January is shaping up to be a busy month

By Drew a.k.a ZypherFusion

Friday Edition Trainers!

Attention all Bristol Pokémon Go trainers! January 2025 is packed with exciting events, Spotlight Hours, Raid Battles, and Community Days to keep your Poké Ball spinning and your collection growing. Here’s a full breakdown of what’s happening in Pokémon Go this month to ensure you don’t miss a beat.

Fashion Week 2025 — Jan. 10 – Jan. 19

Dress to impress! Showcase your fashionable Pokémon and encounter special costume Minccino for the first time.

Ralts Community Day Classic — Jan. 25, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Relive the classic event featuring Ralts. Catch this beloved Feeling Pokémon with exclusive moves.

Raids and Spotlight Hours

Tier 5 Raids:

Deoxys (Attack and Defense Formes): Jan. 16 – Jan. 24
Dialga: Jan. 24 – Feb. 6

Mega Raids:

Mega Gallade: Jan. 16 – Jan. 24
Mega Medicham: Jan. 24 – Feb. 6

Spotlight Hours:

Paldean Wooper: January 21 (2× Catch Candy)
Yungoos: January 28 (2× Transfer Candy)

Fashion Week: Taken Over (Jan. 15 – Jan. 19) Team GO Rocket strikes, introducing Shroodle and its evolution, Grafaiai. Shadow Raids take center stage, so gear up to battle grunts and leaders wielding newly debuted Shadow Pokémon.

Shadow Raid Day (Jan. 19) Mark your calendar for this thrilling day featuring Shadow Ho-Oh! For the first time, Remote Raid Passes can be used for Shadow Raids, and lucky trainers might catch a powerful Shadow Ho-Oh with improved stats.

Ho-Oh Shadow Raid Day — Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Event Bonuses

Up to five additional free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs (for a total of seven).
Increased chance of encountering Shiny Ho-Oh from Shadow Raids.
For the first time in Pokémon GO, Remote Raid Passes can be used to participate in Shadow Raids during the event.

The Remote Raid limit will increase to 20 from Saturday, Jan. 18, at 4 p.m. to Sunday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. PST.

Ho-Oh caught via Shadow Raids during the event may have higher Attack, Defense, and HP.

Ho-Oh Shadow Raid Day — Sunday, Jan. 19, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Event Bonuses:

Up to five additional free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs (for a total of seven).

Increased chance of encountering Shiny Ho-Oh from Shadow Raids.

For the first time in Pokémon GO, Remote Raid Passes can be used to participate in Shadow Raids during the event.

Extended Remote Raid Limit:

The Remote Raid limit will increase to 20 from Saturday, Jan. 18, at 4 p.m. to Sunday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. PST.

Stats and Details:

Ho-Oh caught via Shadow Raids during the event may have higher Attack, Defense, and HP.

Tips for Catching Shiny Shadow Ho-Oh

The trick to getting a shiny Ho-Oh is attempting as many Shadow Raids as possible. Players have reported finding one within 30 to 40 raids, so persistence pays off! Shadow Ho-Oh is available from Tier 5 legendary Shadow Raids, which require in-person raid passes. Shiny Shadow Ho-Oh ✨ is available from these raids.

Shadow Ho-Oh CP Values:

2050 – 2207 CP (no weather boost, 100 percent Ho-Oh at Level 20)

2563 – 2759 CP (Sunny and Windy weather, 100 percent IV Ho-Oh at Level 25)

Raid Preparation:

Shadow Ho-Oh is a Fire and Flying type and is weak to Rock, Electric, and Water type attacks. This raid is immensely challenging due to the Shadow Raid mechanism. To succeed, ensure you have top counters, correct move-sets, powered-up Pokémon, and most importantly, Purified Gems.

Group Recommendations:

Groups of 4+ with top counters and Purified Gems.

Groups of 8-10+ for lower-level trainers or those without ideal counters.

Party Power Bonus:

In-person raids allow you to utilize the Party Power raid bonus through Party Play. The Party Power bonus fills as members of your Party attack the Raid Boss. Once full, your next Charge Attack will receive a special boost.

For the raids, here are Pokémon and the times for each listed below, along with their locations: Federal Hill Green, Page Park and Rockwell Park.

As always, Raid Hours take place every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m., and you won’t have to worry about time zones as it will always be your local time. This is the perfect chance to get out there and catch yourself a Legendary Pokémon.

Tips for Trainers

Plan Ahead: Coordinate with fellow Trainers for Raids or Research Tasks.

Stay Safe: Be mindful of your surroundings and weather conditions while exploring.

With so much action-packed into January 2025, there’s never been a better time to dive into Pokemon Go. Whether you’re raiding Shadow Ho-Oh or catching costumed critters during Fashion Week, Bristol trainers are in for an exciting month. Ready, set, GO!

Before you go!

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