The Legendary Heroes event has begun in Pokémon GO, running from September 26 at 10 a.m. to October 1 at 8 p.m. (your local time). As always, we’re here to keep you updated on all the details, spawns, raids, and exclusive features available during this event. From special evolution opportunities to unique wild spawns and timed research tasks, there’s plenty to be excited about.
Event Overview and Bonuses
The Legendary Heroes event brings several bonuses to take advantage of:
- 50% less Stardust for Special Trades, which is a significant boost if you’re working on completing your shiny or legendary Pokémon collection.
- You can evolve Koffing into Galarian Weezing, an evolution normally unavailable outside of this event.
- Exclusive PokéStop showcases will be available during the event, giving you another way to showcase your Pokémon collection.
Exclusive Wild Spawns
Several rare and event-specific Pokémon will spawn in the wild during this event. Here’s what you can expect to encounter:
- Galarian Ponyta
- Koffing
- Galarian Darumaka
- Skwovet
- Grookey
- Scorbunny
- Sableye
These wild spawns offer a chance to add some strong Pokémon to your collection. Galarian Weezing, in particular, is useful in both Great League and Ultra League PvP battles, making this event a great opportunity to farm for PvP IVs.
Timed Research: Choose Your Path
The event features a Special Timed Research task where you’ll have to choose between the Sword Path and the Shield Path. Each path gives different Incense spawns, so your choice will depend on the Pokémon you want to encounter.
- Sword Path Incense Spawns:
- Seedot
- Scraggy
- Gothita
- Deino
- Swirlix
- Pimant
- Shield Path Incense Spawns:
- Larvitar
- Lotad
- Krabby
- Solosis
- Spritzee
- Oranguru
If you’re after meta-relevant Pokémon, Larvitar (which evolves into Tyranitar, a strong Dark and Rock-type Pokémon) makes the Shield Path more appealing, while the Sword Path offers the chance to catch Deino, a rare Dragon/Dark-type that evolves into Hydreigon.
Raids and Pokémon
The event will also feature a range of exciting Raid Battles, including one-star, three-star, five-star, and Mega Raids. Here’s what to expect in each tier:
One-Star Raids:
- Galarian Ponyta
- Galarian Darumaka
- Goomy
- Jangmo-o
Three-Star Raids:
- Turtonator
- Dragalge
Five-Star Raids:
- Zacian (Hero of Many Battles form) – Available in shiny form for the first time during this event.
Mega Raids:
- Mega Gardevoir – Currently the top Fairy-type raid attacker, making it a priority for those looking to bolster their Fairy-type lineup.
Event-Exclusive Field Research Tasks
Completing specific Field Research tasks during the Legendary Heroes event will give you valuable rewards, including rare Pokémon encounters and items:
- Trade a Pokémon for a Rare Candy.
- Use an Incense for 3 Rare Candies or 1500 Stardust.
- Trade 8 Pokémon to encounter Galarian Slowpoke.
Completing these tasks efficiently is key to maximizing your rewards, especially if you’re looking to collect Rare Candy or specific Pokémon.
Candy Farming Tips
During events like this, candy farming is essential for powering up your best Pokémon. Here are some quick tips for maximizing your candy gains during the event:
- Use Pinap Berries: These double the number of candies you earn when catching Pokémon. Use regular Pinap Berries for common spawns and Silver Pinap Berries for rarer ones like Larvitar and Deino.
- Mega Evolve Pokémon: When you Mega Evolve a Pokémon, you receive extra candy for catching Pokémon that share its type. For this event, Mega Evolving a Fairy-type Pokémon like Mega Gardevoir will boost candy from Zacian raids.
- Trade Pokémon: During the Season of Adventure, you’re guaranteed an XL Candy for each Pokémon you trade. Trading event spawns like Galarian Darumaka and Deino will help you collect the XL Candy needed for powering up high-level Pokémon.
Legendary Research Task
A highlight of the Legendary Heroes event is the Legendary Timed Research Task, which involves choosing between the Sword and Shield paths. The first step is simple: catch 8 Pokémon, after which you’ll choose a path.
Once you’ve chosen a path, you’ll have two additional pages of tasks to complete, with different rewards depending on your selection. This research is tied to the Incense spawns mentioned earlier, so choose based on the Pokémon you want to encounter.
Best Mega Evolution for the Event
For candy optimization, the best Pokémon to Mega Evolve during the event is Mega Gardevoir (Fairy-type). This will not only boost candy gains for Zacian but will also help with Deino if you choose the Sword Path. If you choose the Shield Path, consider Mega Evolving Mega Altaria to boost Fairy and Dragon-type spawns.
Special Evolution Tip: Shiny Shadow Galarian Weezing
One of the rarest opportunities in this event is the chance to get a Shiny Shadow Galarian Weezing. If you have a Shiny Shadow Koffing from past events with Jessie and James or Team Rocket leaders, you can evolve it during this event to get a Shiny Shadow Galarian Weezing. This is a rare collector’s item, and evolving it now will add significant value to your collection.
Platinum Medal Tips
To level up from 48 to 49 in Pokémon GO, you need 35 Platinum Medals. Here are some event-specific medals to work on:
- Type Medals: Catch 2,500 Pokémon of a specific type. This event has a wide variety of types like Poison, Fire, and Fairy, so take advantage of these spawns.
- Rising Star Medal: Defeat 150 different species in raids. Look at the event raid roster for Pokémon you haven’t yet battled.
- Showcase Star Medal: Win 100 PokéStop showcases. This event’s showcases can help you make progress toward this medal, with a chance to encounter PhD Pikachu as a reward.
Event Strategy and Wrap-Up
The Legendary Heroes event in Pokémon GO is packed with exclusive spawns, raids, and research tasks. Whether you’re after Shiny Zacian, Galarian Weezing, or aiming to maximize your candy gains, there’s something for every player. Remember to choose your research path based on the spawns you want and Mega Evolve a compatible Pokémon to boost your candy collection.
Good luck during the event, and may your Shiny Zacian hunts be successful!
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