Niantic has officially announced a new in-game event for Pokémon GO to celebrate the 2025 Pokémon World Championships. This special event will run from Friday, August 15, at 10 am to Sunday, August 17, at 8 pm local time, and it’s packed with exclusive features, raids, bonuses, and avatar items to mark the competitive celebration.
New Costumed Pikachu and Wild Encounters
During the event, players can encounter Pikachu wearing a varsity jacket, available in one-star raids and Field Research tasks. Trainers will also have a boosted chance to find this special Pikachu in its shiny form.
In the wild, a variety of Pokémon will appear more frequently, including:
- Nidoran♀*
- Mankey*
- Marill*
- Paldean Wooper*
- Spoink*
- Inkay*
- Rookidee*
- Fuecoco*
- Male Frillish*
- Vullaby*
(*Shiny available)
Raids and Research
One-Star Raids
- Pikachu wearing a varsity jacket*
- Honedge
Three-Star Raids
- Lapras* (with Ice Beam)
- Dusclops
- Diggersby
Field Research Task Rewards
- Pikachu wearing a varsity jacket*
- Marill*
- Paldean Wooper*
- Honedge
Paid Timed Research – $5
A special Timed Research will be available for $5, offering:
- 1 Premium Battle Pass
- 25,000 Stardust
- Encounters with:
- Lickitung*
- Lapras*
- Azumarill
- Sableye*
- Swalot
- Claydol
- Carbink*
- Guzzlord*
- Lokix
(*Shiny chance)
All tasks and rewards must be completed and claimed by August 17, 2025, at 8 pm local time.
Featured Attacks During the Event
Some Pokémon caught or evolved during the event will learn exclusive moves:
- Lapras: Ice Beam (Charged Attack)
- Primeape (evolved from Mankey): Rage Fist (Charged Attack)
- Annihilape (evolved from Primeape): Rage Fist (Charged Attack)
- Clodsire (evolved from Paldean Wooper): Megahorn (Charged Attack)
GO Battle Weekend: Delightful Days
From August 15 at 12 am to August 17 at 11:59 pm local time, players can participate in GO Battle Weekend with the following bonuses:
- 4× Stardust from win rewards (excluding end-of-set rewards)
- Up to 20 battle sets per day (100 total battles)
- Free battle-themed Timed Research (includes avatar shoes)
- Wider variance in Pokémon IVs from GO Battle League rewards
Active Leagues:
- Great League
- Ultra League
- Master League
GO Battle League Special Features
In addition to the bonuses, new battleground visuals and battle music will be added to the GO Battle League from August 11 at 1 pm PT through August 17 at 11:59 pm PT.
Avatar Items and Stickers
New avatar items will become available in the in-game shop:
- 2025 Worlds Jersey
- 2025 Worlds Visor
- 2025 Worlds Tee (White) – redeemable via code shared during the championship broadcast
Themed stickers will be obtainable by spinning PokéStops, opening Gifts, or purchasing from the shop.
Web Store Event Boxes
Two special bundles will be offered via the Pokémon GO Web Store:
- GO Battle Weekend Ultra Ticket Box – $4.99 (includes event ticket and a bonus Premium Battle Pass)
- TM Elite Master Box – $19.99 (includes 2 Elite Fast TMs, 2 Elite Charged TMs, 6 Fast TMs, and 6 Charged TMs)
More August Content Incoming
The 2025 World Championship event is one of several major happenings this August during the Delightful Days season. Additional events include:
- August 3: Debut of Gigantamax Butterfree during Max Battle Day
- August 6: Snom and Frosmoth join the game during the Cozy Companions event
- August 11: Team GO Rocket event begins, featuring the return of Shadow Kyogre
With daily content rolling out across multiple weeks, Pokémon GO continues to deliver high-energy gameplay and unique experiences for both casual and competitive players during its 19th season.
