This week in Pokémon Go (28th September to 4th October): An a-peel-ing week

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

It's time for a packed few days of events and new debuts. The 'Harvest Festival' event headlines with a branching quest and more ways to get Apples for evolving Applin, which also sees a shiny debut, before it turns into a 'Taken Over' event from Friday. There's also a rare Sunday event in the form of World Space Week, with - you guessed it - yet another Pikachu costume to grab.

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 (28th September to 4th October)

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

Date	New events and updates	Regular events and raids
Monday 28th	Choose a Path: Twilight Trails ends (at 8pm) • Choose a path quest between multiple bonuses	Max Monday (Dynamax Sobble focus)
Tuesday 29th	'Harvest Festival' event starts (10am to Monday, 5th at 8pm) • Shiny Applin debuts • Branching Timed Research with Apple reward choice • Increased chance of encountering shiny Smoliv • New wild encounter and Field Research • Mossy Lure Modules to attract Apples and event-themed Pokémon • New Go Pass for £4.99 / $4.99 featuring Apples and a Super Rocket Radar (with a second in the Deluxe track)	Showcase Tuesday ~ Go Battle League refresh (9pm UK / 4pm EST / 1pm PST) • Master League • Mega Color Cup: Great League Edition
Wednesday 30th	Wednesday raid refresh • Five-star: Xerneas • Mega Raids: Mega Victreebel	Raid Hour (6pm to 7pm) • Five-star: Xerneas
Thursday 1st	N/A	Go Battle Thursday ~ Spotlight Hour (6pm to 7pm) • Seedot • 2x Catch XP
Friday 2nd	Harvest Festival: Taken Over (10am to Monday, 5th at 8pm) • Shiny Shroodle debuts, increased chance of encountering shiny Slugma • New Giovanni lineup (featuring Shadow Zekrom) • Increase in Team Go Rocket appearances at PokéStops, Balloons • New Leader lineup • Can TM away Frustration • Shadow Wimpod, Fomantis, Sandygast debut	Friendship Friday
Saturday 3rd	Gigantamax Cinderace Max Battle Day (2pm to 5pm) • Shiny Gigantamax Cinderace debuts • Max Particle collection limit increased to 1,600, 8x Max Particle collection, additional Power Spots, Remote Raid limit increased to 20 and more • £4.99 / $4.99 Timed Research Ticket with Max Mushrooms, 2x XP from Max Battles and more	N/A
Sunday 4th	World Space Week 2026 begins (midnight to Saturday, 10th October) • Astronaut Pikachu debuts • Free Timed Research for all players • Additional Astronaut Pikachu raids and Timed Research at select in-person locations across UK and Europe	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:

Applin yourself (apply yourself? Does this work?)

The 'Harvest Festival event on Tuesday has a lot going on - including an increased chance of encountering shiny Smoliv - but it's really all about Applin.

Beyond the debut of a shiny, there are a few new ways to get Apple items required to evolve Applin into one of three evolutions: Apples can be found in a branching Timed Research quest with a choice of each Apple type (the best to pick at a glance? The one you have the least of!), plus in Mossy Lure Modules and the event Go Pass.

If you're like me and have to evolve an Applin, now's the week to do so, assuming they're in steady a supply as the event description suggests. And, if you have each evolution already, then it's time to stock up for when you have enough shiny Applin to evolve.

*Credit: Scopely Explore / The Pokémon Company*

Taken Over returns - as do 'regular' balloons

The 'Harvest Festival' event has a 'Taken Over' component from Friday, so use it to gather some Super Rocket Radars (remember, with the Giovanni Special Research no more, these only appear in the Go Pass) and to TM away Frustration.

The event description also mentions that "Team Go Rocket will appear more frequently at PokéStops and in balloons", meaning the recent controversial change to balloons appearing once a day will be reversed - albeit temporarily, and likely partially (will it return to four times per day again? We'll see!).