Pokémon GO: Memories in Motion Week
- In-game event running May 18–24, 2026 with special spawns, bonuses, and raid changes. - Play locally in Sunnyvale parks and join community raid meetups throughout the week. - Event details and bonuses: pokemongohub.net.
2/ During the event, players encounter increased spawns of Pokémon like Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, and Pikachu in their costumed forms—costumes referencing past events such as Holiday wear or Party Hat variants. Shinies of these Pokémon have boosted encounter rates, with Pikachu specifically appearing in raids across five-star and Mega levels. 3/ Bonuses activate daily: Double XP from catching Pokémon runs May 18-19, followed by Double Stardust May 20-21, Double Candy May 22-23, and Incense spawning encounters lasting 60 minutes May 18-24. Lucky Eggs double these effects when used, encouraging prolonged play sessions. 4/ Raid changes spotlight Generation 1 Pokémon: Five-star raids rotate through legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, plus Mewtwo; Mega Raids feature Mega Pidgeot and Mega Aerodactyl. Community Days aren't part of this event, but raid passes yield double rewards, including Rare Candy. (; ) 5/ Field Research tasks reward encounters with event-themed Pokémon like Eevee and regional variants, while Timed Research (one-time purchase for $1 USD or equivalent) unlocks additional catches, XL Candy, and an avatar item. The event celebrates Pokémon GO's 10-year anniversary buildup, with "memories" nodding to original 151 Pokémon. 6/ Locally in Sunnyvale, California—Niantic's headquarters area—players can hit parks like Sunnyvale Community Center or Bedwell Bayfront Park for spawns and meetups. Community-organized raid trains are listed on Discord and Reddit groups, with events peaking evenings May 20-24 for max raid participation. (; ) 7/ Niantic announced the event via in-game news and social channels on May 17, urging players to "revisit fond memories" through Gen 1-focused content. No global challenges or new Pokémon debuts, but it ties into May's broader GO Tour: Unova prep starting later in the month. Participation requires a Pokémon GO account and AR-compatible device. (; ) 8/ Post-event, standard spawns resume May 25, but players retain Timed Research progress. Niantic's event calendar lists the next highlight as the GO Tour: Unova on May 30-June 1 in New Orleans, with global ticket sales ongoing. Check the in-game shop for remaining event bundles.
