Today’s Pokémon GO Community Event Holds Shiny Surprises

Pokémon GO is hosting its first ever Community Day event today, and players are gearing up for the only hours-long affair. The event encourages players to gather together at local parks for Pokémon hunting, with some exclusive, limited-time creatures to sweeten the deal.

The main feature of the new monthly Community Day events is a special Pokémon with a move it normally could not learn. Today’s rare catch is a Pikachu that knows Surf, a callback to a popular Pikachu variant from Pokemon Yellow that recently appeared in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. In addition to finding Surfing Pikachu in the wild, you can also evolve a Pichu or use a Charge TM on a Pikachu to get Surf.

What’s more, many players are reporting higher spawn rates of Shiny Pikachu during this event. Shiny Pokémon have a different coloring than their regular counterparts but have no competitive advantage. Regardless, Shiny Pokémon have always been incredibly popular — and incredibly difficult to find. This Community Day event might be your best chance to catch a Shiny Pikachu, so get your hunting boots ready.

Unlike other Pokémon GO events, which can last for several days, Community Days will take place for only a few hours. This month’s event runs from 11:00 a.m. PT to 2:00 p.m. PT in North and South America. Unfortunately, if you’re reading this article in Europe, Africa, Australia, or Asia, you’ve already missed your Community Day window.

While the event is advertised to be taking place at parks, many players are reporting Surfing Pikachus and Shiny Pikachus in many locations, although spawn rates might be higher in parks. Players will also benefit from double XP and longer-lasting lures during the event, so it’s a great day to do lots of evolving to work towards leveling up.

Again, today’s Community Day in Pokémon GO runs from 11:00 a.m. PT to 2:00 p.m. PT in North and South America. Get out there and catch ’em all.