Time for another costume-heavy event! In a collaboration with the French fashion company Longchamp, we're getting an event that features fashion themes and a few new avatar items, including a new backpack (as shown in this page's title image).
Longchamp Event
| Event Start | Event End |
|---|---|
| October 2, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. PDT | October 8, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. PDT |
- Smoochum will hatch from 7k eggs wearing a bow
- Kirlia and Shinx will both be in raids wearing tophats. Kirlia will know the special move Draining Kiss
- Croagunk wearing a backwards cap will appear as a snapshot encounter and in the wild
- A special selection of Pokemon will be appearing in the wild more frequently
- Among these species, Kricketot will be released in its shiny forme
- A special, limited field research line will be available for the duration of the event
In Review of The Event
While this event has a few charming aspects to it, what we know about it is pointing towards it not being worth the time or effort to partake in to any great degree.
- None of the Pokemon with costumes are final evolutions, and Niantic has not allowed costumed Pokemon to evolve recently, making them little more than collectors pieces with no actual value
- Kirlia learning Draining Kiss is basically worthless. It's a bad move in basically all formats, and Kirlia has zero utility. Short of a large move rebalance, this is safely skippable
The known spawns have a tiny bit of utility, but sadly not much.
- Roselia evolves into Roserade, which has genuine utility as a Grass/Poison attacker. Though it's very common in many areas, so most players won't care.
- Mareep has Mega Ampharos to look forward to, which is one of only two Electric Type Mega Evolutions in the game.
- Croagunk COULD be a good spawn for the utility of Toxicroak in the great league, but the fact that it has a stats means we also have 90% odds that we won't see a backwards cap Toxicroak any time soon.
In the end, the only hope that this event has of having any real utility is if the limited special research proves to be worthwhile. If not, then skipping it won't put players at much of a disadvantage at all unless they want to farm a specific type of candy given out by an event spawn.
Full Announcement
Trainers,
In celebration of the exciting accessories coming out of the collaboration between The Pokémon Company and Longchamp Paris, as well as the beginning of Paris Fashion Week, we’re proud to announce that a new avatar backpack accessory item will be available in Pokémon GO. That’s not all—some fashionable Pokémon will be appearing in the wild, challenging Trainers in raids, and hatching from Eggs, too!
Date + Time
Friday, October 2, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. to Thursday, October 8, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7)
Features
- Special Pokémon wearing costumes will be appearing during the event!
- Smoochum that hatch from 7 km Eggs during this time will appear wearing a bow!
- Kirlia wearing a top hat will be appearing in raids! They’ll also know the move Draining Kiss.
- Shinx wearing a top hat will be appearing in raids!
- Croagunk wearing a backwards cap will appear in GO Snapshot as a surprise encounter! They may also rarely appear in the wild.
- The following Pokémon will be appearing in the wild: Mareep, Skitty, Roselia, Kricketot, Croagunk wearing a backward cap, Blitzle, Cottonee, Minccino, Gothita, and more!
- If you’re lucky, you might encounter a Shiny Kricketot!
- Enjoy exclusive Field Research for the duration of the event.
- Dress up for fashion week—in person and in-game! Be sure to head to the shop for a free Longchamp avatar item in Pokémon GO. Then, you can match with your Trainer avatar by picking up the same Longchamp item in stores. For more information on availability, please visit the official Longchamp website.
It’s time for you and your Pokémon to show the world your style. Let’s GO!
Please be aware of your surroundings when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change. Be sure to follow us on social media, opt in to receiving push notifications, and subscribe to our emails to stay updated. For the latest on in-game events and feature updates, be sure to check this help center article.
—The Pokémon GO team
