Niantic has announced the August 2020 Research Breakthrough, Pokémon Spotlight Hours, and more for Pokémon GO.

August Research Breakthrough, Pokémon Spotlight Hours, and more

Trainers, Here’s what you can look forward to during the month of August.

August Research Breakthrough encounter
From Saturday, August 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Tuesday, September 1, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), Scraggy, the Shedding Pokémon, will be available as a Research Breakthrough encounter.

Pokémon Spotlight Hours
In the month of August, Pokémon Spotlight Hour will take place every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. local time, and each hour will spotlight a different Pokémon and special bonus!

• Tuesday, August 4, 2020: Horsea will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for catching Pokémon.
• Tuesday, August 11, 2020: Sableye will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Candy for transferring Pokémon.
• Tuesday, August 18, 2020: Venipede will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the XP for evolving Pokémon.
• Tuesday, August 25, 2020: Geodude will be in the spotlight, and you’ll earn twice the Stardust for catching Pokémon.

The Ultra Unlock is coming!
Thank you, Pokémon GO Fest 2020 attendees, for completing this year’s challenges! Not only did you end Team GO Rocket’s take-over of the event, but you also earned this year’s Ultra Unlock bonus.

Here’s what you can expect for each Ultra Unlock week.

• Dragon Week will run from Friday, July 31, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, August 7, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7). The majestic Dragon-type Pokémon come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny Gible to the towering Alolan Exeggutor, and this week will be their time to shine! Rayquaza will be in five-star raids, and there will also be special Timed Research available only this week. If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Deino!
• Enigma Week will run from Friday, August 7, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT to Friday, August 14, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7). The featured Pokémon range from the mysterious Elgyem to the powerful Deoxys! Deoxys will be in five-star raids, and if you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one! You might also encounter a Shiny Staryu.
• Unova Week will run from Friday, August 14, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, August 21, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7). Sewaddle, Cottonee, Emolga, and Bouffalant—all originally discovered in the Unova region—will be appearing in the world of Pokémon GO for the first time! Bouffalant will be appearing in New York City and the surrounding areas. Genesect will be in five-star raids, and if you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one! You might also encounter a Shiny Roggenrola.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/pokemongofest2020-update/

Niantic has announced that a makeup event for players who purchased a Pokémon GO Fest 2020 ticket will take place on August 16th, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time.

Pokémon GO Fest 2020: Upcoming makeup event for players who purchased a ticket

Trainers, Due to technical issues that occurred during some of the Pokémon GO Fest 2020 habitat blocks, we’re holding a global makeup event on August 16, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time. During this makeup event, some Pokémon featured during Pokémon GO Fest 2020 will be appearing more frequently in the wild. Note that this makeup event will be available only to players who purchased a Pokémon GO Fest 2020 ticket.

Features

• Pokémon featured during the Pokémon GO Fest 2020 Fire, Water, and Friendship habitat hours will be appearing in the wild. Incense will be more effective at attracting the featured Pokémon, and certain featured Pokémon will appear only when attracted by Incense, so be sure to use Incense to encounter all sorts of Pokémon!
• There’ll be a special free box featuring two Incense and two Remote Raid Passes. Please note that players can claim this box only if they have fewer than three Remote Raid Passes in their Item Bag.
• Gifts opened during the event can contain Rare Candies.
• Incense activated during the event will last for one hour.

Date + Time

• Sunday, August 16, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time, wherever players who purchased a Pokémon GO Fest 2020 ticket are in the world. Three different habitats will be featured during this event, each lasting for one hour.
• 11:00 a.m.: Fire
• 12:00 p.m.: Water
• 1:00 p.m.: Friendship

Thank you for your understanding, and we appreciate your continued passion for Pokémon GO!

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/pokemongofest2020-update/

Niantic have announced the details for the Augst 2020 Pokémon GO Community Day which takes place on August 8th, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. The featured Pokémon for this day is Magikarp. Magikarp will appear in the wild more frequently for six hours that day. The 3× Catch Stardust and 3-hour incense bonuses will also be available that day. If you evolve a Magikarp during the event or up to two hours afterwards, you will to get a Gyarados that knows Aqua Tail.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/events/community-day/

The featured Pokémon for August Community Day is...

Trainers, August’s Community Day Pokémon is known for the following.

• Leaping over mountains after living for many years
• Surviving in any body of water, no matter how polluted it is
• Being an easy target for predators

That’s right—it’s Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon! Read on for more details about the upcoming Community Day event featuring what some call an underpowered, pathetic Pokémon.

Date + Time
Saturday, August 8, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time

Features

• Magikarp will be appearing more frequently in the wild. If you’re lucky, you may encounter a Shiny Magikarp.
• Evolve Magikarp during the event or up to two hours afterward to get a Gyarados that knows Aqua Tail.
• Take a few snapshots during Community Day for a surprise!
• It takes quite a bit of Candy to evolve Magikarp into Gyarados! Complete event-exclusive Field Research tasks to earn additional Magikarp Candies.
• There’ll be a special one-time-purchase August Community Day Box, featuring 30 Ultra Balls, an Elite Charged TM, six Star Pieces, and an Incense!
• For US//media.pocketmonsters.net/news/4274/communityday-aug20.jpg (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), you’ll be able to access the Community Day–exclusive Special Research story Making a Splash! Follow Professor Willow as he learns about Magikarp and its epic Evolution journey!

Stay tuned for when tickets for the Making a Splash Special Research story go live! Tickets are nonrefundable (subject to applicable law and the exceptions set forth in the Terms of Service). Please note that this Special Research will not include an in-game medal.

Bonuses

• 3× Catch Stardust
• Incense activated during the event will last for three hours.

Trainers, let’s make a splash and celebrate Magikarp together! Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/communityday-aug20/

Niantic has announced that Pokémon GO Fest 2020 has been taken over by Team GO Rocket in certain parts of the world as part of the day two festivities.

Pokémon GO Fest 2020 has been taken over by Team GO Rocket in certain parts of the world!

Trainers, We really thought that Team GO Rocket’s balloon take-over during our fourth-anniversary celebration was going to be their last take-over this year, but alas...they’re back. This time, it seems they’ve set their villainous sights on taking over our biggest event—Pokémon GO Fest! We’d like to thank the Pokémon GO team in the Asia-Pacific region and Trainers from around the world for alerting us to this development.

Between on-the-ground investigations and Trainer reports, we’ve managed to confirm the following information. For all Trainers, regardless of whether you have a Pokémon GO Fest 2020 ticket, keep your eyes peeled for the following during the take-over…

• You’ll be able to use a Charged TM to let your Pokémon forget the attack Frustration and learn a new attack. We noticed that this seems to be possible only for a limited time during Team GO Rocket’s take-overs. We will be investigating this strange phenomenon further.
• The confetti from the first day’s festivities will be replaced by Team GO Rocket confetti!
• Battle the Team GO Rocket Leaders! We’ve received reports that point to them having the following Shadow Pokémon on their teams.
  • Sierra: Beldum, Houndoom, and Zapdos
  • Cliff: Pinsir, Tyranitar, and Articuno
  • Arlo: Mawile, Scizor, and Moltres
• We also heard that Giovanni will have a new lineup during the take-over and that you'll be able to rescue Shadow Persian after defeating him!

Pokémon GO Fest 2020 ticket holders, Professor Willow is calling on you for help. It takes a certain level of villainy to launch a plan of this scale during our biggest celebration of the year. Let’s put a stop to Team GO Rocket! Open Pokémon GO on Sunday, July 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time to access the following.

• The GO Fest 2020: Rocket Straight to Victory Special Research will be available. Help Professor Willow and the team leaders defeat Team GO Rocket and take back Pokémon GO Fest 2020! Some of you might recall that the professor mentioned yesterday that he was feeling a great energy that filled him with hope and determination. We’re still wondering where this energy came from and whether it has anything to do with this turn of events...
• As you complete the GO Fest 2020: Rocket Straight to Victory Special Research, you’ll encounter Pokémon that can help you defeat the Team GO Rocket leaders!
• More Team GO Rocket balloons will be appearing in the skies, and more Team GO Rocket Grunts will be capturing PokéStops!
• Earn twice the Stardust and Mysterious Components when you defeat Team GO Rocket Grunts (both at PokéStops and in balloons)
• The Global Challenge Arena and Virtual Team Lounge have been vandalized by Team GO Rocket!
• Reports indicate some unwanted guests are appearing in attendees’ snapshots. Be sure to show us what you find with #GOsnapshot!

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Until we can all meet again in the same park and under the same sky...let’s GO and show Team GO Rocket who’s boss!

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/pokemongofest2020-day2/

Niantic has announced more details about the Pokémon GO Fest 2020 including the Ultra Unlock details.

Tips for the best Pokémon GO Fest experience—plus, Ultra Unlock details!

Trainers, Pokémon GO Fest 2020 is right around the corner! Read on for what you can look forward to during the event. Plus, you can check out details on what you can unlock when meeting certain challenges during the weekend.

Pokémon GO Fest 2020: Know before you GO!

• Purchase your Pokémon GO Fest 2020 ticket: If you haven’t yet purchased a ticket, you can pick one up for US $14.99 (or the equivalent in your local currency), plus taxes and fees, and enjoy a weekend of Special Research and encounters with featured Pokémon! Here’s how you can purchase a ticket.
  
  
  • In the shop, tap the Pokémon GO Fest 2020 image.
  • Tap the Buy button. (Tickets cannot be purchased with PokéCoins.)
  • After you tap OK, you can find the ticket in your Item Bag.
  • You’ll receive a medal commemorating the event. When you open the app during day one, you’ll receive access to the two-day Pokémon GO Fest 2020 experience, including the first Special Research line! Make sure to open the app during day two to receive the second Special Research line.
  • After you’ve obtained the Special Research lines, you can complete them at any time. Tickets to this event are nonrefundable (subject to applicable law and the exceptions set forth in the Terms of Service).
• Make the most out of your experience by using Incense: Incense activated during the event will last for one hour and will be even better at attracting featured Pokémon.
• Explore all the habitats: During Day 1, there will be five themed habitats rotating each hour, and each will feature different Pokémon!
• Get to level 10: If you are currently below Level 10, be sure to get to level 10 prior to the event in order to maximize your experience.
• Get your Print at Home kit: Bring the adventure of Pokémon GO Fest 2020 home. With the Print at Home kit, you can assemble crafts, decorations, and more to help re-create the adventure of traditional Pokémon GO Fests, no matter where you are in the world! The kit is available now on the Pokémon GO Fest website.
• Visit the Virtual Team Lounge: If you want to take a break from catching Pokémon during GO Fest, join us in the Virtual Team Lounge! Watch live video content, join the chat, check your team’s contributions to the Global Challenge Arena, and more! Mark your calendars—don’t miss the Pokémon GO Fest 2020 global kickoff keynote by John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, on Friday, July 24, at 2:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7) .
• Dress up with Pokémon GO Fest 2020 avatar items! Pick them up in the shop Thursday, July 23, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. PDT.

Ultra Unlock details
As is tradition with Pokémon GO Fest events, we’re excited to unveil details on this year’s Ultra Unlock bonus! Throughout day one of Pokémon GO Fest 2020, Trainers will have 32 global challenges they can work together to complete in the Global Challenge Arena. Every eight challenges that are collectively completed will unlock one additional Ultra Unlock event week, up to a total of three events. When Pokémon GO Fest 2020 begins, you’ll be able to track Global Challenge Arena progress in the Today View.

Here’s what you can expect for each Ultra Unlock week.
* Ultra Unlock Week One: Dragon Week
* Ultra Unlock Week Two: Enigma Week
* Ultra Unlock Week Three: Unova Week

Ultra Unlock Week One: Dragon Week

If Trainers complete eight global challenges, they’ll unlock Dragon Week. The majestic Dragon-type Pokémon come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny Gible to the towering Alolan Exeggutor, and this week will be their time to shine! Dragon Week will run from Friday, July 31, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, August 7, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).

Features

• The following Pokémon will be appearing more frequently in the wild: Alolan Exeggutor, Horsea, Dratini, Trapinch, Swablu, and Bagon. If you’re lucky, you might find a Gible!
• The following Pokémon will be hatching from 7 km Eggs: Horsea, Dratini, Trapinch, Swablu, and Bagon. Gible and Deino will also be hatching from 7 km Eggs, but only if you’re lucky!
• Rayquaza will be in five-star raids.
• Complete the Timed Research this week for a chance to encounter not one, but two Deino! This Timed Research will be available from Friday, July 31, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, August 7, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).
• If you’re lucky, you might find a Shiny Deino!

Ultra Unlock Week Two: Enigma Week

If Trainers complete 16 global challenges, they’ll also unlock Enigma Week. The featured Pokémon range from the mysterious Elgyem to the powerful Deoxys! Enigma Week will run from Friday, August 7, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, August 14, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).

Features

• The following Pokémon will be appearing more frequently in the wild: Staryu, Jigglypuff, Clefairy, Lunatone, Solrock, Baltoy, Bronzor, and Elgyem.
• The following Pokémon will be hatching from 7 km Eggs: Cleffa, Igglybuff, Lunatone, Solrock, and Elgyem
• The following Pokémon will be available in raids: Bronzong, Claydol, Bronzong, Elgyem, and Unown U, L, T, R, and A.
• Deoxys will be in five-star raids. If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Deoxys!
• If you’re lucky, you might find a Shiny Staryu!

Ultra Unlock Week Three: Unova Week

If Trainers complete 24 challenges,, they’ll also unlock Unova Week. Sewaddle, Cottonee, Emolga, and Bouffalant, originally discovered in the Unova region, will be making their Pokémon GO debut! Bouffalant will be available in New York City, USA and the surrounding areas. Unova Week will run from Friday, August 14, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Friday, August 21, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).

Features

• The following Pokémon will be appearing more frequently in the wild and hatching from 7 km Eggs: Sewaddle, Cottonee, and other Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region. If you’re lucky, you might find an Emolga!
• Bouffalant will be appearing in the wild and hatching from 7 km Eggs in New York City, USA and the surrounding areas.
• Roggenrola and other Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region will be available in raids.
• Genesect will be in five-star raids. If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Genesect!
• If you’re lucky, you might encounter Shiny Roggenrola!

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidance from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/post/pokemongofest2020-ultraunlock

YouTube Clip - The Makings of a Pokémon GO Fest

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REkdxR7T7Tg

YouTube Clip - Pokémon GO Fest 2020 Global Kick-off

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqu-y1cCjhk

Niantic has announced that the Pokémon GO Battle League Season 3 begins Monday, July 27, 2020.

GO Battle League Season 3 begins Monday, July 27, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7)

Trainers, Season 2 of the GO Battle League is nearing its end, and we’re excited to share all that’s happened within the past several weeks!

GO Battle League Season 2 Recap
There were a lot of changes that happened in Season 2! Trainers who reached rank 10 earned a fun new avatar pose. We tested out the Premier Cup format, and it was so well received that we decided to bring it back for Season 3.

We’re also excited to share that Trainers have completed one billion battles in the GO Battle League! We are thrilled to bring Trainers even more opportunities to battle during Season 3.

Season 2 rewards, Season 3 timeline, and what to expect
Once Season 3 begins on Monday, July 27, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7), your end-of-season rewards for Season 2 will be available on the Battle screen! You can expect similar end-of-season rewards for Season 2, except that you’ll receive an Elite Fast TM instead of Elite Charged TM if you reached rank 7 or higher! Season 3 will follow the same league rotation as Season 2, as noted in the schedule below, with a notable addition: the Premier Cup is now coming to Ultra League, too!

• The Great League will run from Monday, July 27, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, August 10, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).
• The Ultra League and its Premier Cup will run from Monday, August 10, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, August 24, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7). This Premier Cup will have a 2500 CP limit.
• The Master League and its Premier Cup will run from Monday, August 24, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, September 7, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7). This Premier Cup will have no CP limit.
• All three leagues and the Premier Cup (no CP limit) will be available from Monday, September 7, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. to Monday, September 14, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).
• Season 4 will begin Monday, September 14, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).

These dates are tentative, and we’ll be sure to update you if anything changes.

Expect the following to stay the same in Season 3:

• There will not be a walking requirement in order to battle in the GO Battle League.
• The Friendship level requirement for battling remotely will remain at Good Friends throughout Season 3. Remember that you can scan another Trainer’s QR code to battle them, no matter where they are.
• The avatar items inspired by Pikachu Libre will continue to be rank 7 rewards.
• The battles, wins, and ratings required to reach ranks will remain the same.

What’s new in Season 3?
There’ll be a few changes coming to the GO Battle League and Trainer Battles for Season 3.

• More cups will be added! In addition to the Ultra League Premier Cup, we’re introducing the Flying Cup, where only Flying-type Pokémon will be allowed! The Flying Cup will be available during an upcoming event—more details to come!
• Based on Trainer feedback, we’ve decided to remove the Battle Until You Win feature for Season 3.
• Your guaranteed reward encounters will be a bit different for Season 3. At each listed rank, you'll encounter these Pokémon:
• Pidgeot starting at rank 1
• Galarian Zigzagoon starting at rank 4
• Galarian Farfetch’d starting at rank 7
• Rufflet starting at rank 8
• Scraggy starting at rank 9
• Pikachu Libre starting at rank 10
• If you reach rank 10, you’ll earn a brand-new avatar pose and avatar item!
• For the premium rewards track, you’ll now earn Rare Candies after your fourth win. The number of Rare Candies rewarded will be reduced from eight to six.
• Trainers who finish Season 3 at rank 7 or higher will receive an Elite Charged TM rather than an Elite Fast TM. Besides that change, end-of-season rewards will stay the same as in Season 2.

Additionally, we have two GO Battle League–themed events lined up for Season 3! Stay on the lookout for updates regarding these events on the Pokémon GO blog and social media.

The following existing attacks have been updated for Trainer Battles.

• Drill Peck: This Flying-type Charged Attack now deals more damage.
• Brave Bird: This Flying-type Charged Attack now deals more damage. It also severely lowers the user’s Attack.
• Infestation: This Bug-type Fast Attack now generates energy more quickly.
• Hex: This Ghost-type Fast Attack now generates energy more quickly.
• Powder Snow: This Ice-type Fast Attack now deals more damage.
• Blizzard: This Ice-type Charged Attack now deals more damage.
• Flash Cannon: This Steel-type Charged Attack now requires more energy.
• Focus Blast: This Fighting-type Charged Attack now deals less damage.
• Moonblast: This Fairy-Type Charged Attack now has a decreased chance of lowering your opponent’s Attack.

The following existing attacks have been updated for Gym battles and raids.

• Drill Peck: This Flying-type Charged Attack now deals more damage.
• Brave Bird: This Flying-type Charged Attack now deals more damage.
• Hex: This Ghost-type Fast Attack now generates energy more quickly.

Along with these updates to existing attacks, the following Pokémon can learn an attack they couldn’t before.

• Braviary and Close Combat: Braviary can use this attack to make opposing Rock- and Steel-type Pokémon more dependent on Protect Shields.
• Abomasnow and Ice-type Weather Ball: This Ice-type Charged Attack is fitting for a Pokémon that appears when it’s snowy.
• Pelipper and Water-type Weather Ball: This Water-type Charged Attack is fitting for a Pokémon that appears when it’s rainy.
• Empoleon and Drill Peck: Empoleon can use this attack to make Fighting-type Pokémon more dependent on Protect Shields.

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

Source: https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/gobattleleague-season3/