TL;DR
- October features Shedinja as Research Breakthrough with unique Bug/Ghost typing advantages
- Legendary Raid rotation includes Zapdos, Moltres, and Origin Forme Giratina with special Halloween boss
- Fashion event offers exclusive costumed Pokemon and first Shiny Kricketot opportunity
- Spotlight Hours provide strategic XP, candy, and evolution bonuses throughout the month
- Halloween celebration promises rare ghost-type encounters and special raid opportunities
October brings an exciting lineup of Pokemon Go activities that blend seasonal celebrations with valuable gameplay opportunities. As autumn settles in, trainers can anticipate a diverse calendar featuring legendary raids, special research breakthroughs, and limited-time collaborations that offer substantial rewards for strategic players.
Planning your gameplay schedule is crucial this month, as overlapping events require prioritization. The most effective approach involves focusing on time-sensitive opportunities first, particularly the Fashion Week exclusives and limited research quests that won’t return. Setting daily goals for completing field research tasks ensures you maximize your Shedinja encounters while preparing for the major Halloween festivities later in the month.
Throughout October, achieving Research Breakthroughs rewards encounters with Shedinja, the unique Bug/Ghost-type Pokemon with distinctive gameplay mechanics. As the evolved form of Nincada, Shedinja possesses the exclusive Wonder Guard ability in main series games, which translates to interesting defensive properties in Pokemon Go’s combat system.
Strategic players should complete at least one field research task daily to secure multiple Shedinja encounters. This Pokemon’s typing makes it resistant to Normal, Fighting, Poison, Ground, and Bug-type moves, while being vulnerable to Fire, Flying, Rock, Ghost, and Dark attacks. For optimal results, coordinate your research completion to align with bonus catch events, maximizing candy acquisition for potential future power-ups.
Common mistakes include neglecting to stack research tasks or failing to use Pinap berries during captures. Advanced trainers recommend saving research breakthroughs until you have starpiece or lucky egg activations to compound reward benefits.
October’s legendary raid schedule offers three distinct five-star opportunities, plus a special Halloween raid boss teaser. The rotation begins with Zapdos (September 25 – October 2), transitions to Moltres (October 2-9), and concludes with Origin Forme Giratina (October 9-23), providing coverage against various raid team compositions.
Zapdos demands strong Rock-type counters like Rhyperior and Tyranitar, while Moltres falls quickly to Rampardos and Rhyperior. Origin Forme Giratina requires Dark-type specialists such as Darkrai and Hydreigon. Preparation should include assembling teams with optimal move sets and ensuring you have sufficient revives and potions stockpiled.
Niantic also teases that a “special Raid boss” will appear during Pokemon Go’s Halloween 2020 event. Historical patterns suggest this could involve a previously unavailable Ghost or Dark-type legendary, making advance team preparation essential for successful captures.
You can see the full Raid schedule below:
From October 2-8, Pokemon Go celebrates The Pokemon Company’s partnership with luxury fashion house Longchamp Paris through a special Fashion Week event. This collaboration introduces uniquely styled Pokemon that combine gameplay value with collector appeal, featuring exclusive costume variants unavailable through normal gameplay.
During this limited-time event, fashionable Pokemon including Smoochum wearing decorative bows, plus Kirlia and Shinx sporting elegant top hats will hatch from 7 km eggs and appear in specific raids. Wild spawns will prominently feature Croagunk wearing a backwards cap, offering increased shiny hunting opportunities.
Exclusive Field Research tasks provide additional encounter chances and item rewards, while marking the debut of Shiny Kricketot for dedicated collectors. The event concludes at 10 PM PT on October 8, making efficient time management crucial for obtaining all exclusive variants.
Strategic tips for this event include prioritizing 7 km egg incubation and using premium raid passes on costumed Pokemon raids. Common mistakes involve wasting resources on non-exclusive spawns or neglecting to complete the special research tasks that offer guaranteed encounters.
| Date | Spotlight Pokemon | Special Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| October 6 | World Cap Pikachu | 2x catch XP |
| October 13 | Original Cap Pikachu | 2x catch Candy |
| October 20 | Shuppet | 2x transfer Candy |
| October 27 | Duskull | 2x evolution XP |
October’s Spotlight Hours provide focused opportunities for specific Pokemon encounters paired with valuable gameplay bonuses. Each Tuesday from 6-7 PM local time, trainers can capitalize on these limited windows to accelerate progress in specific areas of gameplay development.
The October 6 World Cap Pikachu spotlight offers exceptional XP grinding potential when combined with lucky eggs. The October 13 session focuses on candy accumulation perfect for rare Pokemon power-ups, while October 20 facilitates Pokemon storage management through enhanced transfer candy. The month concludes with evolution XP bonuses ideal for mass evolution sessions during the Duskull spotlight.
Advanced optimization involves preparing evolution candidates before bonus events and coordinating starpiece usage with catch bonuses. Time estimates suggest prepared players can gain 100,000+ XP during the evolution bonus hour with proper planning.
Seedot struggling to eat a Razz Berry without an obvious mouth
October’s autumn theme introduces seasonal spawn changes and preparation for the major Halloween 2020 celebration. Based on previous years’ patterns, anticipate increased Ghost and Dark-type Pokemon appearances, special research lines, and potentially new shiny releases fitting the spooky season aesthetic.
The Halloween event typically features doubled candy bonuses, special raid bosses, and exclusive costume Pokemon. Strategic preparation involves clearing Pokemon storage space, accumulating pinap berries, and saving raid passes for exclusive Halloween content.
Common preparation mistakes include failing to stockpile necessary items before the event begins or overlooking the importance of having sufficient Pokemon storage for mass catching sessions.
For comprehensive gameplay strategies beyond seasonal events, consult our Complete Guide to master advanced techniques.
Action Checklist
- Complete daily field research tasks to maximize Shedinja encounters
- Prepare counter teams for Zapdos, Moltres, and Origin Forme Giratina raids
- Hatch 7 km eggs during Fashion Week for costumed Pokemon
- Schedule Spotlight Hour participation with appropriate bonus optimization
- Stockpile pinap berries and clear storage space for Halloween event
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Pokemon Go October Events: Halloween 2020, Giratina Raids, Shedinja Breakthrough, And More Complete guide to October 2020 Pokemon Go events with strategic tips for maximizing rewards and rare encounters