Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 5/29/2020

This month on the Pokémon Go event front, a remarkable thing happened. The major events harked back to a methodical pattern such as that present for February or March. They all also made use of the just-newly introduced Timed Research feature, which I've already explained earlier this month, so this rollup harks back to that as well. More importantly, the events all harked back to specific places that longtime fans of Pokémon will surely recognize. Rightfully, the major events are called the "Throwback" events, and they all hold something special.

The first Throwback was the Kanto Throwback, which happened over the course of the first week into the month. Most of the Pokémon that appeared in the wild were of the first generation, and some were also present in raids as well. The central point of the event was of course the Timed Research, which had to be completed within that week (and thus, it was this set that I discussed earlier). The ultimate reward for completing it is a Mewtwo with the special move of Psystrike, which should have been lucrative enough for most players. Since this was the first Timed Research, it served as a test and warm-up as well.

Over the next three weeks, there were more of these Throwback events. The second week was the Johto Throwback, the third was the Hoenn Throwback, and the fourth was the Sinnoh Throwback, which ends today wherever one is. Likewise, they all had their Pokémon featured in the wild and in raids, and each rewarded a different Legendary Pokémon with a special move, being Ho-oh with Earthquake, Groudon with Fire Punch, and Cresselia with Grass Knot. Each of them likewise had to be completed in time. There is actually an incentive for completing them all in due time, but this is better reserved when that happens.

As for happenings with the sets of Timed Research, there were quite a bit of variations in their paces of completion. The first one for Kanto seemed to be one that demanded a moderate pace, since it was after all the debut. The second one for Johto had the potential for rapid completion since some later tasks tended to cascade into others. The third for Hoenn was moderate as the first, and the fourth was slightly more challenging toward the middle, though this was then helped slightly. There have of course been some that completed the sets rapidly, but for those who took the time, they might have had the above perceptions.

Aside from the major Throwback events as above, this month had a throwback to something of last month: Incense Day, which happened near the middle of the month. Unlike last month, this month only featured two types, Water and Dark, which alternated each hour for the six hours. The type "guests" were Alomomola for Water and Scraggy for Dark (the latter being its first wild appearance), and Carvanha overall to represent both types as well as to have its Shiny form. It was minor, yet the Pokémon involved were neat and may have helped with the Throwback research.

The major events of this month in Pokémon Go were remarkable in that they dipped into the past to be tasted in the present. They were also remarkable for their usage of a feature with immediate introduction. The results don't seem to be shabby either, especially for the strange times that are the hallmark of the present times. Being that Pokémon has been around for a good long while, throwbacks like these are quite special. There's a certain relevance that has to be maintained, even with what goes on today with new times and new features.

One year ago: Lure Modules Evolve

Two years ago: The "Attractors"

Three years ago: A Hero Looks to the Sky