Squirtle, the No. 7 Pokemon, in the original Pokedex is the featured creature for "Pokemon Go's" 7th anniversary. (Niantic)
“Pokemon Go” is in a weird place on its 7th anniversary. A few controversial moves have led some veteran players to leave the game, while at the same time, it’s looking to regain momentum that it has lost as its pandemic boost fades.
Right now, it feels as if “Pokemon Go” has been treading water while the developer, Niantic, closes studios, reshuffles staff and closes projects such as “NBA All-World” and cancels others games. In a letter sent to staff, Niantic CEO John Hanke said, “The top priority is to keep Pokémon GO healthy and growing as a forever game.”
Perhaps, that will begin with the game’s 7th anniversary party. The event mainly focuses on Kanto region Pokemon that were released at the game’s launch. Players will have a chance of encountering the original starters — Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charmander, all with party hats. Pikachu will have a cake hat from the previous year. Each day will feature a different set of starters and bonuses culminating with the Alola ones July 12.
In terms of new content, there isn’t much aside from Squirtle’s evolutions now being able to have party hats. With the weekend’s Community Day Classic, players have a chance to catch a shiny version of the tiny turtle Pokemon. Essentially, this even and the week will help newer players get up to speed.
SHINY POKEMON TO CATCH
For shiny hunters, Meowth, Ponyta (both Kanto and Galarian), and Absol will appear in the wild. But the biggest prize will be Snorlax, which can be shiny and will appear in three-star raids, along with fellow Kanto favorite Lapras. Shiny Snorlax has been out for a few years, but the variant has been hard to catch because of its rarity.
Running from 10 a.m. July 6 to 8 p.m. July 12, the event is likely one of your best chances outside a Go Fest or perhaps the upcoming Catching Some Z’s event marked for July 15 and July 16 to get one.
The five-star and mega raids aren’t too exciting. It features the legendary birds — Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres — while Mega Blastoise will be available though it’s uncertain if it will have a hat.
A LOOK AT PAID QUESTS
Following a trend, Niantic will be offering more Timed Research and Masterwork Research quests. They come in the form of a special anniversary quest where players can get an Incubator, Super Incubator, Premium Battle Pass, Lucky Egg, Rocket Radar, Star Piece and 77,777 XP for $2. Niantic is also throwing in a behatted Pikachu encounter.
The Masterwork Research is more intriguing. Players have a chance at catching a guaranteed shiny Mew for $5. The task itself is a rerun of a quest line that was available for Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto in 2021. It takes a while to do, so don’t expect to complete it for a few months. Players have to do things like catch a Pokemon for 30 days in a row and reach level 40.
Lastly, those looking to evolve their Gimmighoul now have a better chance at doing that because players have a better chance of obtaining 7, 77 or more Gimmighoul coins when they a spin a stop with a Golden Lure Module. Players need at least 999 to do that.
Originally published at Gieson Cacho