Complete guide to Pokemon Go Halloween 2022 Part I with dates, Mega Banette debut, shiny hunting strategies, and event optimization tips
Event Overview and Timing
Niantic has unveiled the first installment of Pokemon Go’s 2022 Halloween festivities, marking another exciting chapter in the ongoing Season of Light. This spooky celebration represents the latest in a series of engaging events that began on September 1, following previous highlights like Fashion Week and Psychic Spectacular.
Trainers can immerse themselves in Halloween Part I from Thursday, October 20, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. through Thursday, October 27, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. local time. This week-long event offers numerous opportunities for catching rare Pokemon and earning exclusive rewards.
The Season of Light continues to deliver compelling content, with this Halloween segment building upon previous events while introducing fresh mechanics and Pokemon debuts. Understanding the event’s timing is crucial for maximizing participation, especially for trainers with limited playtime.
Pro Tip: Set calendar reminders for the event start and end times to ensure you don’t miss any time-limited opportunities. Consider planning your gameplay sessions around the event schedule, particularly for raid participation and egg incubation.
Mega Banette Debut and Raid Strategy
The Halloween event introduces Mega Banette to Pokemon Go’s Mega Evolution roster, available exclusively through Mega Raids during the specified timeframe. This ghost-type Pokemon brings unique strategic value to both raid battles and PvP encounters.
Successfully defeating Mega Banette in raids provides not only capture opportunities but also Mega Energy essential for future Mega Evolutions. The shiny variant represents a particularly coveted prize for collectors and completionists.
Strategy Insight: Mega Banette raids typically require 3-5 trainers with optimal counters. Focus on using dark-type Pokemon like Tyranitar, Hydreigon, or Weavile for maximum effectiveness. Coordinate with local raid groups through Discord or Campfire apps to ensure successful completions.
Common Mistake: Attempting Mega Raids with insufficient trainers or suboptimal counters wastes both raid passes and time. Always scout raid lobbies before committing your pass, and consider remote raiding if local participation is limited.
7km Egg Hatches and Shiny Hunting
Event-exclusive 7km eggs contain several desirable Pokemon, with Shiny Noibat making its Pokemon Go debut. The egg hatch mechanics during this event provide improved shiny odds compared to wild encounters, making egg incubation a priority for shiny hunters.
For the first time in Pokémon GO, you’ll be able to encounter Shiny Noibat. Additionally, Noibat hatched from these Eggs will also have a greater chance of being Shiny than Noibat found in the wild.
Pokemon marked with * may appear as shiny.
Advanced Strategy: Utilize multiple incubators simultaneously to maximize egg hatches during the event. Prioritize opening gifts from friends to stock up on 7km eggs, and consider using Star Pieces during hatching sessions to boost stardust gains. The increased shiny rate from eggs versus wild encounters makes this investment particularly valuable for Noibat hunters.
Egg Management Tip: Clear your egg inventory before the event starts to ensure you receive only event eggs. Walk during Community Day hours or use adventure sync effectively to accelerate hatching during the limited event window.
Wild Encounters and Spawn Optimization
The following Pokemon will appear more frequently in the wild during the Halloween event:
Pokemon marked with * may appear as shiny.
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Wild spawn optimization involves identifying biome-specific patterns and using lures/incense strategically. Park areas and water-adjacent locations often yield different spawn pools, so vary your hunting locations.
Spawn Strategy: Use Daily Adventure Incense during peak spawn hours (11am-2pm and 5pm-8pm local time) when player activity is highest, as this sometimes correlates with improved shiny rates. Focus on cluster spawn locations rather than isolated spawns to maximize encounter efficiency.
Raid Bosses and Featured Attacks
Altered Forme Giratina will be available from Thursday, October 20, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. until Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. local time and will know Shadow Force as its featured attack.
Mega Banette will be available from Thursday, October 20, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. to Thursday, October 27, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. local time.
Pokemon marked with * may appear as shiny
Shadow Force represents a significant upgrade for Giratina in both PvE and PvP contexts. This ghost-type charged attack deals substantial damage while requiring only 100 energy in trainer battles, making Altered Forme Giratina more viable in the Master League.
Raid Priority Guide: Focus on Mega Banette raids during the first week (Oct 20-27) since they’re time-limited, then shift attention to Giratina raids which continue beyond the Halloween event. Use Premium Battle Passes strategically on weather-boosted raids for better IV potential.
Technical Note: Shadow Force cannot be obtained via Elite TM after the event concludes, making this capture window essential for optimal Giratina builds. Ensure you have sufficient storage space and pinap berries for successful catches.
Event Bonuses and Research Rewards
Completing Field Research tasks will give players a chance to encounter the following Pokemon:
Pokemon marked with * may appear as shiny
Players can earn Gengar Mega Energy and Absol Mega Energy for completing certain Field Research tasks.
Research Task Strategy: Prioritize tasks that reward Mega Energy if you’re building your Mega Evolution collection. Tasks requiring specific Pokemon types or throw techniques can often be completed simultaneously with other event activities for efficiency.
Common Oversight: Many trainers forget to stack completed research encounters for later catching. Use this technique during stardust bonus hours or when using a Lucky Egg to maximize experience gains. The queue can hold up to 100 completed research encounters.
Energy Farming Tip: Focus on tasks awarding Gengar Mega Energy if you lack this popular ghost-type Mega, or Absol Mega Energy if you prioritize dark-type raid attackers. These resources accumulate slowly, making event bonuses particularly valuable.
Timed Research Tickets and Value Analysis
In addition to the Special Research available to all Trainers, paid tickets for Timed Research will also be available during the event.
There are two available tickets for the Timed Research, which will cost $1 and $5 respectively.
Ticket 1 grants access to Timed Research featuring encounters with Yamask and Galarian Yamask, while Ticket 2 grants access to Timed Research featuring increased Candy bonuses, additional Halloween-themed tasks, and an avatar pose.
Value Assessment: The $1 ticket primarily offers Pokemon encounters, making it ideal for collectors missing these ghost-types. The $5 ticket provides broader utility through candy bonuses that enhance all catching activities during the event period.
Purchase Recommendation: Casual players should consider the $1 ticket for exclusive encounters, while dedicated shiny hunters and power-levelers will benefit more from the $5 ticket’s candy multipliers. The avatar pose represents permanent cosmetic value beyond the event duration.
Completion Strategy: Timed Research tasks must be finished before the event ends. Prioritize these tasks over regular Field Research during your final event days to ensure you receive all paid rewards.
Advanced Strategies and Common Pitfalls
That’s everything you need to know about the Halloween 2022 Part I event. While you’re here, check out some of our other Pokemon Go guides:
Pokemon Go type chart | Best attackers & defenders | How to beat Sierra | How to beat Arlo | How to beat Cliff | How to beat Giovanni | Field Research tasks | Spotlight Hour schedule | Cutest Pokemon | All cat Pokemon | All dog Pokemon
Advanced Resource Management: Allocate your Pokecoins strategically during the event. Premium items like incubators and raid passes offer better value during limited-time events than regular gameplay. Consider purchasing the event box bundles if they include items you’ll actively use.
Common Event Pitfall: Many trainers spread their resources too thinly across all event activities. Instead, focus on 2-3 primary objectives (e.g., shiny Noibat hunting and Mega Banette raids) to achieve meaningful progress rather than minimal participation in everything.
Storage Preparation: Clear 50-100 Pokemon storage spaces before the event begins. This prevents frustrating moments when you encounter a shiny or perfect IV Pokemon but lack capture capacity. Use tags to mark transfer candidates rather than deleting indiscriminately.
Post-Event Planning: Giratina remains available after Halloween Part I concludes, allowing you to shift focus to other event aspects during the initial week. This extended availability window helps manage resource allocation across the full event sequence.
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