Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 12/28/2019

December is always a merry month for many people. For them, this has to be reflected in the many things that they do. In Pokémon Go, that would be through its various events, for which there is also an assortment for this month. That said, the assortment this month appears to be rather diverse, which can show just how merry this month really is, so it's time that I discuss them before the month ends and the merriment from them disappear.

Early this month, there was a brand-new kind of event. The event, called the Evolution Event, was a week-long festival that celebrated the many sorts of ways that Pokémon evolve. All around and in greater availability, there were Pokémon whose evolved forms come about in different ways, as well as the tools to assist them, as the evolution items. Lure Modules were even extended for an hour to aid efforts. It even came with its own Raid Day, which featured all the first-generation starters in raids in a random assortment of Level 1, 2, and 4 raids corresponding to their evolutionary stages. Since this last part was held the weekend prior to Community Day for this month, this neatly set the stage for that. Altogether, this made for a unique event, which likely deserves to be repeated with new features later on.

There were also a couple of small things with big effects that occurred a little later in the month. The first was an Egg Shakeup wherein all Eggs received new assortments of Pokémon that hatch from them, which made things a little wild for those who expect good things from Eggs. The second was a Special Raid Weekend with Lugia and Ho-Oh as extra Level 5 raid bosses, which happened to be exactly the same as the previous year. By now, this latter thing is a small thing that keeps returning, but it's a small thing with big demand by its frequency. The hope is that after these small things, there will be bigger effects afterwards.

Right now, however, the biggest thing is this year's edition of the Holiday Event. For this year, the perks are also pretty much the same as last year - sectioned bonuses and free incubators - but with half the duration. If last year Pikachu wore a Santa hat, this time Pikachu and its kin are wearing beanies, and this year they are accompanied by Stantler with bells, which can also be Shiny. Like last year, icy Pokémon also take the stage, with Cubchoo and Cryogonal making their first appearances, the latter being exclusive to Glacial Lure Modules. The event is not much different, but it remains lively and possibly quite helpful to carry the end of the year.

Though the Holiday Event is shorter this year, another event makes up for some of it. Today, there was something called the Winter Weekend, which involved a menagerie of icy things. Glacial Lure Modules lasted for two hours and allowed Glaceon evolved through their usage to gain the Community Day move of Last Resort, while Regice appeared as a Level 5 raid boss and one can receive extra free raid passes to raid them, a little like a Raid Day. It made for a nice little kaleidoscope of the (northern) season and what might happen in Pokémon Go in a year. It is also rather complementary and assistive to the Holiday Event, and by my experience, is also worth repeating primarily due to the camaraderie that it incites.

Those events are quite the merriment, even in contrast to how this month last year went. This month is indeed a time for exactly that merriment, for whoever and wherever, and to try to include that merriment in many places. Evidently, Pokémon Go is no exception, as it has to be able to have that merriment. I'm quite sure this year's events deliver on just that, enough to carry on things through until the next year's batch of events start.

One year ago: Soul-Searching and Pokémon
Two years ago: From Journal to Blog