete it at your own pace. Mew cannot be caught in the wild or through raids.
How do I change teams in Pokemon Go?
To change your Pokemon Go team (Mystic, Valor, or Instinct), purchase a Team Medallion from the Pokemon Go shop for 1,000 PokeCoins. Using the Team Medallion switches your team immediately. There is a 365-day cooldown before you can switch again, so you can only change teams once per year. All your Pokemon, items, and progress are retained when switching teams.
