Pokémon X and Y: How to get every Mega Evolution

There aren't that many Mega Evolutions in Pokémon X and Y, but there are probably more than you think, making it even more difficult to catch ’em all.

In order for a Pokémon to undergo a Mega Evolution, it needs to be holding a Mega Stone appropriate to its type, and the trainer needs to be wearing the Mega Ring. If both conditions are met and the Pokémon is able to mega evolve, then you can select the option from within a battle to trigger the Mega Evolution. 

Only one Pokémon can mega evolve during a battle, but that isn’t too bad of a limit considering the game’s random encounters run rampant, and triggering a Link Battle is easy enough. Each available Mega Evolution is listed below along with its corresponding Mega Stone location.

Mega Venusaur: If Bulbasaur is chosen as your second starter, it comes with its Mega Stone, Venusaurite. If not, you can pick it up at Vernal Avenue Stone Emporium in Lumiose City.

Mega Charizard X and Y: If Charmander is chosen as your second second, it comes with its Mega Stone, Charizardite X or Y. If not, you can pick it up at Vernal Avenue Stone Emporium in Lumiose City.

Mega Blastoise: If Squirtle is chosen as your second starter, it comes with its Mega Stone, Blastoisinite. If not, you can pick it up at Vernal Avenue Stone Emporium in Lumiose City.

Mega Alakazam: You can find this stone, Alakazite, in the Reflecting Cave, floor B3F, during the post-game.

Mega Gengar: You will be given this stone, Gengarite, in Laverre City.

Mega Kangaskhan: You can find this stone, Kangaskhanite, in the Glittering Cave during the post-game.

Mega Pinsir: You can find this stone, Pinsirite, in the Santalune Forest during the post-game. It is exclusive to Pokémon X.

Mega Gyarados: You can find this stone, Gyaradosite, in Couriway Town during the post-game.

Mega Aerodactyl: You will be given this stone, Aerodactylite, in Ambrette Town.

Mega Mewtwo X and Y: Mewtwo is holding this stone, Mewtwonite X or Y, upon capture. He’s located in a cave in the Pokémon Village that requires Surf to access.

Mega Ampharos: You will be given this stone, Ampharosite, in Azure Bay.

Mega Scizor: You can find this stone, Scizorite, in the Frozen Cavern located behind Abomasnow.

Mega Heracross: You can find this stone, Heracronite, in Santalune Forest during the post-game. It is exclusive to Pokémon Y.

Mega Houndoom: You can find this stone, Houndoomite, in Route 16 during the post-game. It is Pokémon Y exclusive.

Mega Tyranitar: You can find this stone, Tyranitarite, in the Cyllage Gym during the post-game. It is Pokémon X exclusive.

Mega Blaziken: When you get Torchic from the event giveaway, it’ll come with this stone, Blazikenite.

Mega Gardevoir: In the Lumiose City southern boulevard cafe, you can trade for a Ralts. The Ralts holds this stone, Gardevoirite.

Mega Mawile: You can find this stone, Mawilite, in Shabbneau Castle during the post-game.

Mega Aggron: You can find this stone, Aggronite, in the Cyllage Gym during the post-game. It is Pokémon Y exclusive.

Mega Medicham: You will be given this stone, Medichamite, in Laverre City during the post-game.

Mega Manectric: You can find this stone, Manectite, on Route 16 during the post-game. It is Pokémon X exclusive.

Mega Banette: You can find this stone, Banettite, in the Cave of Emptiness during the post-game.

Mega Absol: You will be given this stone, Absolite, in Kiloude City during the post-game.

Mega Garchomp: You can find this stone, Garchompite, on Victory Road during the post-game.

Mega Lucario: You can find this stone, Lucarionite, held by the Lucario gifted to you in the game. You can turn down this Lucario, but if you want the stone and not the critter, just set the Pokémon free after you take its stone.

Mega Abomasnow: You will be given this stone, Abomasite, at the Frozen Cave where you obtain Abomasnow.

So, while Pokémon X and Y technically has every single Pokémon since the series inception, it only has a handful of Mega Evolutions. However, since the mechanic has now been introduced, it’s safe to assume subsequent installments in the franchise will build upon the new evolution mechanic. It would probably be best to evolve ’em all this time around, so you can fill out your Pokédex now and not have to worry about it in later installments.

This story originally appeared on Geek.

New Pokémon Clothes Launch In Japan, Social Distancing Goes Out The Window

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A state of emergency has been declared in Japan, but new Pokémon threads have gone on sale at GU clothing stores in Japan, with folks lining up for them.

At stores in Japan, such as supermarkets, there are now markers so people can ensure they are far enough apart from each other while they line up. But many of those waiting for the Pocket Monster shirts seem to be closer than they should be.

Via Hachima, as we can see from these photos of GU stores across the country, folks are lining up—probably when they should not be. Have a look:

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New Pokemon Masters Update Lets You Hatch A Starter Pokemon

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'Pokémon Go' Battle League Season 2 Announced: Complete Schedule and Changes

Niantic and the Pokémon Company have announced that the second season of the Pokémon Go Battle League will begin May 1.

After the first season, Niantic is looking to make changes and improvements to the battle system and the rewards. Niantic has confirmed that new changes will be implemented that will focus on the ranking system, encounters, rewards and more.

Trainers will also be able to participate in Trainer Battles via a QR Code, regardless of the friendship level or distance. This will allow trainers to battle anyone from anywhere.

With the Pokémon Go Battle League Season 2 about to begin, here's everything players need to know to prepare, including the schedule and the changes.

POKEMON GO BATTLE LEAGUE SEASON 2 SCHEDULE

Season 2 of the Pokémon Go Battle League will rotate between the three leagues: the Great League, the Ultra League and the Master League. The schedule below shows when each league format will be available:

The Great League will run from Friday, May 1, at 4 p.m. to Monday, May 25, at 4p.m. EDT.

The Ultra League will run from Monday, May 25, at 4 p.m. to Monday, June 15, at 4 p.m. EDT.

The Master League will run from Monday, June 15, at 4 p.m. to Monday, June 29, 2020, at 4 p.m. EDT.

In addition, the Premier Cup format will be running concurrently with the Master League. In this format, there is no Combat Power limit, but Legendary Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon are not eligible to participate.

All three leagues and the Premier Cup will be available from Monday, June 29, at 4 p.m. to Monday, July 6, at 4 p.m. EDT.

Immediately after Season 2, Season 3 of the Pokémon Go Battle League will begin on Monday, July 6, at 4 p.m. EDT. More details on that will come closer to the start date.

WHAT'S NEW IN POKEMON GO BATTLE LEAGUE SEASON 2

Niantic has confirmed that the reward system will be changed slightly. Trainers can now earn a Pokémon reward encounter after their third win on the basic rewards track or after their first win on the premium rewards track.

More wins are now required to get to ranks 4-7, making it more difficult to rank up and incentivizing players to continue battling during the new season.

Here are the guaranteed reward encounters at each rank:

Stunfisk starting at rank 4

Rufflet starting at rank 8

Scraggy starting at rank 9

If you reach rank 10, you'll earn a new avatar pose.

Trainers who finish the Pokémon Go Battle League Season 2 at rank 7 or higher will receive an Elite Fast TM, rather than an Elite Charged TM. The rest of the end-of-season rewards will stay the same as in Season 1.

Aside from the changes to the ranking system and rewards, Trainer Battles will also be changed.

The aforementioned requirements to challenge trainers via QR Code are changed, but trainers whose friendship level is at Good or Great can now challenge their friends instead of waiting to become Ultra or Best friends.

Also, the following attacks have been updated:

Drill Run - Its energy requirement has been reduced.

Moonblast - Its energy requirement and damage have both been reduced, and it now has a chance to lower the opponent's Attack stat.

Wild Charge - Its energy requirement has been reduced, its damage has been increased, and it now has a chance to sharply lower the user's Defense stat.

To go along with these attack changes, Palkia can now learn Aqua Tail, a move it couldn't before. Aqua Tail is a powerful Water-type Charged Attack.

What do you think of the upcoming season of the Pokémon Go Battle League? Let us know in the comments section.

'Pokémon Go' rolls out remote raids

Location-based game "Pokémon Go" continues adapting to the era of home confinement with a premium Remote Raid Pass.

"Pokémon Go" players can continue to tackle some of the game's toughest opponents -- and continue to drop money into the mobile app -- through a new Remote Raid Pass.

The pass, an optional purchase for the free Android and iOS game, allows players to access Raid Battles taking place nearby without having to travel to a specific spot.

In this way they can join up to 19 other players in taking on one of the game's more fearsome creatures.

Players can earn a complimentary Raid Pass each day from a virtual Gym location, though Premium Raid Passes offer greater versatility.

Niantic, the game's developer, is promoting the Remote Raid feature with a roster of returning Pokémon on a three-week rotation.

Found within the most challenging five-star rated Remote Raids will be Darkrai (April 28 - May 5), Altered Forme Giratina (May 5 - May 12) and Virizion.

Each week begins and ends at 8pm UTC.

In outlining the design of Remote Raids earlier in the month, Niantic suggested that the feature could remain part of the "Pokémon GO" experience during a period of deconfinement or beyond.

"At launch, Trainers battling in raids remotely will have the same attack power as Trainers who are able to battle at the raid location in person. At a later time, the attack power for Trainers battling remotely will be reduced. Afterward, a Trainer battling at the raid location in person will have higher attack power than a Trainer battling remotely."

Earlier in the year, estimates from analysis firm Sensor Tower showed that as preventative measures spread around the world in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, "Pokémon Go" experienced its best week of the year to date.

With global revenue of $23m USD, players spent 66% more than the previous week's $13m and 35% more than the 2020's previous high, $17m in earl y February.

Niantic has been swift to tweak its game to take into account the stay-at-home orders that would otherwise have prevented players from engaging with the traditional "Pokémon Go" experience, making it easier for them to get involved from a distance.

'Pokemon Go' Rumors: Throwback Challenge 2020 Reaching Players Shocks Niantic

KEY POINTS

Niantic figuring out how the "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto Research" made its way to some players

"Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto Research" event will last until May 7

Players already playing "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto Research" will not be included in the official launch

Niantic confirms that there is something new ahead for "Pokemon Go" players with the "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto" research. The only problem is that this event is not yet scheduled for release and yet it has reached some trainers. The reason behind the leak remains unknown. Regardless some players have already reportedly started the Field Research Tasks, one that involves trying to catch MewTwo.

Niantic apologized for the confusion as they have yet to determine the cause of the hiccup. Event details will be following soon but "Pokemon Go" players who were lucky enough to get it can start the tasks. Once the official release of the event is made, players who already got it will no longer receive it again per a Twitter post.

"Trainers, research was released to some Trainers ahead of schedule," Niantic said in a statement. "The event details will be released shortly, meanwhile Trainers who received this research can complete it now but won't receive it again. Sorry for the confusion!"

The "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto" research is a nine-part Field Research that will allow players to come across a rare Pokemon in Kanto. It is the latest offering from Niantic following the release of similar events in the past. Among the rate Pokemon who were released before including Lapras, Nidoking, Dratini, and Aerodactyl.

It turns out that Niantic had disabled the research temporarily before forcibly returning it since there were players who already had access. As of this writing, Niantic has yet to announce the official date when the "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto" will be made available to "Pokemon Go" players. However, Serebii claims that the event will be out soon and will last only until May 7.

Niantic may have overlooked the fact that the volume of players likely to be back on "Pokemon Go" has ballooned. This was discussed in a previous post, explaining how the number of augmented reality players is likely to boom with most have nothing better to do.

Though "Pokemon Go" is a game that usually requires movement, game developers made some tweaks by increasing spawns and urging players to use incense to attract pocket monsters to come to them. The only question is which among the Pokemon will be popping up and if there will be a difference when one plays the game from different regions.

Pokémon Go's new update is expected to finally bring out the Mewtwo Pokémon . Pictured: A man plays "Pokémon Go" by Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam, Aug.18, 2016. Photo: REUTERS/Kham

Pokémon Go: How to use a Remote Raid Pass

Niantic has added the ability to do raids remotely to Pokémon Go.

To participate in a remote raid, you'll have to be able to see the gym on your map. You can find raids happening close to your location by using the Nearby button. Players will also be able to raid at gyms if they have Pokémon defending that gym, no matter how far away it is. You'll also need a Remote Raid Pass, which is a completely separate item from normal Raid Passes.

A set of three Remote Raid Passes can be bought from the shop for one Coin as of writing this, but each additional pass after that will need to be bought for 100 Coins.

To participate in the raid, simply tap the gym that has an active raid and use your pass. You'll be able to see how many participants there are in the lobby before you join. Just like normal raids, up to 20 players can join a remote raid.

In the future, players who raid remotely will deal reduced damage. For now, though, players will deal full damage, even when raiding remotely.

'Pokémon Masters' Egg Feature: Which Starter Pokémon Should You Choose?

Pokémon Masters pushed out a major update to include Eggs and a new Pokémon for players to collect.

Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, the three Kanto region Starter Pokémon, are available through Eggs in Pokémon Master but players can only select one. While there may be a way to obtain all three Pokémon in the future—DeNA confirmed that more Eggs will be added at another time—your choice can be very important to your roster of Sync Pairs.

All three starter Pokémon have the same final move called "Race You." This status move will increase the speed and critical hit ratio of your Pokémon. Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle also have the same ability in "Power Reserves 2," which increases the attack power of your Pokémon if their HP is below half.

The final evolutions of the starter Pokémon also have the same base stats—351, 224, 97, 224, 97,175—so the only difference between them are the first three moves and the typing.

We break down each Pokémon to help players select which of the three Kanto Starters is best for you.

BULBASAUR

Bulbasaur and its evolutions Ivysaur and Venusaur are Grass and Poison-type Pokémon. However, in Pokémon Masters they are classified as a Grass-type Sync Pair. This starter Pokémon is weak to Fire-type attacks and is the only one of the three that has a physical and special attack.

Razor Leaf, a physical Grass-type attack, can hit all of your opponents and has a higher critical hit ratio than most moves.

It also has Dire Hit, which increases the chances of your moves being a critical hit. Solar Beam is the Bulbasaur line's most powerful attack and is on the special side. However, like the main Pokémon games, Solar Beam needs two turns to use but if the weather is sunny then the move will launch in one turn.

If you're looking for a Grass-type Sync Pair that can break Physical and Special walls and deal damage to more than one opponent at a time this may be the choice for you. The downside is that trainers will need to bring a Pokémon that knows Sunny Day to get the full potential of this Sync Pair.

CHARMANDER

This Fire-type Sync Pair is all about hitting hard and fast on the special side. Charmander and its evolutions learn Flamethrower and Fire Blast as its two attacking moves. Both Fire-type attacks are very powerful and have a small chance of burning. Its status move is X Sp. Atk, which increases this Pokémon's special attack by two stages.

There are a lot of powerful Fire-type Sync Pairs in Pokémon Masters already--including a more powerful pair in Red and Charizard—so if you're not attached to this Pokémon you may want to choose one of the other two.

SQUIRTLE

This Water-type Sync Pair is very similar to the Charmander line. It has two powerful Special Attacks in Bubblebeam and Hydro Pump with the former having a small chance of decreasing the opponent's Speed.

It also has the X Sp. Atk status move to increase its Special Attack just like the Charmander line.

If you're lacking in powerful Water-type Sync Pairs, you can't go wrong with Squirtle as your choice. Like the Charmander line, Squirtle and its evolutions have a straightforward strategy of hitting hard and fast.

Which of the three are you choosing and why? Let us know in the comments section.

Pokemon Journeys Confirms Dub Stars

Netflix shook up the anime world when it announced that it now has the exclusive licensing rights to the next big anime in the Pokemon franchise, Pokemon Journeys: The Series. With the English dubbed debut of the anime coming later this Summer, fans have been curious as to whether or not the mainstay dub cast of the series would be carried over for the new series. The first teaser trailer for its release seemed to tease there were a few returning members, and now it's been confirmed by the cast themselves!

Sarah Natochenny confirmed on Twitter that she will be returning to voice Ash Ketchum for Pokemon Journeys alongside the returning Lisa Ortiz (whose role is currently unconfirmed) and James C Cathart (who will be returning as Professor Oak, James, and Meowth). Not only are these stars returning for the new season, but they'll have some new members in the cast too!

Zeno Robinson will be joining as the voice of Goh (who was originally referred to as "Go" in the Japanese broadcast) and Ray Chase will be the voice of Professor Cerise (who was known as "Professor Sakuragi" in the Japanese broadcast). You can briefly hear their performances in the teaser trailer as well!

Pokemon Journeys: The Series will be debuting June 12th on Netflix, but it's currently unconfirmed whether or not the Japanese language version will be available to stream as well. Netflix officially describes Pokemon Journeys: The Series as such, "Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum has a new plan: see the world! But first, he and his partner Pikachu are headed to the opening of the Cerise Laboratory, a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region.

Ash meets Goh, another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon, and both are overjoyed when Professor Cerise asks them to become official research fellows. With Ash as determined as ever to become a Pokémon Master, and Goh aiming to catch one of every Pokémon (including the Mythical Mew), our heroes are in for adventure and excitement as they explore the wide world of Pokémon!"

Are you excited to finally see the English dubbed release of Pokemon Journeys: The Series? How do you feel about Pokemon's move to Netflix? What are you hoping to see in the new Pokemon anime? Excited to see the cast return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or talk to me directly about all things anime and other cool things @Valdezology on Twitter!

Did you know ComicBook.com has a Pokemon podcast? That's right folks, A Wild Podcast Has Appeared is available every Thursday bringing you the best breakdowns of the week's biggest news from Jim Viscardi, Megan Peters & Christian Hoffer. Catch the newest episode right here or subscribe on iTunes today!

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.

Pokémon Go Abra Community Day guide: best movesets and start times

Pokémon Go's Abra Community Day takes place on April 25 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. in your local time zone.

The Community Day will last for six hours instead of the usual three, and Abra will be spawning in abundance, which means you won't need to leave the house. Shiny Abra will also be spawning more often during the event period.

How do I get a Shiny Abra?

Since Abra will be popping up everywhere, just tap every Abra you see until you get a Shiny one. You'll find one sooner or later, as the Shiny rate on Community Days is boosted to about a one in 24 rate.

Image: Niantic via Polygon What special move does Alakazam learn?

Evolving Abra into an Alakazam during the event period will teach it the fighting-type move Counter. While this isn't great for raiding, this is a pretty OK move to know for PvP battles.

How do I make the most of this Community Day?

All Stardust from catching Pokémon will be tripled, so use a Star Piece to get even more. This event also overlaps with the Buddy Up event, so you'll also get double XP for evolving Pokémon. Pop a Lucky Egg, and evolve all the Abra you get for a load of XP. Abra only costs 25 candy to evolve, so it's an easy way to cash out on the events overlapping.

Alakazam with Confusion and Psychic is a very good psychic-type raid attacker, only falling behind Deoxys and Mewtwo.

Netflix snags US Pokémon animated series rights; 23rd season begins June 12

Netflix is going after Disney Plus and its family-centric audience with a major new acquisition. Today, Netflix revealed it will be the exclusive US outlet for future episodes of the long-running Pokémon animated series. The Netflix-Pokémon deal begins when the first 12 episodes of Pokémon Journeys debut on the service June 12. New episodes from the season will then drop every quarter.

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The new series will once again center on Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum and his cute Pokémon, Pikachu. Ash gets recruited by the Cerise Laboratory to travel around the Pokémon world to learn more about the mysterious creatures in each region.

Netflix already has a number of older Pokémon seasons to binge-watch, along with several movies, such as the recently released Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution.

As Polygon points out, previous seasons of the Pokémon series have made their US debuts on more traditional kids-based cable TV outlets, like Cartoon Network and Disney XD. However, more and more children are watching shows geared to their audience via streaming services. The launch of Disney Plus in 2019, which is aimed specifically at kids and family audiences, has helped to accelerate that trend, as it has now signed up over 50 million subscribers in less than six months.

The fight to get kids' eyeballs on streaming services will get an even bigger boost on May 27 when HBO Max launches. It will have the exclusive rights to shows like Sesame Street along with the full library of films from Japan-based Studio Ghibli. It will also be the home to new children's shows, such as the new Looney Tunes animated series and the Sesame Street talk show The Not-Too Late Show With Elmo.

Will you try to catch all the new Netflix Pokémon episodes?

'Pokémon Journeys: The Series' Announces Netflix Release Date: What New Episodes Will Bring

In recent months, the Pokémon world has faced new uncertainty due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As a result, it was announced that the production of "Pokemon: The Series" has been postponed for the foreseeable future, which likely disappointed anime fans. However, thanks to an announcement on Thursday, those who are interested in the franchise will have a way to keep up with Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, and others, as the official release date of Netflix's "Pokémon Journeys: The Series" was revealed.

The animated series will follow Ash and Pikachu as they travel to Cerise Laboratory, a new research facility that is focused on solving various Pokémon mysteries. Once there, he will meet Goh, another boy who has his own set of goals. Between the two, they will attempt to catch every Pokémon and become masters. 

In the new trailer, some of the original 151 Pokémon can be seen, such as Butterfree, Cubone, and Magikarp. Team Rocket with Meowth also make appearances. The full clip can be seen below. 

According to Deadline, The Pokémon Company International intentionally chose Netflix as their partner on the new project for a specific reason.

"With their tremendous reach and ability for fans to enjoy content anytime and anywhere, Netflix is the ideal partner to premiere new episodes of the beloved animated Pokémon series in the U.S.," said Emily Arons, senior vice president of international business at the company. 

READ: Gotta Find 'Em All: Rare Pokémon Card Worth $60,000 Lost In Mail

The first 12 episodes of Season 23 will premiere June 12 on Netflix. New episodes will then be added quarterly until the season finale.

Aside from the new show, the popular series has remained in the news for a variety of reasons throughout recent months. Not only has a star of "Detective Pikachu" spoken about the possibility of a sequel to the 2019 Ryan Reynolds film, but a new Pokémon of the Year was recently crowned after a worldwide vote.  

"Pokémon Journeys: The Series" will premiere on Netflix on June 12.

Ash and Pikachu are pictured in "Pokémon Journeys: The Series," which will premiere on Netflix. Photo: Netflix

'Pokemon Journeys: The Series' coming to Netflix in June

April 23 (UPI) -- Pokémon Journeys: The Series, the 23rd season of the Pokémon animated series, is coming to Netflix in June.

The streaming service announced in a press release Thursday that it has partnered with The Pokémon Company International to stream upcoming seasons of the show.

The first 12 episodes of Season 23 will premiere June 12 on Netflix. New episodes will be added to the service quarterly for the remainder of the season.

"With their tremendous reach and ability for fans to enjoy content anytime and anywhere, Netflix is the ideal partner to premiere new episodes of the beloved animated Pokémon series in the U.S.," Pokémon Company International senior vice president Emily Arons said.

"We can't wait for Pokémon fans of all ages to continue discovering the spirit of adventure and friendship in Pokémon Journeys: The Series, our newest season coming to Netflix this June," she added.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series follows Ash and Pikachu as they "embark on adventures across multiple regions of the Pokémon world, meeting new characters and discovering more Pokémon along the way."

According to an official synopsis, Ash and Pikachu will attend the opening of the Cerise Laboratory, "a research facility dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of Pokémon in every region." Ash meets Goh, "another boy with boundless curiosity about Pokémon," and both boys are asked by Professor Cerise to become official research fellows.

Netflix shared an international trailer for Pokémon Journeys: The Series on Thursday. The season will feature a new theme song written and performed by Walk Off the Earth.

Netflix also streams Pokémon Indigo League, Pokémon The Series: Sun & Moon Ultra Legends and other entries in the Pokémon franchise.

‘Pokémon Journeys’ will be a Netflix exclusive in the US

The Pokémon anime has been running since the late '90s, but Ash Ketchum still isn't a Pokémon Master, and still hasn't caught 'em all. The 23rd season of the iconic anime will come out in the US on June 12th, but unlike previous seasons, this one will be a Netflix Original. This isn't the case for other countries, though. The show will be on Sony's POP channel in the UK, and it already started its run on TV Tokyo in Japan. This could be a good acquisition for Netflix, though. As more tenured media corporations launch their own streaming services like HBO Max and Disney+, the company will likely need more content to stay competitive.

Pokémon Journeys will see Ash travel to previous locales, as well as the new Galar region from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield on Nintendo Switch. The first 12 episodes will be available at launch, and 12 new episodes will be added every three months. The show's production was placed on hold a few days ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. Only 22 episodes have been aired thus far in Japan, so it's unclear if this could affect future Netflix releases.

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Pokemon Go's Landorus Raids Are Being Extended

Pokemon Go's latest Legendary Pokemon, Landorus, is sticking around a little longer. The Legendary Ground/Flying type was originally scheduled to leave the game today, April 21, but you'll now have some more time to capture it if you haven't already.

As Niantic announced on the official Pokemon Go website, Landorus will now remain in the game until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on April 28, giving players one additional week to catch it. Until that time, Landorus will appear in Gyms around the world as a five-star Raid boss. If you need help battling it, be sure to check out our Landorus Raid guide.

In other Pokemon Go news, Niantic is holding a buddy event in the game from April 21-27. During that time, Pokemon like Alolan Meowth, Chansey, Eevee, Feebas, Lillipup, and Joltik will appear in the wild and hatch from eggs much more often than usual. The region-exclusive Pokemon Volbeat and Illumise will also appear around the world, and you'll have a chance of encountering their Shiny forms.

Later this week, Niantic will also host Pokemon Go's delayed Abra Community Day. The event was originally scheduled for March 15 before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will now take place on April 25 and will run for six hours instead of the usual three.

Niantic also has some more adjustments in the works for Pokemon Go to make it easier to play from a personal setting. The developer will soon introduce Remote Raid Passes that let you join Raid Battles from home. You'll also soon be able to activate multiple Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces, and Incenses at a time, and power up your Pokemon much more quickly by feeding them multiple Candies and Stardust at once.

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Pokémon Go Buddy Up 2020 event guide: Field Research and rewards

Pokémon Go is hosting an event to celebrate buddy Pokémon from April 21 at 8 a.m. until April 27 at 10 p.m. in your local time.

Bonuses include double XP for evolving Pokémon and buddy candy coming in half the usual distance. Buddy Pokémon will also bring in more gifts and stick around for double the usual time after feeding them Berries or Poffins.

Alolan Meowth, Eevee, Feebas, Lillipup, Joltik, Illumise, and Volbeat will also be spawning from five kilometer eggs. All of these Pokémon except Feebas will also be spawning in the wild. Chansey will also be spawning more often, so it's a good time to try to score enough candy for a Blissey, if you still need one.

Illumise and Volbeat are usually migratory Pokémon, but are appearing everywhere throughout the event. They'll also be popping up Shiny for the first time.

Image: Niantic via Polygon

There's also some Field Research for this event that rewards some of the themed Pokémon.

Pokémon Go Buddy Up 2020 event Field Research and rewards Task Reward Task Reward Take a snapshot of your buddy Volbeat encounter Play with your buddy Illumise encounter Earn a candy wakling with your buddy Woobat encounter Give your buddy a treat Alolan Meowth encounter

There'll be an Abra Community Day on April 25, which overlaps with this event. Using Lucky Eggs as you evolve a ton of Abra will give a juicy amount of XP if you're still on the grind to level 40.

Incense Day In ‘Pokémon GO’: Full Schedule And Times For Each Type

Pokemon GO

Credit: Niantic

I’ve got to hand it to Niantic: re-orienting a game like Pokémon GO to function during shelter in place orders is no small task, but the team has been doing what it can over the past few weeks to turn this thing into a kind of Pokémon Stay, short on a lot of what makes the game special but an effective stopgap until we can actually start playing the game again. Today, we’re getting a new event designed entirely around the idea of playing at home.

Here’s how it works: to start the day, you can buy a 1 Pokécoin bundle with 3 incense in it, and you might have some extra lying around from previous promotions. Each incense will last for one hour.

Here’s the schtick: the incense will attract different types of Pokémon during each different hour, starting with water, moving to fire, etc. So you can be strategic about how you deploy your playtime and resources depending on what you’re after.

The event runs from 11:00 am to 5:00 PM local time. Here’s all the types and when they’re showing up, as per the Pokémon GO website:

From 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Water-type Pokémonâ€"like Poliwag, Tentacool, and Sphealâ€"will be splish-splashing their way to your Incense! If you’re incredibly lucky, Clamperl might swim by!

From 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.: Fire-type Pokémonâ€"like Growlithe, Ponyta, and Houndourâ€"will be burning to find your Incense! If you’re incredibly lucky, Litwick might make a blazing appearance!

From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Grass-type Pokémonâ€"like Oddish, Roselia, and Lileepâ€"will be leaf-surely making their way toward your Incense! If you’re incredibly lucky, Ferroseed might plant itself near you!

From 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: Psychic-type Pokémonâ€"like Slowpoke, Baltoy, and Bronzorâ€"will be appearing in your future. If you’re incredibly lucky, Gothita might pay you a visit!

From 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Bug-type Pokémonâ€"like Caterpie, Ledyba, and Skorupiâ€"will be crawling their way toward your Incense! If you’re incredibly lucky, Joltik might make a shocking appearance!

From 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Ground-type Pokémonâ€"like Wooper, Barboach, and Hippopotasâ€"will be digging their way toward you. If you’re lucky, Drilbur might make a quaking entrance near you!

How to play Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go is one of the most popular mobile games on the planet. Last year alone the game made nearly $900 million — an impressive feat considering it first launched in 2016. Since then, the free-to-play title has seen millions of players worldwide and its numbers continue to grow.

If you're thinking about joining the ranks of all the other Pokémon Go trainers, then there has never been a better time. With four years of new content, the game has expanded to encapsulate much more than just walking around throwing Poké Balls at Pokémon. Here's everything you need to know about playing Pokémon Go in 2020.

Google Play Store

Further Reading

Create an account and choose your first Pokémon Tomohiro Ohsumi/Contributor

To start playing Pokémon Go, first head over to the App Store or Google Play Store and download the game for free. Once it's installed, you'll be asked to customize your avatar and pick your first Pokémon — Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. This selection is all about personal preference, so feel free to pick whichever one catches your eye — you'll eventually encounter all the others in the wild.

Visit PokéStops and Gyms to collect items

Now that you've picked your first Pokémon, it's time to fill your inventory with useful items to help you catch more. In Pokémon Go, players acquire items in two primary ways — either they collect them by visiting a PokéStop, or they purchase them with real cash.

PokéStops are marked on the map by large blue indicators. When you are within range of one, it will expand and show an image of the landmark it is representing. To interact with it, simply click on it and swipe your finger across the screen. This will cause a bunch of items to float across the screen. You can then either click on these one at a time or simply close the screen — they'll appear in your inventory regardless.

The other main landmarks you'll see on the map are Gyms. These are locations where you can battle Pokémon left behind by other players — so long as you've reached the appropriate level. Here, you'll assemble a team of Pokémon to try and knock out those defending the Gym. If you manage to wipe out the other team, you'll be able to leave your own Pokémon behind and claim the Gym. Don't worry about this too much — the game will explain the gist of it when you're finally able to compete. Beyond battling, Gyms can also be spun like PokéStops to earn new items.

Gyms and PokéStops restock every five minutes, so feel free to keep spinning them if you're in the area. The more you spin, the more items you'll find.

Finding Pokémon

As you've been wandering around your neighborhood looking for PokéStops, you've probably already come across your fair share of Pokémon. For the most part, Pokémon appear randomly. However, some are more likely to pop up in certain locations than others. You can track the creatures in your location using the Nearby function located at the bottom right of the screen. This allows you to click on the Pokémon you'd like to track, and the game will give you the directions to its location.

Pokémon Go also includes a feature called Sightings, which will give you hints related to nearby Pokémon, but doesn't include specific direction about where to find them.

Catching Pokémon is simple Tomohiro Ohsumi/Contributor

Once you've found a Pokémon you'd like to catch, the first step is to walk close enough to interact with it. When they are finally inside the ring surrounding your player, click on them to initiate a battle. This will open a new screen where the action will play out.

Since Pokémon Go is a mobile AR game, catching Pokémon uses your real surroundings as a backdrop to the action. However, as fun as the feature is, it makes catching Pokémon more cumbersome than it has to be. We'd strongly recommend turning off the AR feature using the toggle at the top right of the screen. If you love the AR implementation, feel free to keep it on, but just know your job becomes much easier without it.

To catch the Pokémon, throw a Poké Ball at it by swiping your finger up from the bottom of the screen. If done properly, it'll hit the Pokémon and suck it into the Poké Ball. Ideally, you'll want to wait until the circle surrounding the Pokémon is as small as possible before throwing your Poké Ball — the more accurate the throw, the better the chance of catching them. Just make sure your Poké Ball lands within the circle to increase your chances of a successful attempt.

Catch difficulty is indicated by the color of the ring around the Pokémon — red means the Pokémon will be hard to catch while green indicates an easy target. You can try using higher-level Poké Balls — such as Great Balls — if you're having trouble catching stronger Pokémon.

Or, if you have some in your inventory, using Razz Berries can increase your chances of a successful throw. Golden Razz Berries also exist, but these should only be used for legendary Pokémon, or those you really don't want to risk losing. There are several other items that aid in catching new Pokémon, and combining high-level Poké Balls with different Berries is the key to landing high-level monsters.

Complete Research Tasks

Once you've got the hang of visiting PokéStops and catching Pokémon, it's time to start knocking out some Research Tasks. There are basic objectives — such as catching a certain number of Pokémon or making three "Great" throws in a row — that reward you with high-quality items and rare new Pokémon. Tasks are acquired by spinning Poké Stops and rotate out on a monthly basis. Research tasks can get surprisingly complex, but Pokémon Go does a great job explaining how they work — be sure to take advantage of them!

Try your hand at Raids and Battle League

While taking over Gyms and catching new Pokémon might be at the heart of the casual Pokémon Go experience, there's much more available for players who want to dive deep into the world of Pokémon. The Go Battle League was recently added, allowing players to fight other trainers in real time for a spot on the leaderboard. Once unlocked, you'll get to assemble your team of Pokémon — based on certain league guidelines — then take the fight online to prove you're the best around.

Or, you can team up with others in your area for Raid Battles. These see teams of trainers trying to knock out one powerful, wild Pokémon. Completing a Raid will reward trainers will an insane amount of experience points along with the chance to catch the Pokémon for themselves.

Don't let Pokémon Go overwhelm you

With so much content, playing Pokémon Go for the first time can become overwhelming. But if you take it one feature at a time, the game becomes much more manageable. Follow the steps outlined in this guide to stay focused. Spin PokéStops. Catch Pokémon. Battle in Gyms.

Once you've figured out that core loop, try diving into the world of Go Battle League. It's a fun experience that doesn't rely heavily on your current location and is easy to play from home. Then, once you've put together an impressive stable of Pokémon, head out and join a Raid. There's a lot to do in Pokémon Go — take your time and enjoy it. Before you know it, you'll be one of the best in your town.

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New Anime Episodes For Pokémon, One Piece And More Delayed Due To Coronavirus Covid-19

Kotaku EastEast is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.

The novel coronavirus is impacting the production of anime in Japan. With a state of emergency declared, voice actors aren't going into the studio, which makes recording new episodes difficult, if not impossible.

Because of this, a number of shows will be delaying future new episodes and in their place reruns will be aired. As of today, the next episodes for the following shows will be delayed:

In the place of Digimon Adventures' episode on April 26 will be a GeGeGe no Kitaro repeat.

Production of new Pokémon anime episodes is temporarily on hold and reruns will air.

From April 26, One Piece will air a repeat in lieu of a new episode.

The latest Pretty Cure anime will not broadcast a new episode from April 26.

Obviously this is understandable and, hopefully, this will help remind fans to stay safe as well.

Pokemon Go's Delayed Abra Community Day Has A New Date

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has announced a new date for the game's delayed Abra Community Day. The event, which was originally scheduled to take place on March 15 before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now be held on Saturday, April 25.

To make it easier for players to participate in the event, Niantic is extending the duration of the Abra Community Day. Instead of running for the usual three hours, the event will run for six, from 11 AM to 5 PM local time. Throughout that window, Abra will spawn in the wild much more frequently than normal, and you'll have your first opportunity to encounter a Shiny Abra.

As usual, in addition to increased Abra spawns, Niantic is offering a special event-exclusive move during this month's Community Day. If you can evolve Kadabra (Abra's evolved form) into Alakazam up to two hours after the Community Day ends, it will learn the Fighting-type move Counter.

On top of that, you'll receive triple the usual amount of Stardust for catching Pokemon during the event, and any Incense you use will last for three hours. Niantic will also offer an exclusive $1 USD Special Research story quest during the event that will net you 13,000 Stardust, a Poffin, a Rocket Radar, and other rewards. You can read more on the official Pokemon Go website.

Before the Abra Community Day, Niantic will be holding Pokemon Go's first-ever Incense Day event on April 19. Throughout the day, Incense that you usual will attract different types of Pokemon depending on the time, and you'll have a chance to catch Shiny Sentret. Niantic will also offer an event-exclusive bundle that will cost one PokeCoin and contain three Incenses.

Niantic has been continually tweaking Pokemon Go to make it easier to play from a personal setting. The studio recently announced it is adding Remote Raid Passes to the game, which will allow players to join nearby Raid Battles from home. The game will also soon let you activate multiple Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces, and Incenses at a time, as well as power up your Pokemon much more quickly by feeding them multiple Candies and Stardust at once.

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Pokemon Go's First Incense Day Event Now Live

Pokemon Go is holding a new kind of event this weekend. The game's first-ever Incense Day takes place today, April 19, and it brings out certain types of Pokemon throughout the day, including another Shiny.

At different points during the event, Incense that you use in the game will attract different types of Pokemon. The kinds of monsters that will appear will rotate every hour according to the following schedule:

11 AM - 12 PM local time: Water-type Pokemon like Poliwag, Tentacool, Spheal, and Clamperl

12 - 1 PM local time: Fire-type Pokemon like Growlithe, Ponyta, Houndour, and Litwick

1 - 2 PM local time: Grass-type Pokemon like Oddish, Roselia, Lileep, and Ferroseed

2 - 3 PM local time: Psychic-type Pokemon like Slowpoke, Baltoy, Bronzor, and Gothita

3 - 4 PM local time: Bug-type Pokemon like Caterpie, Ledyba, Skorupi, and Joltik

4 - 5 PM local time: Ground-type Pokemon like Wooper, Barboach, Hippopotas, and Drilbur

In addition to those Pokemon, Sentret will appear much more often throughout the Incense Day event, regardless of what the featured type is, and you'll have a chance to catch a Shiny one. Niantic will also offer an event-exclusive bundle that will cost one PokeCoin and contain three Incenses. You can read more about the Incense Day event on the official Pokemon Go website.

In other Pokemon Go news, Niantic will soon be adding Remote Raid Passes to the game. As their name suggests, these will allow you to join a nearby Raid without leaving home. The developer has other tweaks in the work as well; you'll soon be able to activate multiple Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces, and Incenses at a time, as well as power up your Pokemon much more quickly by feeding them multiple Candies and Stardust at once.

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Pokémon Adventures: The Manga's Protagonists, Ranked

Pokémon Adventures, also known as Pokémon Special, is often presented as the darker alternative to the more kid-friendly Pokémon anime. The manga follows the events of the games, focusing on a different group of trainers in different regions for every arc. Older protagonists do return with new adventures, having aged accordingly as time passes, consistently and realistically.

However, with so many different protagonists, this begs the question: who are the best? In order to narrow it down from the 21 protagonists introduced thus far, we will be limiting ourselves to 10 protagonists from throughout the series, which often presents multiple viewpoint characters as heroes, each one named after the game upon which they're based.

Continue scrolling to keep reading Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Diamond

Diamond is certainly a more comedic protagonist than his peers. The first Pokémon this food-obsessed trainer trains, fittingly, is a Munchlax. Diamond might not appear as serious as his partner, Pearl, but Diamond's silly and gluttonous nature often disguise his true wit and brilliance. After all, he proves instrumental in stopping Charon's pursuit of capturing all the legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh.

By far one of the goofiest protagonists, Diamond is immediately likable from the start of the Diamond and Pearl arc.

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Crystal

Crystal is a Pokémon capturing specialist, hired by Professor Oak for her superb skills. As a child, an encounter with an Arcanine resulted in her arms breaking, which led to her distinctive Pokéball-kicking technique.

What makes Crystal so fascinating is how she can switch between overly enthusiastic to intimidating, particularly when it comes to capturing Pokémon. She's one of Professor Oak's greatest assistants, has won the loyalty of the Hoenn crew with her sheer enthusiasm and was deemed worthy by Suicune to fight the villainous Mask of Ice. Also, she has a couple of different looks, dressing later on like Lyra.

Ruby

Until this point, Pokémon Adventure protagonists came in two main varieties: fun-loving and serious. Ruby, the son of the gym leader Norman, isn't really either of those two. He's prissy, vain and hates fighting. He'd rather engage in Pokémon Contests or design outfits than fight trainers.

What makes Ruby so compelling is just how different he is from other protagonists before and after. Despite wanting to be a Coordinator, Ruby is incredibly accomplished as a trainer, managing to even end up capturing a Celebi at one point!

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Sapphire

While Ruby hates fighting, Sapphire lives for fighting. She's a wild card if ever there was one in Pokémon Adventures, rushing headlong into battle at every turn. She's wild and rash but always driven to do the right thing, even managing to convince Ruby to follow the path of justice rather than just always do what he feels like doing.

What's most fascinating about Sapphire is how her relationship with Ruby changes her, especially when we learn about her past in the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire arcs, which delve into her origins as a character.

Red

Red is in many ways the standard protagonist. He's the young boy who wants to go on an adventure, ultimately becoming the central hero who appears more often than any other protagonist in the series.

However, Red lives up to his reputation by constantly excelling beyond all limitations. Red has stood alongside legendary Pokémon, fought fused legendaries, overcame world-ending cataclysms and always emerges on top. He's the hero's hero, always running into conflict to save the day -- sometimes to his own detriment. He's the closest Pokémon Adventures ever comes to a Luffy or Goku.

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Green

Green is in many ways the femme fatale of the Pokémon team. She's one of the original three protagonists, which leads to her having a lot of time to craft her own story. The moral ambiguity of Green is what essentially makes her interesting, as she's in part responsible for many of the events that transpire while never quite taking center stage.

Green is fun, mischievous and maybe a few steps removed from an antagonist. But unlike other more morally gray Pokémon Adventures protagonists, she's immediately likable.

Gold

Gold is in many ways cut from the same cloth as Red. He's a hero, through and through, but can be hot-headed and flirty when the occasion doesn't ask for it. However, Gold might be even more accomplished than Red since, on multiple occasions, Gold has saved Red.

He's responsible for essentially saving all of the other protagonists alongside Emerald. He calmed down Arceus, the God of the Pokémon world. He's undeniably one of the most accomplished trainers in the entire Pokémon Adventures saga. That merits his place here.

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Silver

While Red and Gold are more accomplished, Silver is undeniably the edgiest of the Pokémon Adventures protagonists, which makes him also one of the more fascinating. Like his game counterpart, Silver is the son of Giovanni. He grew up alongside Green, with the two having an impact on one another.

His arc with Giovanni is arguably one of the most interesting ones in Pokémon Adventures. On top of being just a very compelling character, he's also one of the first to engage in a true redemption arc, which is wonderful to see.

Yellow

Yellow stands apart from the rest of the Pokémon Adventures protagonists. She's a very innocent girl who grew up in Viridian Forest and thus possesses psychic abilities.

Yellow is the first protagonist to be entirely original. She isn't based on a game character, the first of her kind. Her ability to commune with Pokémon spirits makes her even more unique. Also, she saves Red when he ends up in danger thanks to his dumb heroic nature.

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Blue

On paper, Blue appears very much like the Pokémon anime's Gary Oak -- a superior rival to the protagonist of the first arc, Red. However, what makes Blue compelling is how he evolves as a character, especially in the Yellow arcs and after.

Blue isn't just some edgelord rival but rather a sophisticated trainer who is very aware and conscious of how the balance of Pokémon and humanity affects the world. He's a very mature character who might be more realistic than the majority of other Pokémon Adventure protagonists.

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About The Author

Earned my MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Written for The Mary Sue, ScreenRant, The Anime Feminist, The Gamer, and Vocal. Lifelong lover of comics, anime, and weird films. Loves different varieties of coffee.

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‘Pokemon Go’: Abra Community Day returns and a Buddy Up event set for April

Community Day is returning to "Pokemon Go" albeit in a different form. Niantic calls it the "Play at Home Edition" and it feature Abra, which was originally scheduled for March.

The new format is meant to be played while socially distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Abra Community Day will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 25. That's a total of six hours of play.

During that time, players can expect the normal Community Day spawns. Abra will likely flood the area. Players will have a chance for a shiny one, which looks like a faded version of the normal one. The lone exception of the evolutionary line is a full-grown Alakazam, which has a pinkish color in places. Those who evolve to that final stage will have the Psi Pokemon learn the exclusive Community Day move Counter.

That fight-type fast move may seem counterintuitive for a psychic Pokemon, but Counter gives the pocket monster an edge in Great League fights fights involving steel types, ice types and dark types. For the best PvP Abra, look for individual values of 0 attack, 15 defense and 14 stamina or something close to that.

To help trainers out, incense will last three hours. That will let players cover the whole event with just two items. Even better than the incense is the bonus, which is a generous triple catch stardust. Remember to break open a star piece during the event. That should give a big boost for players who have burned through the resource during the first season of Go Battle League. In addition, Buddy Pokemon at a Great Buddy level or higher will bring players helpful items such as Poke Balls.

For those who want to spend money, Niantic is offering an optional Special Research story for $1. It's called Investigating Illusions and will give players 13,000 stardust, a Poffin, a Rocket Radar and more. That seems like a great value. If they're running low on items, players can pick up an April Community Day bundled that has an Elite Charged TM, 30 Ultra Balls, 3 incubators and three incense. It will cost 1,280 PokeCoin but could be worth it for the elite Charged TM. That new item gives pocket monsters access to all their charged moves including Community Day Exclusive Moves and legacy ones. Lastly, if players take a snapshot of Pokemon, they will see a surprise.

The Buddy Up event focuses on boosting relationships between trainers and their Pokemon. The goal should be to reach best friends so players get the level bonus. (Niantic) 

The other festivity for April is called the Buddy Up Event. It will run from 8 a.m. April 21 to 10 p.m. April 27 and it features the debut of shiny Volbeat and shiny Illumise. The Volbeat has a color palette that emphasizes blue and purple while Illumise will have gold and orange one. Personally, go after the Illumise. It looks much better. Best of all, both Pokemon will be available worldwide. This is your chance to fill that hole in your Pokedex.

Along with the new shiny Pokemon, trainers will see Woobat in the wild for the first time. The bat Pokemon also appear in 2 km eggs after the event is over. For the Buddy Up event, Alolan Meowth (shiny available), Chansey (shiny available), Feebas (shiny available), Lillipup (shiny available) and Joltik will appear more often as well. Those same Pokemon except Chansey will hatch from 5 km eggs.

The Buddy Up event will also have special Field Research tasks that offer encounters for Alolan Meowth, Volbeat, Illumise and Woobat.

As one would expect from the name, the bonuses for the event will focus on buddy relationships. Expect buddy Pokemon to give players more souvenirs and new kinds of gifts. Perhaps, this could be more wearables for a player avatar. My buddy Pokemon gave me pearl earrings though they don't exactly fit my character. In addition, the distance to earn buddy candy and heart will be halved. It will also be easier to get buddies excited, meaning that it will double the hearts earned. Lastly, trainers earn double experience points for evolving Pokemon and berries and Poffin will keep buddy Pokemon on the map for twice as long.

So how should trainers use this event? I'd prioritize Pokemon that you would use for raids and Go Battle League. If players have a perfect Pokemon, having them as a Best Buddy can boost them above level 40 and it could be a big difference in Master League. For those who raid, having a Best Buddy Pokemon will boost its stats and that can be the difference between beating a boss and failing when you don't have many people in the lobby.

Pokémon Go maker Niantic names Megan Quinn as chief operating officer

Pokémon Go maker Niantic has named Megan Quinn as chief operating officer. Founder and CEO John Hanke said in a post that Quinn will lead business operations and international development for the company as it prepares for the next phase of growth.

He said that Quinn has been a supporter of the mission since the company's roots as a part of Google. At Google, she worked for Hanke in various roles for seven years before Niantic even got started. It's a significant appointment, as high-ranking women are still rare in game companies and women make up roughly 20% of game industry professionals. It's also important as Niantic has seen great success, with hundreds of millions of downloads and billions of dollars in revenues.

"Megan was the product lead for our internal map building efforts at Google and was one of the first to join Niantic when it was created as an experimental lab within Google," Hanke said. "Megan went on to lead product at Square before turning to venture capital, first at Kleiner Perkins and then at Spark where she led investments in a series of highly successful and prominent late-stage technology companies, including Niantic. She has been a member of the Niantic board since 2017."

Hanke also said the company is accelerating investments in augmented reality (AR) and mapping, and it's diversifying its roadmap.

Above: Pokémon Go gets Battle League

Image Credit: Niantic

"This isn't a decision I've made lightly — people rarely leave venture capital roles at great firms, and for good reason," Quinn said in a blog post. "It is a constant learning opportunity in a myriad of industries and a privilege to work with visionary entrepreneurs on the precipice of becoming industry leaders. I'd argue there is no better platform than Spark, where I have felt fortunate to work with a great team of investors and world class entrepreneurs over the past five years. I'm grateful to continue that work through ongoing board service and remain an ardent supporter of the partnership and portfolio."

Last month, Niantic acquired 6D.ai to advance work building a dynamic 3D map of the world. Hanke said the company has a multiyear pipeline of new products and experiences that reimagine the intersection of AR and real-world gaming. And Niantic is actively adjusting current products to bring the joy of games to people at home while they shelter in place during the global health pandemic.

Quinn said Hanke offered the role last fall and it led her to reflect on her meaningful career moments.

"My time with the Niantic team over the past decade — first as a team member, later as an adviser, and more recently as an investor and active board director — has been the constant," she wrote. "I believe very deeply in our founding mission: that at its best, technology can make us better versions of ourselves as more active, engaged, and curious members of our communities — something I believe people value now more than ever. I believe that augmented reality combined with a sense of place is the next transformative platform for consumer discovery and exploration. And, I believe the opportunity for Niantic is much bigger now than we imagined then."

Pokémon Go changes make raid battles and gifts more accessible from home

Pokémon Go players will soon be able to access raid battles remotely as the mobile hit continues to add new features that make for a better experience when playing from home.

The biggest update is that developer Niantic is introducing a new item called the Remote Raid Pass. This will allow trainers to join nearby raids without being at the physical location. The restriction of 20 people per raid still applies, and users will only be able to hold an unspecified limited amount of the one-use passes at once.

This Remote Raid Pass will remain in Pokémon Go after the coronavirus pandemic ends, but Niantic is planning on changing how it operates in future months. Remote trainers currently have the same attack power as those at the raid location, this will eventually change so that those physically there will have an advantage. The developer is also working to add in the ability to invite remote friends to the same raid.

A new bundle featuring Remote Raid passes will be available for one PokéCoin. It currently costs $1 to receive 100 PokéCoins, and there are discounts for purchasing in bulk.

Players also will not have to travel to PokéStops as often. Each night, users with an open Field Research slot will get a new task without having to spin at a PokéStop. Unlike regular Field Research activities, gamers will be able to complete these unique tasks from any location. Trainers' buddy Pokémon will automatically go to nearby locations to fetch gifts so people can stay in touch with friends and share items.

Powering up Pokémon in Pokémon Go will also become less time consuming as players can soon feed Pokémon all of the candy and Stardust needed at once. This quality of life change arrives alongside the ability to stack the effects of Star Pieces, Lucky Eggs, and Incense, which normally need to be manually triggered every 30 minutes.

Other upcoming improvements include a cleaner battle interface that will alter how health bars appear and will show Pokémon types. The in-game shop icon will also show a notification when boxes and items receive updates.

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Niantic will make Pokémon GO more stay-at-home friendly with remote raids

Pokémon GO was built to be played outside, with friends, as you wandered around and explored interesting landmarks around you — or, you know, the exact opposite of what we're supposed to be doing right now.

Niantic has been working on transitioning the game into something that can still be played from your couch (Pokémon StayTheHellAtHome, if you will), and today it detailed one of the bigger upcoming changes: remote raids.

Raids, first introduced in 2017, allow players to band together to take down massive, super-strong and often quite rare Pokémon. If the group wins, everyone gets the chance to catch the Pokémon.

Up until this point, raiding meant going to a specific location at a specific time to meet with up to 19 other players. That idea… doesn't really work anymore. Thus, remote raids!

Here's how it'll work:

Once the change goes live in the coming days, you'll be able to join any raid you can see on your "nearby" screen. You won't actually have to go to the location, just be close enough for the game to show it to you (a few blocks away, generally.)

For achievements/tasks/etc., remote raids will count the same as standard raids.

Taking part in a remote raid will require a remote raid pass which, of course, will be a premium item. They'll cost 100 Pokécoins each when bought individually, or about a dollar.

At first, remote raiders will be just as strong as those actually on-site. It sounds like as the need for remote raids goes away (that is, presumably, once shelter-in-place orders are eventually relaxed), remote raiders will still be welcome but won't do as much damage as those on location.

Eventually, Niantic says they'll allow you to invite friends to raids regardless of where they are. Need an assist from a friend who is miles away? Hop into the raid, then invite them.

Niantic also mentioned that they'll be giving each player one daily stay-at-home-centric "Field Research" task, and that Buddy Pokémon will now bring you item-packed gift boxes to send to friends rather than requiring you to visit Pokéstops. Items, meanwhile, will now be stackable in their duration. Know you want incense drawing Pokémon to your location for the next two hours but don't want to have to remember to fire one off every 30 minutes? Trigger four at once, and they'll stack.

Niantic hasn't given a specific time frame for when remote raids will roll out, saying only that they're "coming soon."

Here’s What’s Happening With Remote Raid Passes In ‘Pokémon GO’

Pokemon GO

Credit: Niantic

There’s a Pokémon GO shaped hole in my life right now. The get outside and catch Pokémon gameplay has been part of my like since it first launched, but coronavirus has made that first part of the equation more or less impossible. Developer Niantic Labs has been scrambling to re-orient gameplay ever since lockdown orders first began to spread across the world, and now it’s unveiled more details on one of the more ambitious updates to the game yet.

Raids are one of the most social things you do in Pokémon GO: you go out and team up with other players in order to fight powerful creatures out in the world. Without the ability to do basically any of that, they’ve almost completely fallen by the wayside in my daily play, available largely only to the people that live inside the radius of a gym(recently expanded). Enter Remote Raid Passes.

Remote Raid Passes won’t allow you to fight at just any gym: you’ll be limited to whatever is inside of your “nearby” range. For some, that won’t help, but for city dwellers and anyone near a relatively dense center or university of some sort, it should bring a good number of gyms online. Once this passes you’ll have your attack power curtailed, but for now you’ll be at full strength.

Niantic is considering expanding the feature in the future:

“We’ll be making adjustments to this feature over time, including changes to the number of Trainers who can join remotely, the ability to invite friends to raids regardless of their location, and the mentioned adjustment to attack power for Trainers battling in a raid remotely. We’ll announce all changes and improvements via official channels, so please stay tuned for further announcements and updates to this feature.

We should be getting a 1 Pokécoin bundle of these in the store soon, after which they’ll be available for 100 Pokécoins. This info comes with some other tweaks that the developer outlines in a blog post.

It sounds like a decent stopgap, though I wonder what will happen when things return to normal, because they’ll be sticking around. It could cause some serious strangeness in places with tons of gyms, and it undermines the basic proposition. That’s wishful thinking for a different world, however. For now, it’s a good idea.

Pokemon Rumble Rush To Shut Down This Summer, After Just One Year

The smartphone game Pokemon Rumble Rush will shut down this summer, after just one year. In preparation for the impending shutdown, the game is no longer offering in-game purchases of Poke Diamonds.

Serebii reports that the online game will cease activities on July 22, 2020. As of that date, any unused Poke Diamonds will get refunded to players. A few more events are planned for the remaining time, including an update on May 27 that will add more Pokemon. A Greeninja event will be available May 6-27.

Rumble Rush has you battling toy-ified Pokemon, similar to its previous iterations across Nintendo's consoles and handhelds, the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U. Fellow free-to-play Pokemon smartphone games Pokemon Go and Pokemon Masters are still ongoing.

Rumble Rush originally launched for iOS and Android in July 2019, following a soft-launch for Android devices the previous May.

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Pokémon Rumble Rush To Shut Down This Summer, Just One Year Since Launch

Smartphone game Pokémon Rumble Rush is set to shut down this July, just over a year since it first launched.

The app, which always runs online, will see its service terminated from 22nd July at 01:59 UTC. This means that fans will no longer be able to download, update or even play the game (thanks, Serebii). In addition, it has been revealed that you'll no longer be able to purchase the game's Poké Diamonds, and a refund for unused Poké Diamonds will be available starting from the app's closure date.

A number of events are still planned to go ahead within the app before that date arrives, but it's pretty sad - and no doubt annoying for players - to see the game close down entirely after such a short amount of time. Arguments both for and against digital and online-centric games have been done to death, but this sure does serve as a pretty major 'con' for online-only experiences. As of 22nd July, we'll never be able to play the game ever again.

Are you sad to see it go? Does this leave you with any concerns for other online games going forward? Feel free to share your thoughts with us down below.

Fans Appear to Have Dug Up Code for a Mysterious "Pokemon Pink"

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Though Pokemon games usually come in pairs, it might still surprise you to hear "Pokemon Pink" was supposedly considered as a companion game for 1998's Pokemon Yellow. A reported leak of Gen 1 development material references this mystery game, which might've had Clefairy or Jigglypuff as its mascot Pokemon.

The code appeared on /vp, 4chan's Pokemon board. Dr. Lava, Twitter's "lost Pokemon Lore" specialist, says the code is "almost certainly legit." (Read our profile of Rachel Briggs, the artist who draws the Pokemon Dr. Lava digs up!) That said, this information is far from official, and chan boards are always a shaky source. Absorb it accordingly.

The code, which you can see for yourself on ResetEra, refers to a "pink package" as well as a "yellow package."

ResetEra also points out Pokemon Yellow also "has comprehensive set of audio files of the Pokemon from the Japanese anime in the sound folder," which means Game Freak might've had plans for Pokemon Yellow and/or Pink to use digitized Pokemon voice clips for all the critters, not just Pikachu. The ResetEra post contains a link to a .wav of Diglett's new cry. Be warned: It sounds horrible. It stands as a good example as to why Pokemon Yellow stuck with digitizing Pikachu's voice exclusively.

A fan did a mock-up of what the box for Pokemon Pink might look like. | Game Freak/The Pokemon Company/Source

We all know that the "Yellow" in Pokemon Yellow refers to Ash's sun-colored Pikachu, but where does the "Pink" in Pokemon Pink come from? There's more than one pink Pokemon, but the best answer is Clefairy. Clefairy is Red's first Pokemon in the first (and still going!) Pokemon manga, Pokemon Pocket Monsters. Twitter user SnorlaxMonster also points out the Game Boy Camera has a Japan-exclusive frame that pairs Pikachu and Clefairy. There's a chance the frame might've been made when Pokemon Pink was still being planned—if it was ever planned at all.

Whatever existed of Pokemon Pink is dead and gone, but Pokemon Sword and Shield is alive and well. We even have guides for the upcoming Isle of Armor DLC, so don't miss out.

Pokemon Sword / Shield Expansions: Everything We Know About Isle Of Armor & The Crown Tundra DLC

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are releasing two big DLC expansions for Pokemon Sword and Shield this year: Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra. The former arrives in June while the latter launches this fall, and each introduces a wealth of new content to the titles, including new gameplay features, locations, characters, storylines, and even Pokemon.

Since the expansions were announced earlier this year, The Pokemon Company has been gradually revealing more details about Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra in the lead up to their launch. To help get you up to speed on the upcoming DLC, we've rounded up everything we know so far about Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra below.

Expansion Pass Price

Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra are bundled together as part of the Pokemon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass, which is available through the Switch Eshop for $30 USD / £27. The expansions cannot be purchased individually. Each game also requires its own Expansion Pass, so if you own both Sword and Shield, you'll need to purchase the pass for each version if you're hoping to access the new content in both titles.

Early Purchase Bonuses

You'll receive a few free bonus items for pre-purchasing the Expansion Pass. First, you'll get an exclusive Pikachu uniform and Eevee uniform for your trainer. If you purchase the Expansion Pass before August 31, you'll also receive clothing items based on Leon's cap and tights.

Leon's cap and tights Confirmed Returning Pokemon

As previously mentioned, Game Freak is bringing back an assortment of old Pokemon alongside each expansion. These monsters are being added as free updates, so you don't need to purchase the Expansion Pass to get them; you'll be able to receive the Pokemon through trades or import them via Pokemon Home even if you don't pick up the expansions. However, the returning Pokemon can only be encountered in the wild if you own the Expansion Pass.

In total, more than 200 old Pokemon will be added to Sword and Shield, including practically every Legendary from previous games. You can see all the returning Pokemon that have been confirmed so far below:

Isle of Armor

Psyduck

Golduck

Horsea

Seadra

Kingdra

Magnemite

Magneton

Magnezone

Happiny

Chansey

Blissey

Azurill

Marill

Azumarill

Zorua

Zoroark

Fletchling

Fletchinder

Talonflame

Larvesta

Volcarona

Dedenne

Rockruff

Lycanroc

The Crown Tundra

Nidoran (M)

Nidorino

Nidoking

Nidoran (F)

Nidorina

Nidoqueen

Zubat

Golbat

Crobat

Elekid

Electabuzz

Electivire

Spheal

Sealeo

Walrein

Beldum

Metang

Metagross

Gible

Gabite

Garchomp

Cryogonal

Amaura

Aurorus

Legendaries

Entei

Raikou

Suicune

Ho-Oh

Lugia

Regirock

Regice

Registeel

Latios

Latias

Groudon

Kyogre

Rayquaza

Azelf

Mesprit

Uxie

Heatran

Cresselia

Dialga

Palkia

Giratina

Tornadus

Thundurus

Landorus

Reshiram

Zekrom

Kyurem

Xerneas

Yveltal

Zygarde

Tapu Koko

Tapu Lele

Tapu Bulu

Tapu Fini

New Pokemon

On top of all the returning Pokemon, each expansion introduces a handful of new Pokemon to the games. Chief among these are two new Legendaries: Kubfu, the mascot of Isle of Armor; and Calyrex, the mascot of The Crown Tundra.

Galarian Slowpoke

The expansions introduce new forms of some older Pokemon as well, including Galarian variants of Slowpoke, Slowbro, and Slowking, as well as Gigantamax versions of Venusaur and Blastoise. The Pokemon Company has also shown off brief glimpses of what appear to be Galarian forms of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, as well as two new Regis, although no further details about any of these Pokemon have been revealed so far.

Isle Of Armor Characters And Storyline

The Isle of Armor expansion takes place on the titular island, which lies off the coast of Galar proper. The isle is home to a Pokemon dojo, where aspiring trainers learn under the tutelage of an old man named Mustard, who is the longest-reigning champion in Galar history and Leon's former mentor.

Early in your adventure on the Isle of Armor, Mustard will gift you the Legendary Pokemon Kubfu, which you'll be able to raise into Urshifu after conquering one of two towers on the island: the Tower of Darkness or the Tower of Waters. Which tower you challenge will determine how Kubfu evolves. If you complete the Tower of Darkness, Kubfu will evolve into Single Strike Style Urshifu, a Fighting/Dark type; if you complete the Tower of Waters, Kubfu will instead become Rapid Strike Style Urshifu, a Fighting/Water type.

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During your adventure on the Isle of Armor, you'll also meet a new rival. This character will differ depending on which version of the game you own. Sword players will meet Klara, a deceptively cunning Poison-type trainer, while Shield players will encounter Avery, a gentlemanly Psychic-type trainer.

The Crown Tundra Characters And Storyline

The second expansion for Sword and Shield takes place in the eponymous Crown Tundra, a mountainous region blanketed in snow. According to The Pokemon Company, the theme of this expansion is "exploration." Players will be appointed leader of an exploration team by "a certain person" and will be tasked with investigating the area.

Calyrex

Beyond that, not much else is currently known about The Crown Tundra expansion, but players will encounter the Legendary Calyrex during their adventure. Calyrex is a Grass/Psychic type that ruled over the Galar region in ancient times. Little has been revealed about the Legendary, but it is said to be omniscient and can "see every past, present, and future event."

Gigantamax Starters

During your journey on the Isle of Armor, your starter Pokemon from Sword and Shield--Rillaboom, Cinderace, or Inteleon--will gain the ability to Gigantamax. Like other Gigantamax Pokemon, each will have a unique appearance and G-Max move. Rillaboom's is called G-Max Drum Solo; Cinderace's is G-Max Fireball; and Inteleon's is G-Max Hydro Snipe. Each of these attacks deals more damage than a typical Dynamax move and ignores the opposing Pokemon's Ability.

Gigantamax Rillaboom, Cinderace, and Inteleon New Features And Items

In addition to the new Pokemon and locations, each expansion will introduce some new gameplay mechanics to Sword and Shield. The Pokemon Company hasn't revealed too many details about these as of yet, but we know that The Crown Tundra will let you explore Pokemon Dens with other players.

Each expansion will also add new clothes, League Card customization options, and different looks for your bike. There will be other new items in each expansion as well. The Isle of Armor will bring back Apricorns, which can be crafted into different kinds of Poke Balls, and it introduces a new item called the Exp. Charm that will earn more experience points for your team.

Release Date

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have not yet announced release dates for the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra expansions, but the former is slated to release by the end of June, with the latter set to follow in Fall 2020.

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