Complete guide to Pokemon Go Halloween 2023 Part 1 with strategies, new Pokemon debuts, and bonus optimization
Halloween Event Overview
Get ready for spooky encounters and ghostly adventures in Pokemon Go’s Halloween 2023 Part 1 event, featuring exclusive debuts and haunting bonuses.
Following the Harvest Festival celebration, Niantic transitions into October’s main attraction with the chilling Halloween Part 1 event. This seasonal celebration brings a perfect blend of spooky atmosphere and valuable gameplay opportunities for trainers worldwide.
The Pokemon Go Halloween 2023 Part 1 event launches Thursday, October 19, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. local time and concludes exactly one week later on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. local time. This compact seven-day timeframe requires strategic planning to maximize your ghost-type acquisitions and bonus opportunities.
Seasoned trainers should prioritize their activities during this limited window, focusing on the increased Poison and Ghost-type appearances and the debut of two highly anticipated Pokemon from the Paldea region.
New Pokemon Debuts & Evolution Guide
Two spectral newcomers join the Pokemon Go roster during this haunting celebration, bringing fresh collection opportunities and battle potential.
Greavard makes its spooky debut, the ghost dog Pokemon known for its candle-like appearance and playful nature. This Pokemon evolves into the formidable Houndstone through a straightforward evolution process requiring 50 Candy. For optimal candy accumulation, use Pinap Berries during catches and prioritize Greavard as your walking buddy.
Advanced trainers should note that both Greavard and Houndstone have potential shiny variants available, though their debut shiny rates typically follow the standard full-odds 1 in 500 probability. Focus on maximizing encounter opportunities through research tasks and wild spawns to improve shiny hunting efficiency.
When evaluating IVs for these new additions, prioritize high Attack stats for raid performance or balanced stats for PvP usage in leagues like the Halloween Cup. Houndstone’s ghost-type moveset makes it particularly valuable against psychic and ghost-type opponents.
Wild Encounter Strategy
The wild spawn pool receives a haunting makeover with increased appearances of Poison and Ghost-type Pokemon perfect for the season’s theme.
Boosted wild encounters include: Gastly, Haunter, Zubat, Golbat, Spinarak, Misdreavous, and Shuppet. The asterisk notation indicates Pokemon with available shiny variants, making these particularly valuable targets for collectors.
*indicates Shiny version can be found
For optimal hunting, focus on areas with high spawn density like parks, shopping centers, and areas with multiple PokeStops. Using Incense during the event period significantly increases encounter rates, especially if you’re moving at walking speed. Lure Modules on PokeStops also provide concentrated hunting opportunities.
Common mistake: Many trainers waste time catching common Pokemon instead of focusing on the event-exclusive spawns. Prioritize the boosted Ghost and Poison types, as they provide better candy returns and shiny opportunities compared to normal spawns.
Field Research Tasks & Rewards
Field Research tasks provide guaranteed encounters with desirable Pokemon, offering another pathway to obtain the new debuts and valuable shiny chances.
Along with the debuts of Greavard and Houndstone, Field Research tasks will reward encounters with additional ghost-type Pokemon including Shuppet, Duskull, and Yamask. These tasks typically involve simple objectives like making certain throws, catching specific types, or spinning PokeStops.
Shiny versions of both can also be found.
Strategic approach: Complete easy tasks quickly to cycle through more opportunities, and prioritize tasks that reward the Pokemon you need most. If you’re hunting shinies, focus on tasks that reward Pokemon with available shiny forms. Remember that you can stack encounters for later catching if you’re short on time during the event.
Advanced tip: Visit areas with high PokeStop density to collect multiple tasks simultaneously, then complete them efficiently in one location. This minimizes travel time and maximizes task completion rates.
Timed Research & Raid Battles
Multiple Timed Research lines and challenging raid battles provide structured gameplay and premium rewards throughout the Halloween event.
There will be several Timed Research events that will go live during the Halloween Part 1 event.
The paid Timed Research event offers encounters with Phantump and Alolan Meowth upon completing various tasks. Critical deadline: rewards must be claimed by October 31 at 8 PM local time, giving you extra days post-event to complete objectives.
Additionally, two other Event-exclusive Timed Research challenges will allow Go players to earn encounters with Greavard and the elusive Spiritomb.
Raid enthusiasts face exciting challenges with Guzzlord and Darkrai occupying Five-Star Raids. Guzzlord appears until October 20 at 10:00 a.m. local time, followed by Darkrai. Both have potential shiny variants. Mega Gengar and Mega Banette headline Mega Raids, providing valuable mega energy and powerful battle allies.
Raid strategy: Build teams with fairy-type attackers for Guzzlord (weak to fairy) and fighting-type counters for Darkrai. Coordinate with local communities to maximize raid pass efficiency and ensure successful completions.
Event Bonuses & Optimization
Multiple event bonuses significantly enhance resource acquisition, making this an ideal time for candy farming and egg hatching activities.
The Pokemon Go Halloween 2023 Part 1 event will come with various bonuses for players throughout its duration:
Optimization strategy: Focus on achieving excellent throws whenever possible, as they provide the highest candy bonuses. Use Nanab Berries to calm Pokemon and make excellent throws easier to execute. The combination of throw bonuses and event candy multipliers can yield up to 13 candy per catch with Pinap Berries.
Egg hatching receives significant boosts with double candy and additional Candy XL for trainers level 31+. Prioritize 7km Eggs containing Munchlax, Riolu, and Galarian Yamask during this period. Use a Star Piece during mass hatches to maximize stardust gains alongside candy rewards.
Atmospheric enhancement: A remix of the classic Lavender Town theme plays during the event, adding nostalgic ambiance to your ghost-hunting adventures.
Advanced Player Strategies
Maximize your event productivity with these professional strategies designed for experienced trainers seeking optimal returns.
Resource Management: Prioritize your item usage—save Incense and Star Pieces for extended play sessions during peak spawn hours. Use Pinap Berries exclusively on new Pokemon debuts and rare spawns to accelerate evolution requirements.
Time Optimization: Create a daily checklist focusing on time-sensitive activities first. Complete paid Timed Research early to avoid missing deadlines, then focus on free research lines. Schedule raid hours with your community when legendary bosses rotate.
Avoid Common Mistakes: Don’t waste premium raid passes on solo attempts against five-star bosses. Never transfer new Pokemon before checking IVs or shiny status. Avoid using regular Pokeballs when ultra balls are available for rare spawns.
There’s everything you need to know about the Pokemon Go Halloween 2023 Part 1 event! Check out our other handy Pokemon Go guides below:
Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | All upcoming Spotlight Hours | Current Raid bosses | Arlo counters guide | Cliff counters guide | Giovanni counters guide | Sierra counters guide | Grunt counters guide | How to catch a Ditto | What are Strange Eggs? | How to get Remote Raid Passes | Fastest way to get Best Buddy status | Pokemon Go catching tips
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