Complete guide to Pokemon Go’s Season of Alola with strategic tips for catching all Gen 7 Pokemon
Season of Alola Overview
Niantic officially launched the Season of Alola event in Pokemon Go, bringing an extensive roster of Alolan Pokemon to the mobile game. This marked the long-awaited introduction of Generation 7 creatures from the Sun and Moon era.
The 2022 Season of Alola event served as Pokemon Go’s comprehensive introduction to Alola region Pokemon, providing trainers with three months of exclusive content and features.
Many players expressed disappointment in August 2021 when Ultra Unlock events bypassed the Sun & Moon generation entirely while adding Generation 8 Pokemon prematurely. This created significant anticipation for proper Alola region representation.
Generation 7 finally received its deserved spotlight through the Season of Alola, which debuted numerous new Pokemon species alongside themed gameplay elements. Strategic trainers needed to understand the seasonal structure to maximize their collection opportunities.
The seasonal event commenced on March 1, 2022, immediately following the conclusion of the Season of Heritage. This timing provided a seamless transition between seasonal themes while maintaining gameplay continuity.
Trainers had exactly three months to engage with Alola content, with the season concluding on June 1, 2022. This standard seasonal duration allowed for comprehensive content rollout while maintaining player engagement throughout the period.
New Alola Pokemon Guide
The Season of Alola introduced an extensive roster of new Pokemon species to Pokemon Go’s ecosystem. Many required evolution from their basic forms rather than direct wild encounters.
These Generation 7 Pokemon became available through the seasonal event launch, with most requiring evolutionary progression:
Evolution Strategy Tip: Focus on accumulating candy for evolution-only species early in the season. Use Pinap Berries during catch opportunities and walk with Pokemon as buddies to accelerate candy acquisition. Prioritize species with competitive viability in raids and PvP battles.
Location-Based Pokemon Distribution
Several Pokemon species featured location-specific availability patterns during the Season of Alola. Understanding these distribution mechanics was crucial for completing regional Pokedex entries.
Regional Hunting Strategy: Coordinate with local Pokemon Go communities to identify biome-specific spawn patterns. Urban areas typically feature different species than parks or waterfront locations. Use weather boosts to increase encounter rates for specific types, and plan hunting sessions around favorable in-game weather conditions.
Updated Egg Pool Analysis
The Season of Alola refreshed Pokemon Go’s egg hatching pools with new Generation 7 inclusions alongside valuable baby Pokemon and established species.
Egg Hatching Optimization: Focus on 7km eggs for Alolan species and 10km eggs for rare Pokemon like Rockruff and Beldum. Use unlimited incubators for 2km and 5km eggs while reserving premium incubators for 10km eggs to maximize efficiency. Hatch eggs during double hatch candy events for accelerated resource accumulation.
Season Bonuses and Optimization
Multiple gameplay enhancements were active throughout the Season of Alola, providing quality-of-life improvements and resource advantages for engaged trainers.
Bonus Maximization Strategy: Activate Incense during walking sessions to triple spawn rates. Coordinate remote raids during raid hours to leverage damage bonuses. Visit high-density PokeStop areas daily to maximize free raid pass acquisition. The extended Incense duration allows for more flexible gameplay sessions without constant reactivation.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t waste Incense while stationary—the spawn rate remains significantly lower. Always ensure bag space before spinning PokeStops to guarantee gift reception. Plan raid participation around the double daily pass availability to maximize legendary encounter opportunities.
Island Special Research Guide
Trainers could undertake four distinct Special Research storylines exploring Alola’s island geography. The Melemele Island research launched with the season and remained available throughout.
The initial Special Research, Melemele Island, was accessible from March 1, 2022, through June 1, 2022. This timeframe aligned with the overall seasonal duration.
While research completion had no time constraints once started, trainers needed to claim each research segment during the active season period to maintain access.
Details for the remaining three island researches remained undisclosed at season launch. However, the culminating seasonal Special Research required a $4.99 ticket purchase for trainers who hadn’t completed preceding research lines.
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Research Strategy: Complete Melemele Island research immediately to ensure eligibility for subsequent storylines. Document task requirements to prepare necessary resources in advance. Consider the premium ticket value based on your completion progress and desired rewards.
Season Community Days
The inaugural Community Day during the Season of Alola featured dual Sandshrew variants, providing unique catching and evolution opportunities.
This combined event spotlighted Sandshrew alongside Alolan Sandshrew on March 13 from 11AM to 5PM local time. The six-hour duration followed standard Community Day formatting.
Trainers could consult Community Day guides for comprehensive details regarding exclusive moves, shiny rates, and event-specific bonuses beyond the standard seasonal benefits.
Community Day Preparation: Stockpile Pinap Berries and Poké Balls beforehand. Clear storage space for extensive catching sessions. Identify optimal hunting locations with high spawn density and multiple PokeStops. Plan evolution timing to secure exclusive moves before the post-event deadline.
Welcome to Alola Celebration
A dedicated launch celebration welcomed Generation 7 Pokemon to Pokemon Go, running concurrently with the season’s opening week.
The Welcome to Alola event activated from March 1 at 10AM local time through March 9 at 8PM, providing focused introduction to new Alolan species.
Wild spawn rates increased significantly for specific Pokemon during the celebration period:
A new Collection Challenge became available from March 1 at 10AM local time through March 9 at 8PM. Successful completion rewarded trainers with 7,000 XP and 15 Ultra Balls.
The Collection Challenge required obtaining one specimen of each listed Pokemon:
Raids featured specialized lineups from March 1 at 10AM local time through March 9 at 8PM across all difficulty tiers:
Field Research tasks offered encounter opportunities with specific Pokemon from March 1 at 10AM local time through March 9 at 8PM:
Comprehensive Field Research guides provided additional details about task requirements and reward distributions.
Event Strategy: Prioritize Collection Challenge completion during the first few days. Focus raid passes on Rockruff and Alolan Raichu for their rarity and competitive value. Complete Field Research tasks strategically to target missing species for your Pokedex.
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