Happy Halloween! Pokemon Go now returns to its roots, as this was actually the first event that was released way back in 2016. I remember going out at night and hunting down many rare spawns back then, but at that time the focus was pretty obvious, as we only had the initial 150 (actually less) to pick from. But now? Well, at this point we have several hundred Pokemon in the game, with more to come. And while only a fraction of these Pokemon are featured in this event, we still have enough to be potentially confusing for some, or to make it possible to overlook something with some real value hidden deep within. For these reasons, we’ve compiled a guide of priorities for this event, and we’re going to cover both of the Halloween events in one article.
Oh, and it’s worth noting that we also have a more in-depth look at the current raid bosses available for those who are trying to figure out where best to spend your passes. For this reason, we've also skipped the headliner Tier 5 and Mega boss selection in this article. If you want more insight into them, then please check out this article:
The Important
Gastly/Haunter/Gengar
Sources: Wild/Incense, Raids
While Haunter isn’t quite as important as it once was in PvP, Gengar’s place has been absolutely cemented in the Raid scene thanks to Mega Gengar. If you don’t already have a high-IV Gengar ready to go, then this is definitely a great place to spend your energy.
Yamask
Sources: Wild, Raids, Research 7km Eggs (Part 2)
Cofagrigus is a genuinely great Pokemon in PvP, and Yamask is a pretty rare find outside of the Halloween season, so aiming for one with a good PvP-IV spread is definitely a good way to spend your time this holiday.
Galarian Yamask
Sources: Raids, Research, 7km Eggs (Part 2)
With the introduction of Shadow Claw to its moveset in Go Battle League Season 12, Runerigus has become a serious force to be reckoned with, just as was predicted. Galarian Yamask is another rarity, so it’s definitely worth farming them here, though you’re going to need to trade them in order to get a good IV Spread. It’s also worth mentioning that Yamask and Galarian Yamask share candy, so if you’re going in heavy for one, then you may as well try for both.
Phantump
Sources: Wild, Raids 7km Eggs (Part 2)
Trevenant is a genuinely imposing force in the Great and Ultra Leagues alike, so scoring individuals with IVs ready to take out the opposition should definitely be a priority. Phantump is another Pokemon that’s fairly rare outside of events, so take advantage of the enhanced spawns while you can!
The Good
Sableye
Sources: Wild, Raids
An absolute staple of the Great League, Sableye only drops this low on our list due to the fact that it really wants to use Return for maximum effectiveness. Still, this is a great time to farm for candy, and possibly build a non-Return Sableye just in case!
Murkrow
Sources: Wild
Honchkrow is actually a pretty useful Pokemon in raids. It’s one of the lucky ‘mons that can actually pull double-duty thanks to its ability to effectively cover Flying and Dark Types pretty well. For this reason alone, it’s a solid investment for newer players who want to do as much as possible with as little investment as possible.
Shuppet
Source: Wild, Research
Mega Banette is here, so getting a high-IV Shuppet is generally a really good idea. While not the best Mega, it’s got high average performance and can make a very effective backup Mega, especially when you’ve used it enough to make Free Mega Evolution possible!
Absol
Source: Wild (Part 1)
Mega Absol is our DPS-Leader in terms of Dark Type Mega Evolutions, which makes capturing a high-IV individual a good overall goal. Objectively speaking, Mega Absol is not the best choice in many raids, but every player should have at least one Dark Type Mega, if only for more efficient candy collecting when Dark Types are the goal. it's also worth noting that select research will grant Mega Absol energy!
Drifloon/Drifblim
Sources: Raids, Wild (Part 1)
A bit of a niche/cup pick, Drifblim can be a terrifying force if it’s in a good matchup, and the fact that it is fairly good at countering a few key Pokemon means that it can definitely get the chance. This is a Pokemon that won’t find a way onto every team, but it will perform if played to its strengths.
Vulpix
Source: Wild (Part 2), Research (Part 2)
Vulpix will continue to be a great choice if unlimited Little Cup ever makes its way back to Pokemon Go, and Ninetales has a little utility here-and-there by way of PvP, but not enough to really warrant going too heavy here. Honestly, the main reason to farm Vulpix here is its adorable little costume.
Piplup
Sources: Wild (Part 2), Research (Part 2)
Empoleon is a bit of a mid-tier Pokemon on both the PvP and PvE sides. It’s not great in Raids, but it’s definitely better than a bit of the competition. For PvP, it’s got some utility thanks to its great Water/Steel Typing and solid moveset, but it’s mainly relegated to cups nowadays. And speaking of movesets: be ready to spend an Elite ™ or wait for the next Hydro Cannon event if you happen to find a good one!
The Others
Misdreavus
Source: Wild
Mismagius has always been a bit of a disappointing Ghost, and that hasn’t changed in all of these years since Misdreavus first appeared.
Pumpkaboo
Source: Wild
Gourgeist is basically diet-Trevenant, so it’s not a big deal to skip it. Still, if you really want one, then it’s generally best to try for the XL variety due to its better PvP stat spread.
General Priorities
- Focus on candy acquisition. Pinap berries are your friend here, as when combined with the innate bonuses of this event, it’s possible to put a heavy dent in any candy deficit for the featured Pokemon.
- Set your catch-priorities, then pick a Mega Evolution to have active during the event that best matches your goal. Ghost and Dark are the most common spawns here, so Mega Gengar, Mega Banette, Mega Absol, Mega Gyarados, or Mega Houndoom are some of the prime options this time.
- For players Lv.31+: don’t forget the XL Candy Bonus! Even if you have a glut of candy for a given Pokemon, it may be worth farming it to get some easy XL!
Closing
This event is an outstanding chance to score a few rare and high-priority attackers for PvP, and should not be ignored as a result. We likely won’t have another shot at Yamask, Galarian Yamask, and Phantump at the same time until this time next year, so strike while the iron is hot. We’ve also got one or two Raid-focused Pokemon available, though not quite as many. Overall; don’t miss this event!
