Pokémon GO’s September 21-27 schedule will give Trainers several focused targets across Max Battles, raids, research and catching events. Dynamax Articuno, Dynamax Zapdos and Dynamax Moltres will open the week, while regional Ultra Beasts and Catch Mastery: Phantump will carry the main weekend activity.
Dynamax legendary birds lead Max Monday
On Monday, September 21, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, Dynamax Articuno, Dynamax Zapdos and Dynamax Moltres will appear in Max Battles. Dynamax Rhyhorn will also remain available in Max Battles from September 21 through September 27.
Regional Ultra Beasts arrive in five-star raids
Zamazenta will remain in five-star raids through Tuesday, September 22. From Wednesday, September 23, through Tuesday, September 29, the rotation will move to regional Ultra Beasts. The regional raid rotation will begin at 6:00 a.m. local time on September 23 and end around 9:30 p.m. local time on September 29.
Buzzwole will appear in the Americas and Greenland, Pheromosa will be available in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India, and Xurkitree will appear in the Asia-Pacific region. Each area will receive one of the three Ultra Beasts in its Tier 5 raids.
Mega Malamar will occupy Tier 4 throughout the rotation. Tier 3 raids will feature Hisuian Typhlosion, Hisuian Samurott and Hisuian Decidueye, while Tier 1 will bring Dratini, Larvitar, Bagon and Deino to the lineup.
Mega Malamar will also enter Mega Raids on September 23 and remain there through September 29. Raid Hour will run on Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, giving Trainers a concentrated window for the active regional raid bosses.
Rattata gets the Spotlight Hour stage
Thursday, September 24, will feature Rattata during Spotlight Hour from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. The event will include 2× XP for evolving Pokémon and an increased chance of encountering XXS Rattata. As the final Spotlight Hour of September, it also gives Trainers one last monthly window to chase the featured size trait and collect evolution XP.
Shiny Rattata and Shiny Raticate will be available as well. Shiny Rattata has yellow-green coloring instead of the usual purple appearance, so check each catch before transferring it or using it for evolution.
Preparing for the evolution bonus
Trainers can set aside Pokémon that are ready to evolve before the hour begins. Rattata requires 25 Rattata Candy to evolve into Raticate, but the 2× XP bonus applies to other Pokémon too. Scatterbug encounters and Pokémon obtained after opening a Mystery Box or Coin Bag can provide additional evolution targets if they are saved for the event.
Raticate is not a major PvE or PvP investment, making XP, shiny hunting and medal progress more practical goals for most Trainers. Rattata has a maximum CP of 830, can appear more often in Partly Cloudy weather, and has Tackle with Body Slam as a recommended moveset. Its weakness to Fighting-type moves is less important during a Spotlight Hour focused on catching and evolving.
XXS Rattata and medal progress
The increased XXS encounter chance gives the hour a collection goal beyond the standard shiny hunt. XXS Pokémon can contribute to the Tiny Pokémon Collector Medal, while the Youngster Medal tracks XS Rattata weighing less than 2.41 kg. Trainers should check size details before transferring unwanted catches, especially when a Rattata could support either medal.
Mega Pokémon that boost Rattata catches
A Mega-Evolved Pokémon with the Normal typing can provide extra Candy and XP when catching Rattata. The available choices are Mega Pidgeot, Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Lopunny and Mega Audino.
Using one of these Mega Pokémon will help with catches, while the event’s 2× bonus applies to evolutions. Higher Mega Levels can also improve the chance of receiving Candy XL from catches that share the Mega Pokémon’s typing.
Choose Your Path returns with 3 research routes
Choose Your Path Timed Research will be available from Wednesday, September 23, at 10:00 a.m. through Monday, September 28, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Trainers will choose between the Explore, Catch and Battle paths, with that decision determining the tasks and rewards received throughout the research.
Different versions of the research may appear for different Trainers as Niantic tests the experience. The choice will be permanent for the duration of the research, so the preferred play style is the sensible deciding factor.
Phantump gets a full Catch Mastery event
Catch Mastery: Phantump will take place on Saturday, September 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time. The event will raise the chance of finding Shiny Phantump and offer 2× Catch XP for Nice Throws or better, along with extra Candy for accurate catches. Cherubi and Drifloon will also appear in the wild alongside Phantump.
Free Timed Research focused on catching Phantump will be available during the event. Field Research encounters with Cherubi, Drifloon and Phantump will add more targets, while paid Timed Research will be available for $1.99 USD. Trainers planning to take part should have Poké Balls and storage space ready before the 10-hour event begins.
Prioritizing Nice Throws or better will help make use of both catch bonuses, and each Phantump should be checked for its Shiny form before it is transferred.
City Safari reaches 6 cities
Pokémon GO City Safari will run on September 26 and 27 in Boston, Brisbane, Lisbon, Marseille, Munich and Rio de Janeiro. Mudbray and Hawlucha will feature during the city events, while the Eevee Explorer Edition will return as part of the citywide experience.
Brisbane Trainers have an extra two-hour window on September 26. Brisbane’s City Safari timing ends the event’s featured spawns at 6:00 p.m. local time, but Catch Mastery: Phantump continues until 8:00 p.m. Trainers can use that late window to keep catching Phantump or finish remaining research instead of treating the end of City Safari spawns as the end of the day’s activity.
Cherubi and Drifloon are not among Brisbane’s City Safari event spawns, so Trainers working on tasks that require them should check Field Research during the main event and keep suitable tasks active. Lures and Incense may produce those encounters only rarely, making the available research encounters especially useful.
Pokémon Horizons event closes out
The Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event will continue through Tuesday, September 22, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles will remain the event’s new costume encounters, with an increased chance of finding Kecleon at PokéStops and the return of Pikachu wearing Cap’s Hat.
GO Battle League and other ongoing features
GO Battle League Season 28 will move into its September 22-29 rotation with Ultra League, Master League: Mega Edition and Retro Cup: Great League Edition. Each of those options will provide 4× Stardust from win rewards, excluding end-of-set rewards.
The September GO Pass will continue offering rewards such as a Latios encounter, XP and Stardust bonuses, and the Timed Incubator. Shadow Raids will remain available daily in one-star and three-star tiers, with five-star Shadow Raids scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays. Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus will continue to appear in the five-star Shadow Raid rotation.
Which target will take priority during the September 21-27 schedule, the regional Ultra Beasts, Shiny Phantump or the Dynamax legendary birds? Share your plans in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, Telegram.
Pokémon Go
Developed by Niantic Labs, The Pokémon Company
Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game that uses GPS to let players locate, capture, train, and battle Pokémon in real-world locations. Players explore their physical surroundings to find PokéStops for items, battle at Gyms for team control, participate in Raid Battles cooperatively, and compete in the Go Battle League's player-versus-player format. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases and features Pokémon from across multiple generations of the franchise.
- Genre Role-playing (RPG), Simulator
- Platforms Android, iOS
- Perspective Third person, Bird view / Isometric, Side view
- Modes Single player, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- Release July 6, 2016
- Publisher Niantic Labs
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Age Rating
