Pokémon GO: What Are Community Days & Why Should You Participate?

Niantic’s Pokémon GO is nearing its sixth anniversary. Before its unequivocal rise in popularity, the AR wonder was met with mixed reviews, partially due to technical problems that arose in the first couple of months following its release. Despite the controversies surrounding Pokémon GO’s privacy policy and its misuse in public spaces, Niantic stood tall and frequently updated the game’s services. As the number of users steadily grew, the developer eventually introduced a new event, Community Day.

During the first Community Day, which took place nearly a year and a half after Pokémon GO’s worldwide introduction, trainers had the opportunity to catch a special Pikachu and its shiny form and also have it learn the unique Surf move. The event remained more or less the same in the upcoming years, save for the changes that Niantic introduced to accommodate the unfortunate circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Community Day ultimately persevered, and trainers were able to continue their Pokémon GO activities in an orderly fashion.

As its name would suggest, Pokémon GO’s Community Day is an event that celebrates its community and encourages users to play together worldwide. About once a month, a designated Pokémon and its shiny version appear at a higher rate during a specific timeframe. Trainers can partake in this monthly activity simply by going outside and exploring their usual haunts for new spawns. Though the featured Pokémon are often rare and uncommon, Niantic does not impose any restrictions on how many a single trainer can catch over the course of the event.

Trainers who evolve their newly caught special companion for the duration of the event and up to two hours afterward can also have it learn an exclusive Charged Attack, which is otherwise unavailable. Aside from these bonuses, Community Day also boosts some of Pokémon GO’s core gameplay features. Users can bring their trainer experience to the next level with the help of increased Stardust and Catch XP rewards, decreased Egg hatch distance, better Lure Module effectiveness and many other perks that incentivize participation.

Based on local time, Community Days take place during the weekends. The six-hour duration of the event was reverted to the pre-pandemic three hours following April’s Community Day, when a new Pokémon species, Stufful, was introduced. Trainers who miss out on any of the events can always try their luck at catching the special Pokémon either during the Community Day Classic, a trimonthly revisit of previously featured Pokémon, or throughout December.

Fans of the seventh generation of Pokémon will be pleased to hear that Alolan Geodude will make an appearance during the upcoming Community Day. Including its shiny form, trainers can catch this Rock/Electric-type Pokémon on May 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. Evolving it to Alolan Golem will yield Fast Attack Rollout, a Charged Attack that boasts power damage of 4 in Trainer battles and 14 in Gyms or Raids. To quickly reach Alolan Geodude’s final evolution, trainers will have to set aside 25 Candies for Alolan Graveler and another 100 for Alolan Golem. That said, they can also acquire its final evolution through trade.

For those on the fence about participating in Community Days, May’s lucrative incentives might help them decide. A Special Research Task for Alolan Geodude will be available from the store for $1, and it can be gifted to a friend. Also, free bonuses include three times the amount of Stardust for catching Pokémon and twice as much Candy.

The chances of receiving Geodude XL Candy from Alolan Geodude will double, while trades initiated during the event and up to two hours afterward will require 50 percent less Stardust. One additional special trade will be made available, and users who snap a few screenshots during the event are in for a pleasant surprise. Furthermore, any Incense and Lure Modules activated will last for three hours.

Pokémon GO Community Days present the perfect opportunity to stock up on consumables. While the featured Pokémon and their respective Charged Attack have limited availability, bonus items earned and Special Research Tasks purchased or received are there to stay. Trainers can utilize them as they see fit while progressing through the game at their own pace. Setting aside an hour or two for the event will undoubtedly increase the trainer’s in-game assets and help them level up existing Pokémon or hatch new ones.

Even if trainers aren’t interested in catching an exclusive or rare Pokémon species, there is hardly any reason to not participate in Community Days if their schedules allow for it. Crossing paths with new faces who share the same interest is an exciting prospect, especially given the many restrictions that were in place during the pandemic’s earlier stages. As the worldwide community slowly recovers, Niantic will introduce more and more in-person meetups. Ultimately, for Pokémon GO users who partake in Community Days, speedy growth and new Pokédex entries are guaranteed.