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This week in Pokémon Go (21st to 27th September): Some fan-favourite events return

The upcoming schedule and what to focus on - including a Catch Mastery event - plus news from the week.

Rattata, Phantump and Cherubi in front of a polygonal shape and textured background.
Rattata, Phantump and Cherubi. Credit: One More Catch (via Scopely Explore / The Pokémon Company)

Welcome to the latest One More Catch weekly newsletter, offering you a guide to the days ahead in Pokémon Go.

After a busy month, it's time for a chilled week without a fully-fledged event to see us through. There is, however, the return of some fan-favourites in the form of Explore, Catch, Battle and Catch Mastery, and an anticipated Spotlight Hour that Medal collectors will want to pay attention to.

So here's a snapshot of everything coming to Pokémon Go in the days ahead, the biggest opportunities available, and a roundup of Pokémon news and site updates you may have missed.

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Events in Pokémon Go this week (21st to 27th September)

All times are at your local time, unless otherwise stated.

Date

New events and updates

Regular events and raids

Monday 21st

N/A

Max Monday (Dynamax Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres focus)

Tuesday 22nd

'Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration' event ends (8pm)

• Final chance to catch Charmander wearing Friede's goggles costume and complete event Go Pass

Showcase Tuesday

~

Go Battle League refresh (9pm UK / 4pm EST / 1pm PST)

• Ultra League

• Master League: Mega Edition

• Retro Cup: Great League Edition

Wednesday 23rd

Choose a Path: Twilight Trails (ends Monday, 28th at 8pm)

• Choose a path quest between multiple bonuses

~

Wednesday raid refresh

• Five-star:

    Xurkitree (Asia-Pacific)

    Pheromosa (Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India)

    Buzzwole (the Americas and Greenland)

• Mega Raids: Mega Malamar

Raid Hour (6pm to 7pm)

• Five-star:

    Xurkitree (Asia-Pacific)

    Pheromosa (Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India)

    Buzzwole (the Americas and Greenland)

Thursday 24th

N/A

Go Battle Thursday

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Spotlight Hour (6pm to 7pm)

• Rattata

• Increased chance of XXS Rattata

• 2x Evolution XP

Friday 25th

N/A

Friendship Friday

Saturday 26th

Catch Mastery (10am to 8pm)

• Phantump, Cherubi and Drifloon appear in Field Research, with Cherubi and Drifloon also in the wild

• Increase chance of encountering shiny Phantump, Cherubi and Drifloon

• Free and paid Timed Research focused on Phantump

• 2x XP and "increased Candy" for Nice Throws or better

~

Go City Safari begins (ticketed in-person event)

• Held in Boston, Brisbane, Lisbon, Marseille, Munich and Rio de Janeiro

N/A

Sunday 27th

Go City Safari ends (ticketed in-person event)

• Held in Boston, Brisbane, Lisbon, Marseille, Munich and Rio de Janeiro

Scenic Sunday

If you want to see what's coming for the rest of the month, see this Pokémon Go upcoming events schedule.


What to know about this week

Here's what jumps out to me in the days ahead:

'Choose a Path' returns

As a non-event week, Choose a Path - also known as Explore, Catch, Battle - returns on Wednesday with Choose Your Path: Twilight Trails.

Whether this will play out the same as the likes of Fossil Fun, Charged Embers and Fairy Trail last season - in that it gives you three or six choices - is unknown.

A screenshot of the Fossil Fun: Choose a Path research in Pokémon Go, with a blurred version behind it, with the options Explore (PokéStops), Catch (XP), Battle (Raids), Explore (Hatch), Catch (Candy), Battle (Team Go Rocket).
Though the paths are yet to be confirmed, they are likely to stick with the above. Credit: One More Catch (via Scopely Explore / The Pokémon Company)

As for why it's a non-event week, it's likely due to the late finish of the 'Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration' event on Tuesday, and the various Go City Safari in-person events over the weekend.

And if this Choose a Path event doesn't grab your interest, there's Dynamax Legendaries Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres from Monday, then later in the week, the Thursday Spotlight Hour and Saturday's Catch Mastery event...

A rare opportunity for medal collectors

The Spotlight Hour for Thursday will focus on Rattata. Alongside a 2x Evolution XP bonus, it will also see an "increased chance to encounter XXS Rattata".

With Rattatas spawning en masse for the hour-long event, it should help those who are hoping to finish their Medal collection get one step closer to that elusive Platinum Youngster medal. (And as with all Spotlight Hours, it's a useful way to try and get a shiny or two if you haven't already.)

Two side-by-side images showing a tiny / XXS Rattata and the Youngster Medal in Pokémon Go.
Credit: One More Catch (via Scopely Explore / The Pokémon Company)

Even as a day-one player, I'm still 539 short of reaching the 1,000 XXS required - and with Platinum Medals becoming increasingly hard to source as you progress through the level ranks, I'll be there to make the most of it.