TL;DR
- May concludes Pokémon Go’s Might and Mastery season with Kingambit and Dynamax Suicune debuts
- Strategic raid scheduling is crucial with multiple five-star, mega, and shadow raid opportunities
- Two Community Days and specialized events require advanced preparation for optimal rewards
- Resource management becomes critical with overlapping events and limited-time bonuses
- Advanced players should focus on team optimization and timing for maximum efficiency
Pokémon Go’s Might and Mastery season reaches its exciting conclusion throughout May, featuring an extensive calendar of limited-time activities and exclusive Pokémon appearances. Trainers should prepare for strategic gameplay as multiple high-value events overlap, requiring careful planning to maximize participation and rewards.
The season finale introduces several powerful additions to your Pokédex, including the highly anticipated Kingambit evolution and the formidable Dynamax Suicune. These new combatants join Mega Kangaskhan and Gigantamax Machamp, each receiving dedicated Raid Day spotlight events that demand coordinated team efforts for successful captures.
Beyond the headline attractions, May delivers rotating raid bosses, featured Spotlight Pokémon, and dual Community Days that collectively provide abundant opportunities for XP gains, stardust accumulation, and rare Pokémon acquisitions. Strategic timing becomes essential as these events create multiple overlapping reward windows throughout the month.
- Five-star Raids: These premium encounters feature legendary Pokémon with enhanced catch rates during event windows. Optimal strategy involves coordinating with local raid groups and timing your premium passes for maximum efficiency.
- Mega Raids: Mega-evolved Pokémon offer temporary combat boosts and candy bonuses. Focus on species that complement your existing team composition and raid requirements.
- Shadow Raids: Team Go Rocket’s shadow variants present increased difficulty but offer purified Pokémon with combat advantages. Prepare specialized counters and healing items.
- Max Battles: These limited-time encounters feature Dynamax and Gigantamax forms with unique move sets. Team coordination and type-effective counters are essential for success.
- Bonuses: Experience multipliers and evolution discounts help accelerate Pokémon development. Prioritize evolving species with meta-relevant final forms during this event.
- Wild Pokemon: Increased spawns of evolving-stage Pokémon provide excellent candy farming opportunities. Use Pinap berries strategically to maximize candy gains.
- Eggs: Special egg pools may contain rare baby Pokémon or species with beneficial evolution paths. Coordinate egg hatching with incubator availability.
- Bonuses: Increased mega energy drops and exclusive moves make this a prime opportunity to strengthen your normal-type roster.
- Bonuses: Combat-focused rewards including TM drops and stardust bonuses align well with PvP enthusiasts’ goals.
- Wild Pokemon: Expect increased spawns of battling-themed species, many with competitive move pools worth investing in for trainer battles.
- Raids: Themed raid bosses complement the event’s combat focus, offering opportunities to acquire powerful additions to your battle teams.
- Bonuses: Extended raid hours and reduced lobby timers facilitate multiple attempts at capturing this water-type powerhouse.
- Bonuses: Traditional Community Day benefits including exclusive moves, increased shiny rates, and extended lure durations create optimal conditions for targeted Pokémon hunting.
- Bonuses: Shadow variant bonuses and specialized rewards cater to players focusing on purification mechanics and dark-type specialists.
- Shadow Raids: These intensified encounters demand prepared teams and strategic item usage, but offer substantial rewards for successful completion.
- Eggs: Event-specific egg pools may contain shadow Pokémon or species with unique move combinations valuable for both PvE and PvP content.
Advanced trainers should develop a comprehensive event participation strategy that accounts for resource limitations and timing constraints. Common mistakes include overcommitting raid passes early in the month and neglecting to prepare specialized teams for shadow encounters. Optimization involves coordinating with local communities for raid efficiency and prioritizing events that align with your collection gaps and combat needs.
Time estimates for event completion vary significantly based on player level and goals. Casual players may require 2-3 hours per major event, while completionists should budget 5-8 hours for comprehensive participation across all activities.
Pokemon Go trainers can look forward to a dynamic raid rotation throughout May 2024, featuring both returning favorites and new challenges. The month begins with Tapu Fini dominating five-star raids until May 12, providing ample opportunity to capture this elusive island guardian.
The psychic trio of Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie will appear regionally from May 12-25, requiring international coordination for completionists. The month concludes with Tapu Bulu’s return from May 25 through June 3, giving players a final chance to strengthen their legendary roster.
Mega Raids undergo significant changes with Mega Houndoom available initially, followed by Mega Gyarados mid-month, and Mega Altaria closing out the rotation. Shadow Regirock maintains its weekend presence in special Shadow Raids, offering consistent dark-type combat opportunities.
Five-star Raids
May 1-12
- Tapu Fini
May 12-25
- Azelf (Americas and Greenland)
- Mesprit (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India)
- Uxie (Asia-Pacific)
May 25-June 3
- Tapu Bulu
Mega Raids
May 1-12
- Mega Houndoom
May 12-25
- Mega Gyarados
May 25-June 3
- Mega Altaria
Shadow Raids
Weekends in May
- Shadow Regirock
Max Battles
April 28-May 5
- Charmander
- Pidove
- Cryogonal
- Wooloo
- Falinks
May 5-12
- Bulbasaur
- Machop
- Beldum
- Grookey
May 12-19
- Gastly
- Chansey
- Drilbur
- Darumaka
- Falinks
May 19-26
- Squirtle
- Krabby
- Sableye
- Beldum
May 26-June 2
- Gastly
- Pidove
- Rookidee
- Falinks
May Spotlight Hours
Pokemon Go’s weekly Spotlight Hours continue throughout May 2024, offering targeted collection opportunities every Tuesday evening. From 6-7 PM local time, specific Pokemon spawn rates dramatically increase, combined with valuable bonus multipliers that enhance resource acquisition.
Each Spotlight Hour provides distinct advantages: Furfrou offers double catch candy for evolution preparation, Sandygast facilitates candy stockpiling through transfer bonuses, while Poochyena and Golett provide evolution XP and stardust boosts respectively.
May 6
- Featured Pokemon: Furfrou
- Bonus: 2x catch Candy
May 13
- Featured Pokemon: Sandygast
- Bonus: 2x transfer Candy
May 20
- Featured Pokemon: Poochyena
- Bonus: 2x evolution XP
May 27
- Featured Pokemon: Golett
- Bonus: 2x catch Stardust
Growing Up Event
The Growing Up event from May 2-7 focuses on Pokemon that undergo dramatic transformations through evolution. This strategic event emphasizes collecting pre-evolution forms that become powerful combatants, with particular focus on Magikarp’s evolution into the formidable Gyarados.
Enhanced shiny rates for Swablu, Magikarp, and Wimpod provide exceptional hunting opportunities, while the increased chance of XXS and XXL Pokemon adds collection diversity.
Bonuses
- 2x candy from hatching eggs
- 2x XP for evolving Pokemon
- Increased chance to hatch shiny Wimpod
- Increased chance to encounter shiny versions of Magikarp, Swablu, and Wimpod
- Increased chance to encounter XXS and XXL Pokemon
Wild Pokemon
- Magikarp
- Wailmer
- Swablu
- Foongus
- Dedenne
- Cutiefly
- Wimpod
- Rookidee
- Nymble
Eggs
2 km
- Happiny
- Riolu
- Wimpod
5 km
- Mime Jr.
10 km
- Toxel
Mega Kangaskhan Raid Day
Mega Kangaskhan takes center stage on May 3rd with a dedicated Raid Day from 2-5 PM local time. This regional exclusive Pokemon becomes more accessible globally, with enhanced shiny encounter rates and the exclusive move Stomp.
Remote Raid Pass capacity increases to 20 during the event, while players can acquire up to five additional free Raid Passes from Gym Photo Discs, significantly reducing participation barriers.
Bonuses
- Remote Raid Pass limit increased to 20
- Receive up to five additional free Raid Passes from Photo Discs
- Increased odds of encountering shiny Kangaskhan
Crown Clash
The Crown Clash event from May 10-18 introduces Kingambit to Pokemon Go, requiring specific evolution conditions involving Bisharp as your buddy Pokemon and defeating specific type opponents.
Bonuses
- 2x XP for evolving Pokemon
- Increased odds of encountering shiny Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Slowpoke, Combee, and Litleo
- Chance to get a King’s Rock when catching a Slowpoke
Wild Pokemon
- Slowpoke
- Slakoth
- Piplup
- Combee
- Snivy
- Litleo
Raids
One-star
- Sneasel
- Klink
- Pawniard
Three-star
- Nidoqueen wearing a crown
- Nidoking wearing a crown
Dynamax Suicune Max Battle Weekend
The Max Battle Weekend on May 10-11 features Dynamax Suicune as the premier five-star Max Battle encounter. This marks the inaugural opportunity to challenge this enhanced legendary form with substantially improved Max Particle acquisition rates.
Bonuses
- Max Particle collection limit increased to 1,600
- 1/4 adventuring distance to receive Max Particles
- Power Spots will refresh more frequently
- 8x Max Particles from Power Spots
May Community Day
Pawmi headlines the May 11 Community Day from 2-5 PM local time, featuring dramatically increased spawn rates and enhanced shiny probabilities.
Evolving Pawmo into Pawmot by May 18 grants the exclusive Charged Attack Brick Break, providing strategic combat advantages in PvP and raid battles.
Bonuses
- For a limited time, you can evolve Pawmo into Pawmot after exploring 1 km with Pawmo as your buddy Pokemon
- 1/4 hatching distance when eggs are placed into Incubators during the event
- 2x Candy for catching Pokemon
- 2x chance to receive Candy XL from catching Pokemon (for trainers level 31 and above)
- Lure Modules will last for three hours
- Incense will last for three hours (excluding Daily Adventure Incense)
- One additional Special Trade can be made
- Trades require 50% less Stardust
Crown Clash: Taken Over
Team Go Rocket intensifies their activities during the Crown Clash takeover from May 14-18, introducing new Shadow Pokemon including Shadow Inkay, Shadow Tyrunt, and Shadow Amaura. The event culminates with a Special Research story offering Shadow Dialga rescue from Giovanni.
Bonuses
- Team Go Rocket will appear more frequently in balloons and at PokeStops
- Use a Charged TM to replace a Shadow Pokemon’s Charged Attack Frustration
- Pokemon caught in one- and three-star Raids will have a wider variance of stats
Shadow Raids
One-star
- Shadow Magnemite
- Shadow Cyndaquil
- Shadow Murkrow
- Shadow Spoink
Three-star
- Shadow Lapras
- Shadow Piloswine
- Shadow Gurdurr
Eggs
10 km
- Larvitar
- Pawniard
Shadow Raid Day
Shadow Regigigas emerges as the premier Shadow Raid boss on May 17 from 2-5 PM local time. This limited-time encounter offers enhanced shiny rates and potentially superior stat distributions for captured specimens.
Bonuses
- Receive up to five additional free Raid Passes when you spin the Photo Disc at Gyms
- Increased chance of encountering a shiny Regigigas in Shadow Raids
- Regigigas caught via Shadow Raids may have higher attack, defense, and HP
- Remote Raid Passes can be used to participate in Shadow Raids during the event
- Remote Raid limit will temporarily be increased to 20
Final Strike: Go Battle Week
The Go Battle Week from May 21-27 concludes the Might and Mastery season, featuring the final Special Research installment and the long-awaited Kubfu evolution capability.
Bonuses
- 2x XP for winning battles
- Increased chance to encounter shiny versions of Meditite, Stunky, and Mareanie
- One extra Raid Pass per day (after completing the event’s free Timed Research)
Wild Pokemon
- Mankey
- Seel
- Galarian Zigzagoon
- Meditite
- Froakie
- Deino
- Nickit
Raids
One-star
- Carvanha
- Stunky
- Mareanie
Three-star
- Lapras
- Hisuian Samurott
- Bombirdier
May Community Day Classic
The Community Day Classic on May 24 features Machop from 2-5 PM local time, offering triple stardust rewards and the exclusive move Payback for evolved Machamp.
Bonuses
- 3x Stardust for catching Pokemon
- Lure Modules will last for three hours
- Incense will last for three hours (excluding Daily Adventure Incense)
Gigantamax Machamp Max Battle Day
May concludes with the Gigantamax Machamp Max Battle Day on May 25 from 2-5 PM local time. This marks the debut opportunity to acquire Gigantamax Machamp through six-star Max Battles, featuring substantially enhanced Max Particle acquisition and refresh rates.
Bonuses
During event hours
- Max Particle collection limit increased to 1,600
- All Power Spots will host Gigantamax Battles
- Power Spots will refresh more frequently
- 8x Max Particles from Power Spots
- Two additional Special Trades
From 12-5 PM local time
- 2x Max Particles from exploring
- 1/4 adventuring distance to receive Max Particles
Pokemon Go introduces another monthly raid boss refresh this May, presenting trainers with strategic opportunities to capture powerful legendary creatures and mega-evolved Pokemon. Understanding the rotation schedule is crucial for maximizing your collection efforts.
The island guardian Tapu Fini dominates five-star raids until May 12, after which the psychic trio Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie take over as regional raid bosses. Each legendary appears in specific geographic areas: Azelf spawns across the Americas and Greenland, while Mesprit occupies Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India. Following their departure, Tapu Bulu returns to conclude the month’s legendary offerings.
Mega raids receive simultaneous updates with Mega Houndoom, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Altaria cycling throughout May. These provide excellent mega energy farming opportunities for their respective evolutionary lines. Additionally, Shadow Regirock emerges during exclusive weekend Shadow Raids, requiring specialized counters and team coordination.
Below you’ll find the comprehensive May raid schedule:
Pokemon Go’s weekly Spotlight Hours continue throughout May featuring distinctive Pokemon appearances and valuable bonuses. These events occur every Tuesday evening from 6-7 PM local time, creating prime opportunities for both new and veteran trainers.
During these concentrated hours, designated Pokemon spawn with dramatically increased frequency, enabling efficient Pokedex completion and candy accumulation. The enhanced spawn rates combined with time-limited bonuses like double catch candy or transfer candy create optimal farming conditions. Proper preparation ensures you extract maximum value from each sixty-minute window.
May’s schedule includes Furfrou as a featured Pokemon, presenting trainers with collection opportunities for this fashionable canine’s multiple trim variants. Strategic planning around these events can significantly advance your collection goals.
Review the complete May Spotlight Hour lineup below:
Beyond simply participating in events, advanced trainers employ strategic approaches to maximize their May gains. Understanding spawn mechanics and bonus timing transforms casual participation into optimized resource acquisition.
For raid bosses, coordinate with local communities to ensure successful legendary captures, particularly for the regional-exclusive psychic trio. Each requires different counter strategies – Azelf falls to dark and bug types, while Mesprit and Uxie have varying weaknesses. Mega raids demand focus on accumulating sufficient energy for future evolutions.
Spotlight Hours benefit from pre-event preparation: clear Pokemon storage space, stock up on pokeballs, and identify optimal farming locations. Using incense and lucky eggs during these windows amplifies your gains significantly.
Common mistakes include underestimating preparation time, ignoring weather boosts, and failing to coordinate raid groups. Advanced players utilize class selection strategies from other games to optimize their Pokemon Go team compositions.
During this intensive takeover period, Team Go Rocket operatives significantly increase their presence across the Pokémon GO landscape. You’ll notice Rocket grunts appearing with heightened frequency at both PokeStops and within their distinctive hot-air balloons patrolling the skies. These augmented encounters introduce three formidable new Shadow Pokémon additions to their roster: Shadow Inkay, Shadow Tyrunt, and Shadow Amaura, each presenting unique capture challenges and strategic considerations for trainers.
Beyond the standard grunt confrontations, shadow-infused Pokémon will dominate one- and three-star raid battles throughout the event duration. A compelling new Special Research narrative unfolds during this period, ultimately providing trainers with the opportunity to confront Team Go Rocket leader Giovanni and liberate the legendary Shadow Dialga from his control.
- Team Go Rocket encounters surge dramatically in balloons and at PokeStops
- Three new Shadow Pokémon species join the villainous roster
- Special Research storyline culminates in epic Giovanni showdown
Shadow raid battles introduce distinctive mechanics that require adjusted combat approaches. One-star shadow raids typically feature single Pokémon encounters that solo players can manage, while three-star variants demand coordinated team efforts or exceptionally powerful counters. The statistical distribution of Pokémon captured from these shadow-infused raids demonstrates expanded variability, meaning you might encounter specimens with unexpectedly high or low individual values across their attack, defense, and stamina attributes.
A crucial tactical advantage during takeover events involves utilizing Charged TMs to overwrite the restrictive Frustration charged attack on your Shadow Pokémon. This temporary removal window represents one of the most valuable opportunities for optimizing your shadow roster’s battle capabilities. Proper timing of this technique can transform previously limited Shadow Pokémon into competitive assets for both PvE and PvP scenarios.
- Employ Charged TMs strategically to eliminate Frustration from Shadow Pokémon movesets
- Shadow raid captures exhibit broader stat distribution patterns
- Coordinate with local trainers for efficient three-star shadow raid clears
As the centerpiece of Team Go Rocket’s coordinated assault, a dedicated Shadow Raid Day occurs on May 17, concentrating the most significant shadow raid activity into a limited timeframe. During the prime hours of 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time, the colossal Shadow Regigigas emerges as the exclusive Shadow Raid boss at gym locations worldwide.
This focused raid event delivers substantially improved odds for encountering the rare shiny variant of Shadow Regigigas. Additionally, specimens captured through these specialized shadow raids may exhibit enhanced combat attributes, potentially displaying elevated attack potency, defensive resilience, and hit point maximums compared to standard encounters. The concentrated nature of this three-hour window demands efficient time management and resource allocation.
- Acquire up to five supplementary free Raid Passes by activating Photo Discs at gym locations
- Substantially improved shiny encounter rates for Shadow Regigigas in shadow raids
- Shadow Regigigas obtained via these raids may demonstrate superior attack, defense, and HP statistics
Successfully navigating the Team Go Rocket takeover requires strategic resource planning beyond simple combat proficiency. The bonus offering of up to five additional complimentary raid passes when spinning gym photo discs dramatically expands your raid participation capacity without premium resource expenditure. This passive resource generation enables even free-to-play trainers to engage extensively with the shadow raid system.
Building effective counter teams against shadow raid bosses demands understanding type advantages and moveset synergies. For Shadow Regigigas specifically, focus on Fighting-type specialists like Conkeldurr, Lucario, and Machamp to exploit its Normal-type vulnerability. Shadow Pokémon themselves, once purified or properly managed, can become invaluable assets in your raiding arsenal, particularly when their signature attack Frustration has been replaced during the event window.
Common strategic missteps include inadequate type preparation, inefficient raid pass utilization, and poor timing of Charged TM applications. Advanced trainers should coordinate with local communities to maximize shiny hunting efficiency during the limited Shadow Raid Day timeframe.
Action Checklist
- Review raid schedules weekly and coordinate with local groups for five-star and mega raids
- Prepare specialized battle teams for shadow raids and max battles at least 24 hours in advance
- Stockpile premium battle items including raid passes, healing items, and berries before major events
- Participate in both Community Days with focus on exclusive moves and shiny hunting
- Coordinate event timing to avoid resource depletion and maximize participation across all activities
- Plan raid team compositions for each legendary rotation using type advantage charts
- Stockpile Remote Raid Passes before May 3 Mega Kangaskhan event
- Coordinate with international friends for Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie raids
- Prepare evolution candidates for Growing Up and Crown Clash events
- Clear Pokemon storage and prepare trade candidates for Community Day bonuses
- Set calendar reminders for all Spotlight Hours and special event windows
- Mark May 12 on calendar for Tapu Fini departure and psychic trio arrival
- Coordinate local raid groups for weekend Shadow Regirock battles
- Prepare inventory before Tuesday Spotlight Hours – clear 50+ Pokemon storage spaces
- Research optimal counters for each legendary boss using weapon selection principles
- Plan mega energy farming sessions targeting your most needed mega evolution
- Stockpile Charged TMs before event start for Frustration removal
- Coordinate with local trainers for May 17 Shadow Regigigas raids
- Build Fighting-type teams featuring Conkeldurr, Lucario, and Machamp
- Maximize free raid passes by spinning gym discs during event hours
- Complete Special Research tasks systematically to unlock Giovanni encounter
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