The recently announced Valentine’s Day event in Pokémon GO seemed crazy enough, but it seems that’s not the only challenge presented to trainers this month.
Starting on Saturday, February 20th, 2021, the Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto challenge will finally begin, and you have until 7:00 p.m. (your local time) on this date to purchase a ticket to access the event. Niantic has shared new details on the Tour in a recent blog post.
Special Research and Shiny Ditto
During the Pokémon GO Tour, Professor Willow will request help in a new “Kanto’s Special Research” story. At the end of this adventure is where you’ll encounter a Shiny Ditto.
Masterwork Research and Shiny Mew
In December, we reported that players can encounter a Shiny Mew by completing new story events. We now have a few more details on how players can pursue the iconic legendary Pokémon.
Upon completion of Kanto’s Special Research, you’ll unlock a new kind of research called Masterwork Research. The blog notes that this “will take determination and skill to complete,” and looking at the requirements, Niantic isn’t kidding. “Just completing the first page will require that you receive your platinum Kanto medal. From there, you’ll have to reach level 40, catch 30 Pokémon of each type, spin 151 unique PokéStops, walk 151 km, and more.”
It seems like this challenge will truly set the trainers from the masters. Best of luck!
10 Collection Challenges
Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto will also introduce 10 new Collection Challenges.
- Red (Trade) or Red (Incense)
- Green (Trade) or Green (Incense)
- Raid
- Research
- Evolve
The blog says that “half of these collections are based on how you’ll find and collect the Pokémon during the event.” In the previous report, we explained that the event will divide players between two different purchasable Red and Green tickets that contain Pokémon exclusive to the version they pick (an idea based on the original Red and Green Pokémon games). You can check out the list of Pokémon exclusive to each version here before selecting your ticket type (available now)!
The remaining Collection Challenges are “inspired by locations from the original games”:
- Pallet Town
- Pewter City
- Cerulean City
- Fuchsia City
- Pokémon League
The Collection Challenges will be available until Sunday, February 28th at 7:59 p.m (your local time). The blog notes that “Pokémon hatched from Eggs and Shadow Pokémon rescued from Team GO Rocket will not count toward your Collection Challenges.”
Event schedule and retro-inspired music
Each of the following hours listed below “will feature music inspired by the original game, curated by none other than Pokémon’s original soundtrack composer, Junichi Masuda!”
- 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Pallet Town
- 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Pewter City
- 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Cerulean City
- 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.: Fuchsia City
- 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Pokémon League
- 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.: Pallet Town
- 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Pewter City
- 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Cerulean City
- 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Fuchsia City
- 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Pokémon League
- 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Pokémon from all previous hours
Pokémon GO Tour: Kanto will also let us see the results of last month’s Pokémon GO competition, which offered players the chance to “become a character” in the game by submitting their Trainer profile, outfit, and a selection of three Pokémon. The avatars of the winning participants will appear on the in-game map during the Kanto event and challenge you to battle.
All of this will definitely keep trainers busy later this month. Stay safe, play responsibly, and have fun!
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Written by Reece Heather
A lifelong Nintendo fan and a longtime editor at Zelda Universe, Reece will forever be grateful that he somehow dodged the Naughty List of Christmas 1998, when Santa delivered the life-changing gift of a Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Mario Kart 64. When he's not playing games, Reece is usually reading Punisher comics, delving helplessly into the weirdest depths of anime and manga, or spending time with his cocker spaniel Gracie -- the goodest girl ever!
