“Pokemon Go” turned 10 earlier this month, but the big celebration begins this weekend with global Go Fest. This event is free, and Scopely Explore is pulling out all the stops for fans, bringing nearly all the legendary and Mega Evolved Pokemon from the past decade in raids along with dozens of shiny variants.
Read more Older adults fear becoming a burden more than death, survey finds
With so many creatures available, it’s a great time for newcomers to jump into the game or veterans to return to it. The Global Pokemon Go Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, and will feature three biomes each day, with their own set of Pokemon. Although there are plenty of opportunities to catch pocket monsters, the real prizes of the event is Mewtwo’s Mega Evolutions – Mewtwo X and Mewtwo Y – and Zeraora, a mythical Pokemon that’s available via a Special Research encounter open to everyone.
To catch Mewtwo, players will need to battle it in Super Mega Raids. It will be tough because they have 12 Shields, which requires players to have a Mega Evolved Pokemon so that it can break through them. That means at least 12 trainers are required and they must have a surviving Mega Evolved creature so that it can use its Mega moves to damage the barrier.
Once the shields are gone, players can lower its health to defeat it. They’ll have an encounter with Mewtwo, which also can be shiny, and they’ll gain Mega Energy, which can be used to evolve their own Mega Mewtwo. It takes 7,500, so that will require at least 16 raids. It’s going to be a grind, and it will be a major challenge for smaller “Pokemon Go” groups.
That’s why several of the Bay Area communities are holding Pokemon Go Fest celebrations. Organized by Community Ambassadors, it will bring together large groups to tackle raids and enjoy the event. On Saturday, Mewtwo X is available. It’s a Fighting- and Psychic-type Pokemon that will be the strongest Fighting type in the game upon release. On Sunday, Mewtwo Y will be in raids. It is the strongest Psychic type in the game. It’s also the best generalist with its versatile moveset.
Both Pokemon are also reported to have Adventure Efffects. Mega Mewtwo X will have Dynamic Punch+ that takes out two Mega Evolution shields. That’s helpful when taking on these raids in a small gorup. Mega Mewtwo Y will have Future Sight+, which will highlight Pokemon with high stats on the map. If the developers enable these Adventure Effects, players will need Mewtwo candy to activate them.
SOUTH BAY
In the South Bay, communities will be gathering at Santa Clara Central Park on Saturday and Sunday, according to organizers. It will feature giveaways that include official merchandise such as Go Fest pins, Pokemon Center goodies, Pokemon card packs along with premium in-game items. They’ll also be giving away four SF Giants x Pokemon Worlds Night tickets. The Oracle Park game is a fantastic event that I attended last year.
What raises this celebration another notch is that organizers will have extras that include community activities, trivia and a photobooth. It’s also a registered Community Campsite, which means it will have an extra dense set of gyms for the event. Those interested can check out more details on the event’s Eventbrite page.
EAST BAY
Over in the East Bay, UC Berkeley has its own Community Campsite with at least 26 potential Mega Mewtwo raids available. A meetup is scheduled for Saturday July 11 there. In Oakland’s Lake Merritt, Community Ambassadors are organizing a Saturday July 11 meetup in front of Fairyland. That area has a good density of potential Mega Mewtwo spots ringing the shoreline, with the best spot being The Gardens at Lake Merritt.
SAN FRANCISCO
The main Bay Area event takes place Sunday July 12 at San Francisco’s Pier 39, which will host an official Global Community Celebration. The developers already lined the area from the Embarcadero to Pier 39 with Super Mega Raid spots.
That area will be the spot for players to take on Mewtwo Y and catch pocket monsters. What will make the event more special is that several Pokémon Go communities are combining forces for giveaways, photo opportunities and activities led by ambassadors. Trainers should take time to look up from their phones and see any hidden prizes. For an overview of the San Francisco event, check out this Instagram clip.
Lastly, the Road To Legends questline has a Deluxe Version that’s available for $19.99. It offers encounters with Pokémon and other goodies, but the biggest prize is a Gold Bottle Cap, which will let players max out the stats for one Pokemon. It can essentially turn a shiny variant into a Shundo, which is what trainers call a perfectly stated shiny Pokémon. They are quite rare.
Lastly, Pokémon Go’s Twitch channel will have a 10th Anniversary broadcast at 3:15 today, and it includes digital rewards through Twitch Drops. Before watching, make sure you’re signed up for it.
If there are any other Bay Area events, I may have missed let me know at [email protected].
Read more Fremont man sentenced for stealing historic Chinese manuscripts from UCLA
About the Author
