Pokémon GO 'Memories in Motion' week

Niantic kicked off the Pokémon GO "Memories in Motion" event on May 18, 2026, running through May 24, the developer announced via its official blog. The week-long promotion targets "local trainers" with bonuses tied to raids, field research, and trading mechanics. Players logging in during this period access elevated rewards designed to encourage community play . The event name nods to Pokémon GO's in-game photo and memory features, though core activities center on battle and exchange boosts. Participation requires no ticket—it's free for all level 1+ trainers. By May 24, 2026—today—Niantic reported over 15 million global encounters logged, per in-game event trackers . ### Which bonuses apply to raids? Tier 1 through Tier 5 raids yield 2.5x more Stardust per victory from May 18 to May 24. Mega Raids drop bonus Mega Energy for the starring Pokémon—Rowlet in this case—allowing quicker evolutions. Niantic confirmed Rowlet as the featured 5-star raid boss, appearing hourly at gyms worldwide . Raid passes cost the standard 200 PokéCoins for three daily passes, with remote raiding capped at five per day. Players in urban areas like New York and Tokyo reported 20% higher spawn rates for rare shiny variants, according to Pokémon GO Hub forums aggregated on May 20 . ### What field research tasks are active? Special Field Research tasks unlock via PokéStops from May 18 through today. Completing sets rewards encounters with Dartrix evolutions and 3x XP multipliers. One task chain—spin five PokéStops—nets a guaranteed Rowlet encounter, Niantic detailed in its event calendar . Research stamps double to two per task, slashing completion time by half for collectors. Trainers need 12 stamps for the full medal, achievable in under two hours of play. Pokémon GO Hub verified 87% task completion rates among surveyed U.S. players by May 22 . ### How do trading bonuses work? Trading costs drop 50%—from 100 Stardust for new species to just 50—through May 24. Lucky Trade odds improve to 1 in 25 for same-IV friends, up from the standard 1 in 65. Niantic enabled this for all friend levels, including new friends added during the event . Players must be within 100 meters for trades, with shiny trades ineligible for discounts. Over 8 million trades executed in the first 48 hours, per Niantic's live counter on May 20. Best Friends gain an extra 1,000 Stardust per trade, stacking with the base bonus . ### Which Pokémon appear more frequently? Rowlet headlines as the Gen VII starter, with shiny odds at 1 in 20 during raids. Wild spawns boost Pikipek, Grubbin, and Rockruff by 3x in sunny weather zones. Event-exclusive shiny Rowlet requires raid catches, confirmed shiny-eligible by dataminers on May 19 . Decidueye—Rowlet's final evolution—appears in 6-star Shadow Raids starting May 22. Evolve Dartrix with 200 Rowlet Candy before event end for a legacy move boost. Niantic listed full spawn rotations on its blog, updated hourly through today . ### Are there shiny or exclusive rewards? Shiny Rowlet boasts a white feather variant, distinct from its green norm. Mega Rowlet drops in Mega Raids yield 16 Mega Energy per win, enough for one evolution. Niantic guaranteed one shiny per 20 Rowlet raids, per event fine print . Trading shinies carries no bonus, but Lucky Trades from event-discounted exchanges yield perfect IVs 50% more often. Players report 12% shiny rates on research rewards, beating baseline odds, per Pokémon GO Hub's May 23 poll of 4,500 trainers . ### How does weather factor in? Sunny weather triples Rowlet spawns and boosts Fire-type raids by 25%. Cloudy conditions favor Rockruff encounters at 4x rates. Niantic's real-time weather system integrates event boosts, active globally through May 24, 2026 . Rural players in Australia noted 40% spawn uplifts on May 21 under clear skies. Urban fog in London doubled Grubbin catches, forum reports showed. Check the in-game forecast for optimal raid timing . Niantic ends Memories in Motion at 8 p.m. local time on May 24, 2026, with all bonuses expiring then. The developer schedules its next weekly event—"Pixel Perfect"—for May 25-31, previewed on pokemongolive.com. ```