Pokémon GO × Pokémon Horizons Celebration Event 2026 Guide

The worlds of Pokémon GO and Pokémon Horizons: The Series are crossing paths once again. This time, Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles makes its Pokémon GO debut alongside new Special Backgrounds, day-and-night encounters, themed raids and an event-exclusive GO Pass.

The celebration runs from September 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. to September 22, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Here is everything you need to know before setting out, including the complete spawn pools, Field Research tasks, raid lineup and GO Pass rewards.

 

Pokémon Horizons Celebration Event Schedule

Event	Date and Time
Celebration Event	September 16, 10:00 a.m.–September 22, 8:00 p.m.
Costumed Charmander Spotlight Hour	September 17, 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
GO Pass progression ends	September 22, 8:00 p.m.
GO Pass rewards expire	September 24, 8:00 p.m.

All times are local.

 

Charmander Wearing Friede’s Goggles Debut

Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles makes its Pokémon GO debut during this event. Trainers can obtain it through:

• Wild encounters
• Event Field Research
• Regular Lure Modules after unlocking the relevant GO Pass bonus
• The event GO Pass

Its Shiny version is available from the beginning of the event. Eligible encounters may also feature an event-exclusive Special Background, although neither a Shiny encounter nor a Special Background is guaranteed.

The costume remains after evolution:

• Use 25 Charmander Candy to evolve Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles into Charmeleon wearing Friede’s goggles.
• Use another 100 Charmander Candy to evolve it into Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles.

Collectors should keep at least 125 Charmander Candy available if they want to complete the full costumed evolutionary line.

 

Event Bonuses

The following bonuses are available during the event:

• Increased chance to encounter Kecleon at PokéStops.
• Event bonuses unlocked by reaching major milestones on the GO Pass.

Required Rank	Bonus
Rank 1	2× Candy for catching Pokémon
Rank 1 with GO Pass Deluxe	3× Candy for catching Pokémon
Rank 10	Regular Lure Modules last for one hour and may attract featured Pokémon
Rank 20	Additional Stardust for catching Hatenna and Wattrel

The Candy bonus is active from Rank 1, which is the starting rank of the pass. Use Pinap Berries on Charmander, Hatenna, Wattrel and other Pokémon whose Candy you still need.

Regular Lure Modules are best saved until Rank 10. Once the bonus is unlocked, each regular Lure Module lasts for one hour and may attract featured Pokémon, including Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles.

 

Wild Encounters

The event uses separate daytime and nighttime spawn pools. They change at 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time, rather than at the event’s 10:00 a.m. starting time.

Daytime Spawns: 5:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

The following Pokémon appear during the daytime:

Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles*	Sprigatito*	Fuecoco*	Quaxly*
Fidough*	Wattrel	Captain’s Cap Pikachu*	Chansey*

The best daytime targets are the new costumed Charmander, Fidough, Wattrel and the three Paldea first-partner Pokémon.

Nighttime Spawns: 5:00 p.m.–5:00 a.m.

The following Pokémon appear during the nighttime:

Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles*	Rhyhorn*	Eevee*	Hatenna*
Nacli	Tinkatink*	Captain’s Cap Pikachu*	Rockruff*

At night, prioritize Hatenna, Tinkatink, Rockruff and Captain’s Cap Pikachu. Hatenna becomes even more valuable after reaching Rank 20 because it awards additional catch Stardust.

*Shiny available.

Captain’s Cap Pikachu can appear during both periods but is listed as a luck-based encounter. One-star raids and the “Win 2 Raids” Field Research task provide more targeted ways to encounter it. The full live spawn pools have been confirmed through the event’s rollout.

 

Field Research Tasks and Rewards

Available Field Research tasks and encounter rewards differ between the daytime and nighttime periods. Check the local time before spinning PokéStops if you are searching for a specific encounter.

Daytime Field Research: 5:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Task	Possible Encounter
Catch 10 Fire-type Pokémon	Costumed Charmander, Fidough or Wattrel
Make an Excellent Throw	Costumed Charmander
Make 5 Great Throws	Sprigatito, Fuecoco or Quaxly
Win a Raid	Chansey or Lapras
Win 2 Raids	Captain’s Cap Pikachu

Daytime Research Encounter CP

Pokémon	Minimum CP	Maximum CP
Costumed Charmander	387	420
Fidough	389	422
Wattrel	323	354
Sprigatito	401	435
Fuecoco	447	483
Quaxly	425	460
Chansey	490	537
Lapras	1,076	1,131
Captain’s Cap Pikachu	369	402

Nighttime Field Research: 5:00 p.m.–5:00 a.m.

Task	Possible Encounter
Catch 10 Fire-type Pokémon	Costumed Charmander, Eevee or Hatenna
Make an Excellent Throw	Costumed Charmander
Make 5 Great Throws	Rhyhorn or Nacli
Win a Raid	Rockruff or Tinkatink
Win 2 Raids	Captain’s Cap Pikachu

Nighttime Research Encounter CP

Pokémon	Minimum CP	Maximum CP
Costumed Charmander	387	420
Eevee	424	459
Hatenna	338	369
Rhyhorn	664	707
Nacli	381	414
Rockruff	374	407
Tinkatink	337	368
Captain’s Cap Pikachu	369	402

The Make an Excellent Throw task is the most efficient Field Research option for farming Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles because it always awards the costumed Charmander rather than selecting from a mixed encounter pool.

The Win 2 Raids task always requires two completed raids. To improve efficiency, stack up to three identical tasks before raiding. The same two raid wins will then complete all three tasks, potentially providing three Captain’s Cap Pikachu encounters.

 

Event Raids

Event-themed Pokémon appear in one-star and three-star raids.

One-Star Raids

• Captain’s Cap Pikachu*

Three-Star Raids

• Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles*
• Meowscarada*
• Skeledirge*
• Quaquaval*

*The encounter may be Shiny or have a Special Background.

A Special Background is not guaranteed. The Shiny symbol in the event announcement confirms Shiny availability, but the official announcement does not state that Shiny rates are increased.

Recommended Counter Types

Raid Boss	Best Counter Types
Charizard	Rock; Water and Electric also work
Meowscarada	Bug; also Fighting, Flying, Fairy, Fire, Ice and Poison
Skeledirge	Water, Ground, Rock, Ghost and Dark
Quaquaval	Electric, Grass, Flying, Psychic and Fairy

Charizard takes double super-effective damage from Rock-type attacks, making Rock-type attackers the clear first choice.

Meowscarada is double weak to Bug-type attacks. The other listed types are normally super effective but do not deal the same level of weakness damage.

All four three-star bosses should be manageable solo for prepared Trainers using suitable, powered-up counters. Lower-level Trainers or players without appropriate counters may still want to invite another player.

 

Special Background Pokémon

The following event Pokémon are eligible for the Pokémon Horizons Special Background:

• Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles
• Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles
• Captain’s Cap Pikachu
• Meowscarada
• Skeledirge
• Quaquaval

The official announcement directly confirms Special Background eligibility for the new costumed Charmander and the featured raid encounters.

Captain’s Cap Pikachu obtained from one-star raids can have the Special Background. A normal wild Captain’s Cap Pikachu should not automatically be treated as a Special Background encounter, since the official wild-encounter section only confirms its Shiny availability.

 

Surprise Snapshot Encounters

Taking a snapshot during the event can trigger a surprise appearance featuring characters and Pokémon from Pokémon Horizons: The Series.

Trainers can receive up to five surprise encounters per day. Confirmed encounter Pokémon include:

• Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles*
• Meowscarada*
• Skeledirge*
• Quaquaval*

*Shiny available.

These encounters do not require Raid Passes, so complete all five daily snapshots before spending additional passes on three-star raids.

The official announcement confirms the snapshot feature, while the five-encounter daily limit and encounter pool were confirmed after the event began.

 

GO Pass: Collaboration Celebration Event

All Trainers automatically receive the free GO Pass: Collaboration Celebration Event when the event begins. Complete Pass Tasks to earn GO Points and increase your rank.

The pass is available from September 16 at 10:00 a.m. to September 22 at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Unlocked rewards must be claimed by September 24 at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Daily GO Pass Tasks

Daily Task	GO Points
Catch 5 Charmander	50
Make 10 Great Throws	50

Each rank requires 100 GO Points. Rank 1 begins at zero points, and completing Rank 30 unlocks bonus ranks, with additional rewards available through Rank 60 at 5,900 total GO Points.

The two known daily tasks provide 100 GO Points per day. Additional bonus tasks are scheduled to appear during the event, so check the GO Pass screen regularly. The two daily tasks alone are not enough to reach Rank 60.

GO Pass Rewards

GO Pass Deluxe rewards are earned in addition to the free-track rewards. Deluxe players do not have to choose between the two tracks.

Rank	Free-Track Reward	Additional Deluxe Reward
1	2× catch Candy	Catch Candy increased to 3×
2	10 Poké Balls	30 Poké Balls
3	5 Razz Berries	1 Rare Candy XL
4	Eevee encounter	Eevee encounter
5	2,500 XP	5,000 Stardust
6	1 Golden Razz Berry	1 Premium Battle Pass
7	10 Great Balls	20 Great Balls
8	Fidough encounter	Fidough encounter
9	Costumed Charmander encounter	2 Lure Modules
10	One-hour regular Lure bonus	—
11	5,000 XP	7,500 Stardust
12	10 Ultra Balls	20 Ultra Balls
13	5 Pinap Berries	1 Rare Candy XL
14	Sprigatito encounter	Floragato encounter
15	5,000 XP	7,500 Stardust
16	Fuecoco encounter	Crocalor encounter
17	1 Silver Pinap Berry	1 Premium Battle Pass
18	Quaxly encounter	Quaxwell encounter
19	10 Ultra Balls	20 Ultra Balls
20	Extra Stardust from Hatenna and Wattrel	—
21	10 Hatenna Candy	Hatenna encounter
22	Hatenna encounter	Hatenna encounter
23	10 Hatenna Candy	Hatenna encounter
24	Hatenna encounter	Hatenna encounter
25	1 Lure Module	2 Premium Battle Passes
26	10 Wattrel Candy	Wattrel encounter
27	Wattrel encounter	Wattrel encounter
28	10 Wattrel Candy	Wattrel encounter
29	Wattrel encounter	Wattrel encounter
30	Costumed Charmander encounter	2 Lure Modules
31–59	50 Stardust per rank	100 Stardust per rank
60	Captain’s Cap Pikachu encounter	Rockruff encounter

Major Deluxe Rewards

By completing the main Deluxe track, Trainers can receive the following additional rewards:

• Four Premium Battle Passes
• Two Rare Candy XL
• Four Lure Modules
• 20,000 Stardust
• Floragato, Crocalor and Quaxwell encounters
• Four Hatenna encounters
• Four Wattrel encounters
• A Rockruff encounter at Rank 60
• 3× Candy for catching Pokémon instead of 2×

GO Pass Deluxe Price

The available paid options are:

• GO Pass Deluxe: US$4.99
• GO Pass Deluxe + 6 Ranks: US$6.99

The second option immediately provides enough GO Points to reach Rank 7. Prices use USD or the equivalent local pricing tier, and availability may vary by region.

Players can upgrade at any point during the event and retroactively claim Deluxe rewards from ranks they have already unlocked.

If you also need extra PokéCoins for Raid Passes or other event supplies, LDShop offers Pokémon GO top-ups at lower prices. It is an easy way to prepare for more raids while keeping your event spending under control.

 

Web Store Purchase Bonuses

Buying through the Pokémon GO Web Store provides additional items:

Purchase	Web Store Bonus
GO Pass Deluxe	10 Ultra Balls, 5 Max Revives, 1 Premium Battle Pass and 5 Max Potions
Deluxe + 6 Ranks	10 Ultra Balls, 5 Max Revives, 2 Premium Battle Passes and 5 Max Potions
Deluxe + 6 Ranks Ultra Box	20 Ultra Balls, 10 Max Revives, 10 Max Potions and 5 Premium Battle Passes

The pass activates when the event GO Pass begins.

 

Is the GO Pass Deluxe Worth Buying?

The GO Pass Deluxe provides the best value for Trainers who plan to reach at least Rank 25 and make extensive use of the 3× catch-Candy bonus.

The four Premium Battle Passes, two Rare Candy XL, four Lure Modules and 20,000 Stardust account for most of its practical value. The extra encounters are useful, but they are not exclusive Pokémon.

Consider the Deluxe upgrade if you:

• Plan to play throughout most of the event.
• Need large amounts of Charmander or Hatenna Candy.
• Expect to use all four Premium Battle Passes.
• Can reach the higher reward ranks.
• Want additional chances at Hatenna and Wattrel.

The free track remains sufficient for casual players. It includes the 2× catch-Candy bonus, the extended Lure bonus, two costumed Charmander encounters and a Captain’s Cap Pikachu encounter at Rank 60.

However, those later encounters still require reaching their respective ranks. Players who cannot complete the pass should evaluate the rewards they can realistically unlock before purchasing Deluxe.

 

Costumed Charmander Spotlight Hour

A special Spotlight Hour featuring Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles takes place on:

Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time

During the hour:

• Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles appears more frequently in the wild.
• Trainers receive 2× Stardust for catching Pokémon.
• The costumed Charmander can be Shiny.

This is the best concentrated window for earning Charmander Candy and checking large numbers of encounters for a Shiny or naturally high-IV specimen. The Spotlight Hour does not increase IV odds.

The Spotlight Hour bonus can run alongside the GO Pass catch-Candy bonus, allowing Trainers to earn additional Stardust and either 2× or 3× catch Candy at the same time.

 

PokéStop Showcases

Event-themed PokéStop Showcases are available throughout the celebration. A new category is featured each day.

Check the active Showcase requirements before transferring unusually large or small event Pokémon, since the eligible species or size category can change daily.

 

Best Event Strategy

1. Claim the GO Pass Immediately

The free pass is distributed automatically, and its 2× catch-Candy bonus is available from Rank 1. Deluxe players receive 3× catch Candy instead.

2. Complete Every Daily Pass Task

Catch five Charmander and make ten Great Throws each day for the currently confirmed 100 daily GO Points. Also check for additional event Pass Tasks as they appear.

3. Play During Both Spawn Periods

The daytime and nighttime pools contain different Pokémon. Play before and after 5:00 p.m. if you want access to the full event lineup.

4. Save Lure Modules Until Rank 10

Once Rank 10 is reached, regular Lure Modules last for one hour and can attract featured event Pokémon.

5. Complete Five Snapshots Every Day

The daily snapshot encounters provide free chances at costumed Charizard and the fully evolved Paldea first-partner Pokémon.

6. Stack Field Research Tasks

Stack up to three “Make an Excellent Throw” tasks to earn three costumed Charmander encounters from one Excellent Throw.

The same method works with “Win 2 Raids.” Stack up to three copies before completing two raids to receive up to three Captain’s Cap Pikachu encounters.

7. Choose Raids Carefully

Prioritize raid bosses whose Special Background or costume you genuinely want. The background is not guaranteed, so repeated raids may be necessary.

8. Play the September 17 Spotlight Hour

This is the most concentrated opportunity to hunt Shiny Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles and collect Charmander Candy.

9. Check PokéStops for Kecleon

Kecleon is easier to find at PokéStops during the event. Inspect nearby PokéStops regularly instead of relying only on map spawns.

10. Claim All Rewards Before the Deadline

GO Pass progression ends on September 22 at 8:00 p.m., but unlocked rewards remain claimable until September 24 at 8:00 p.m. local time.

 

Conclusion

With a new costumed Pokémon, Special Backgrounds and plenty of collection targets, the Pokémon Horizons Celebration Event is well worth checking out. Plan your playtime wisely, and make sure to claim your GO Pass rewards before they expire.