Pokemon GOhas been around for nearly six years at this point, and during this time, there have been countless in-game events. Events are the lifeblood ofPokemon GO,usually adding new Pokemon into the game, new shiny variants, and event bonuses like double catch experience.Pokemon GO’sannual Spring Event was just announced, and with it comes another reason for players to check it out.
One thing that most ofPokemon GO’sin-game eventshave in common is the inclusion of costumed Pokemon. These are Pokemon that spawn throughout the duration of the event that wear costumes as opposed to their normal, non-clothed forms. They may have an occasional exclusive move, but the only differences are cosmetic. While these costumes may be cute, many fans are unhappy that the same costumed Pokemon are released yearly, and that, more often than not, they are unable to evolve. Well, the 2022 Spring Event looks to make changes to costumed Pokemon that will hopefully set a precedent for future events.
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Pokemon GO’s Spring 2022 Event
Pokemon GO’sSpring Event is bringing many changes and bonuses to the game. As per usual, there will be many event spawns, including Pokemon like Pikachu, Nidoran, Buneary, and Bunnelby — all Spring and Easter themed. The legendary Tapu Bulu will be coming to raids for the first time, andTeam GO Rocket gruntswill use Exeggcute and Whismur more often. There will be some bonuses in effect, namely double hatch candy, half hatch distance, and double Lucky Egg duration. While this event seems completely standard, the biggest change comes in its handling of costumed Pokemon.
Two of the costumed Pokemon available in the Spring Event are Togepi and Buneary, each wearing a flower crown. These have been available year after year with no changes made. Developer Niantic has announced that players will finally be able to evolve these two Pokemon from the event onwards. This means all the shiny flower crown Togepi and Buneary out there will be able to evolve into their final forms, and players will be able to use costumed Togekiss and Lopunny in raids andthe GO Battle League. Fans are happy about this change as it is long overdue, thoughPokemon GOhas many other costumed Pokemon that deserve the same treatment.
Pokemon GO’s History of Costumed Pokemon
Over its six-year lifespan,Pokemon GOhas accumulated many event Pokemon in special costumes. At first, Pokemon like Squirtle in a beach hat and sunglasses, and Pikachu in a Santa hat were able to evolve fully, but this trend quickly stopped. Years later,every player’s Pokemon Storageis cluttered with dozens of Pikachu all wearing different hats, Sneasel and Croagunk in their fashion week outfits, and so on. All of these Pokemon cannot evolve and have no in-game use beyond being a collector’s item.
This relative uselessness stings, especially when considering that event spawns are one of the main reasons players log in during the events to begin with. Many collectors out there specifically aim forshiny variants of costumed Pokemon, just to have the rarest of the rare. In the many encounters needed to find a shiny, players are sure to gain a few costumed Pokemon with great stats. It is a shame that these rare and high-powered Pokemon cannot be used in battles, which is the only place where players get to show them off. 2022’s Spring Event will hopefully turn this trend on its head.
Hopes for Pokemon GO’s Future Events and Costumes
The addition of evolutions for flower crown Togepi and Buneary are a great start, but there is still a ton of work to be done.Pokemon GOhas dozens of costumed Pokemon that are unable to evolve, but allowing each one to evolve at once would not make much sense in terms of how the game is run/how events normally roll out.
Pokemon GO’sSpring Eventshould set an example, meaning all Christmas-themed costume Pokemon, like Spheal wearing a scarf, should have evolutions unlocked during the next Christmas event. This could even come at the cost of new costumed Pokemon — they are already so plentiful that players would much rather make use of the ones they already have.
Evolutions for costumed Pokemon are but one change that players desire forPokemon GO.Niantic has had a bad rep recently in terms of controversyand fan suggestions falling on deaf ears, so this one change is hopefully indicative of more to come.
Pokemon GOis available now on Android and iOS.
