The next event in Pokémon GO’s Season of Rising Heroes is, ultimately, setting the stage for Team GO Rocket to swoop in and cause their usual shenanigans (and perhaps be the villainous punching bag that hit hard throughout the Season). So, there won’t be any new Pokémon debuting in-game. Instead, Meltan’s Mystery Box will see a decreased cooldown time (which means more chances to catch Shiny Meltan and even XXS and XXL sizes), Ditto’s transformation pool is getting altered, and some regional exclusive Pokémon will be roaming all over the world.
Note, this event was initially referred to as “Let’s GO!” in the March 2023 overview social media image, yet on the official Pokémon GO blog, the exclamation point has been dropped. Since the Let’s GO! bit is in direct reference to the Pokémon: Let’s GO, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s GO, Eevee! games, we’ll be keeping the exclamation point in the event’s name going forward.
See what’s happening during the Let’s GO! event with our guide below:
Pokémon GO’s Season of Rising Heroes – Let’s GO!
Begins: Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time.
Ends: Wednesday, March 29th, 2023 at 8 p.m. your local time.
Pokémon featured – Ditto, Meltan, Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour
No new-new Pokémon will be debuting in Pokémon GO during this event. Instead, we’ll see some changes to Ditto*, Meltan*, Pansage*, Pansear*, and Panpour*.
- Ditto*: Oh? Be wary of certain Pokémon in the wild as the Pokémon in question might be a crafty Ditto instead! Ditto’s transformation pool has changed.
- Meltan*: The Mystery Box’s cooldown time has been reduced, the chance of encountering Shiny Meltan is possible, and there’s a higher chance you’ll encounter Meltan that are XXS or XXL during this event.
- Pansage*, Pansear*, and Panpour*: These Unova Pokémon are regional exclusives in Pokémon GO. However, during this event, they’ll be available worldwide. If you’ve missed out on catching them during previous events (Shiny or not Shiny), now’s the perfect time to add ’em to your Pokédex.
Note: Pokémon marked with an * means that “If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!”
Event Bonuses
- 2× Candy for transferring Pokémon.
- Increased chance of finding Ditto disguised as other Pokémon.
- Reduced waiting time for opening the Mystery Box.
- Increased chance of finding XXS and XXL Meltan.
The following bonuses from the Team GO Rocket takeover event will start on Saturday, March 25th, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time and will be active until the end of the Let’s GO! event:
- Team GO Rocket will appear more frequently at PokéStops and in balloons.
- You can use a Charged TM to help a Shadow Pokémon forget the Charged Attack Frustration.
And the following bonuses will be activated on Saturday, March 25th, 2023 from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. your local time as part of the GO Battle Day: Palmer event:
- 4× Stardust from win rewards. (This does not include the end-of-set rewards and will not stack with the 3× Stardust bonus from Master League rotation weeks.)
- The maximum number of sets you can play per day will be increased from five to 20—for a total of 100 battles—from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time.
Event Boxes
If any special event boxes or bundles are released during the event, they’ll be listed here once the event is live.
Wild Encounters
- The following Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild: Diglett*, Grimer*, Snubbull*, Corphish*, Starly*, Pansage*, Pansear*, Panpour*, Roggenrola*, Tympole*, and Litleo*.
- If you’re lucky, you might encounter the following Pokémon: Trubbish*, Galarian Stunfisk*, and Goomy.
Note: Pokémon marked with an * means that “If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!”
Ditto Transformations
Ditto* found in the wild in Pokémon GO have learned some new transformation tricks. The following Pokémon might give you an “Oh?” and Ditto transformation scene instead of the standard successful catch screen: Diglett*, Grimer*, Snubbull*, Corphish*, Starly*, Roggenrola*, Tympole*, and Litleo*.
If you’re lucky, the Ditto* that even surprised you may even be a Shiny Ditto!
Meltan and the Mystery Box
To obtain the Mystery Box in Pokémon GO and to crack it open to have Meltan* appear, Trainers will have to connect their Pokémon GO account to a copy of Pokémon: Let’s GO, Pikachu! or Pokémon: Let’s GO, Eevee! as well as sending a Pokémon from Pokémon GO to one of those games. You can read in detail how to do this in our How to transfer Pokémon from Pokémon GO and obtain Meltan in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu & Eevee! guide.
Typically, the Mystery Box has a cooldown time of 7 days in Pokémon GO. During this event, that cooldown time will be reduced and the chance of finding a Shiny Meltan among the Incense-like Mystery Box spawns will be increased.
Note: Pokémon marked with an * means that “If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!”
Raids
The following Pokémon will be appearing in Raids:
- One-Star Raids: Mareep*, Vanillite, Emolga, Cubchoo*, and Dedenne*.
- Three-Star Raids: Raichu, Dewgong, Piloswine, and Eelektrik.
- Five-Star Raids: Thundurus (Incarnate Forme)* followed by Lugia* (See Additional Notes).
- Mega Raids: Mega Venusaur* followed by Mega Alakazam* (See Additional Notes).
Additional Notes:
- Pokémon marked with an * means that “If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!”
- Five-Star Raids:
- Thundurus (Incarnate Forme)* will be available from Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 at 10 a.m. to Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time.
- Lugia* will appear in Five-Star Raids starting on Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time and will be available after the event (in Raids), until Monday, April 10th, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time.
- Mega Raids:
- Mega Venusaur* will be available from Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 at 10 a.m. to Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time.
- Mega Alakazam* will appear in Mega Raids starting on Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time and will be available after the event (in Raids), until Monday, April 10th, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time.
Field Research Tasks
There will be event-exclusive Field Research Tasks available and the rewards include the following Pokémon encounters: Pansage*, Pansear*, and Panpour*. These Field Research Tasks can be found when spinning PokéStops (and acquired if you have an open slot in your Field Research menu) when the event is active.
A complete list of tasks and rewards will be shared here once the event is live.
- Task: Catch 3 Ditto
- Reward: Pansage* OR Pansear* OR Panpour* Encounter
Note: Pokémon marked with an * means that “If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny one!”
Special Research – Let’s GO!
Nearly a month into the Season of Rising Heroes, a Season 10 Special Research Story will be released. Initially, this Special Research was referred to as “An Everyday Hero” in the official Pokémon GO blog post. Instead, it debuted under the title “Let’s GO!”. This Special Research is free and can be claimed in-game until Thursday, June 1st, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time.
A list of tasks and rewards of this Special Research will be shared here once the event is live. Depending on how long/in-depth this Special Research is, the complete list of tasks and rewards may be moved to the Pokémon GO Season of Rising Heroes guide hub page.
| Let's GO Special Research | |
|---|---|
| Step 1/6 | Reward |
| Catch 10 Pokémon | 5 Poké Balls |
| Make 10 Curveball Throws | 5 Razz Berries |
| Power up Pokémon 5 times | 1,000 Stardust |
| Completion Rewards | 1,500 XP and Mankey Encounter |
| Step 2/6 | Reward |
| Catch 15 Pokémon | 10 Poké Balls |
| Make 10 Great Throws | 5 Pinap Berries |
| Transfer 20 Pokémon | 5 Great Balls |
| Completion Rewards | 2,000 XP and Meditite Encounter |
| Step 3/6 | Reward |
| Power up Pokémon 10 times | 10 Great Balls |
| Make 7 Great Throws | 1 Lure Module |
| Defeat a Team GO Rocket member (Grunts only) | 3 Revives |
| Completion Rewards | 2,500 XP and Machoke Encounter |
| Step 4/6 | Reward |
| Catch a Pokémon | 500 XP |
| Completion Rewards | 1,000 XP and 1,000 Stardust |
| Step 5/6 | Reward |
| Catch 25 Pokémon | 2,500 Stardust |
| Defeat 3 Team GO Rocket Grunts | 3 Hyper Potions |
| Make 3 Excellent Throws | Galarian Farfetch'd* Encounter |
| Evolve 5 Pokémon | 2,500 Stardust |
| Battle in a Gym 3 times | 5 Revives |
| Completion Rewards | 1 Master Ball, 1,000 XP, and 1,000 Stardust |
| Step 6/6 | Reward |
| Claim Reward! | 10 Ultra Balls |
| Claim Reward! | 2 Silver Pinap Berries |
| Claim Reward! | 1 Star Piece |
| Completion Rewards | 3,000 Stardust and 3,000 XP |
Collection Challenge – Let’s GO!
A special, event-exclusive Collection Challenge will be available. According to Niantic, this Collection Challenge will reward Trainers with Meltan Encounter, 5,000 XP, and an addition to the Elite Collector medal. A complete list of what Pokémon must be caught/traded/evolved and the associated rewards will be added here once the event is live.
- Catch: Ditto, Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour.
- Reward: Meltan Encounter, 5,000 XP, and an addition to the Elite Collector medal.
Pokémon GO’s Season of Rising Heroes – Team GO Rocket takeover event
Begins: Saturday, March 25th, 2023 at 10 a.m. your local time.
Ends: Wednesday, March 29th, 2023 at 8 p.m. your local time.
Halfway through the Let’s GO! event, Team GO Rocket will be making a not-so-surprise appearance. Similar to previous Team GO Rocket takeover events in previous Seasons, Team GO Rocket members will have different Shadow Pokémon. Notably, Team GO Rocket Boss Giovanni will have Shadow Regice added to his team. For more details about this event, you can get all the details with our dedicated Pokémon GO’s Season of Rising Heroes – Team GO Rocket takeover event guide.
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Written by Jennifer Burch
Illustrator, designer, writer and big Nintendo geek, you can find Jennifer with an N3DS within reach 24/7. As the oldest of three, she has survived many Mario Party, Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart sessions intact in addition to getting her brothers hooked on some really weird games. (Cubivore anyone?)
