A bonus epilogue to Pokémon Scarlet & Violet

Get festive with GO's holiday events

Author

Cooltrainer Ace
December 21, 2023 • Estimated Read Time: 8 minutes

There’s an icy chill in the lower caverns, Golbat are decked out in flashing lights and I tried to put an ugly sweater on a wild Rhydon. Must be the holiday season in Victory Road!

A word to the wise: Stay away from the mistletoe when Jynx are around, trust me on this. Also, Sudowoodo and Abomasnow do not take kindly to being covered in tinsel.

Your best pal Cooltrainer Ace is out of office next week, folks, so consider this a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See you in 2024!

Here’s this week’s rundown (estimated read time, 5 minutes):

But wait, there’s more! (Scarlet & Violet)

If you’ve been avoiding the leak scene like I have the last month, yesterday’s may have come as a surprise: Scarlet & Violet are getting an Epilogue.

Coming Thursday, January 11 at 6 a.m. Pacific/9 a.m. Eastern, team back up with your old pals, Arven, Penny, and Nemona in a return to Kitakami. To access the Epilogue content, you’ll need to have completed the storylines in the base game, Teal Mask, and Indigo Disk.

Not much is known about the story right now, other than the mysterious berry shown at the end of the trailer, which hints at a connection to the Loyal Three (aka the trio of total dirtbags who bullied Ogerpon).

If this ain’t Krampus in disguise, I’m a Mankey’s uncle.

Tis the season to go raiding

Ice-Tera Iron Bundle is here, bringing tidings of comfort and joy, or terror and fear, depending on who you ask. Don’t miss this 7-star Tera Raid, running from Thursday, December 21, at 4 p.m. PST to Sunday, December 24, at 3:59 p.m. PST. As with all black crystal raids, Iron Bundle has the Mightiest Mark and is one catch per save file.

During the same time, you’ll also be able to capture Fairy-Tera Blissey in 5-star Raids. As before, these Blissey drop increased amounts of tera shards and XP-increasing items.

Delibird Mass Outbreak Events

In the spirit of the season, Delibird are scurrying all over Kitakami, Blueberry Academy, and Paldea in Mass Outbreak Events. These mass outbreaks run through the same time as the Iron Bundle Raids. Happy hunting for Santa’s Little Helpers! And yes, Santa’s Delibird is anime canon.

Walking Wake and Iron Leaves Return

Third time’s a charm, they say! If you somehow haven’t snagged Walking Wake (Scarlet Exclusive) or Iron Leaves (Violet Exclusive), don’t miss their third return from Monday, December 25, at 4 p.m. PST to Sunday, January 7, at 3:59 p.m. PST.

Dragon-type Mass Outbreaks next week

The next Mass Outbreak event features Dratini in Paldea, Jangmo-o in Kitakami and Duraludon in Blueberry Academy, all with a chance at the Joyful Mark. Runs Monday, December 25, at 4 p.m. PST to Wednesday, January 3, at 3:59 p.m. PST.

Sit down, Blitzen. There’s a new deer in town.

Forget Rudolph, here comes Wydreer (to GO)

Do you recall the most famous Poké Deer of all?

(Sit down, Sawsbuck!)

Wydreer makes a Winter Wonderland debut this Saturday, December 23 during a Raid Day running from 2-5 p.m. local time. (And it’s shiny unlocked!)

Event Bonuses:

  • Wyrdeer appear more frequently in raids.

  • Increased chance of Shiny Wyrdeer.

  • Up to five additional daily Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs during the event and up to two hours afterward.

  • Remote Raid Pass limit increased to 10 on Friday, December 22, 2023, at 4 p.m. PST to Saturday, December 23, at 7 p.m. PST.

Winter Wonderland Event

Running Saturday, December 23 at 10 a.m. local time to Sunday, December 24, at 8 p.m. local time, you also won’t want to miss this mini event featuring Wydreer and holiday attire Pysduck as Collection Challenge rewards.

Event Bonuses:

  • Up to five Special Trades can be made a day.

  • Trades made during the event will require 50% less Stardust.

  • 2× XP for winning Raid Battles.

This Psyduck is me RN after 10 Christmas parties, 6 energy drinks and a last-minute gift run in holiday traffic.

GO Winter Holiday Part 2

They saved the best for last! Just look at that picture and tell me you don’t want a “Psyduck wearing holiday attire” in your life.

Running Monday, December 25, at 10 a.m. to Sunday, December 31, at 8 p.m. local time, don’t miss shiny unlocked Psyduck and Golduck in holiday attire. And, shiny Vanillite debuts!

Wild Encounters (all shiny unlocked): Pikachu wearing holiday attire, Alolan Vulpix, Psyduck wearing holiday attire, Seel, Eevee wearing a holiday hat, Swinub, Delibird wearing a holiday ribbon, Snorunt, Spheal, Galarian Darumaka, Vanillite, Cubchoo wearing a holiday ribbon, Cryogonal, Cetoddle.

Sneasel and Amaura (shiny unlocked) are rare encounters, as well as Piloswine (shiny locked).

Field Research Task Encounters: Pikachu wearing holiday attire, Alolan Vulpix, Psyduck wearing holiday attire,Shellder, Jynx, Lapras,Stantler wearing a holiday outfit, Spheal wearing a holiday scarf, Snover, Glaceon wearing an Undersea holiday outfit, Vanillite, Crabrawler (all shiny unlocked except Crabrawler)

Eggs: Psyduck wearing holiday attire, Eevee wearing a holiday hat, Smoochum, Galarian Darumaka, Amaura (all shiny unlocked).

Raids:

(One-Star) Pikachu wearing holiday attire, Alolan Vulpix, Cubchoo wearing a holiday ribbon, Crabrawler, Cetoddle, (all shiny unlocked except Crabrawler and Cetoddle — Pikachu has higher shiny odds in raids).

(Three-Star) Dewgong, Lapras, Delibird wearing a holiday ribbon, Glaceon wearing an Undersea Holiday outfit (all shiny unlocked except Lapras).

Event Bonuses:

  • During the Winter Holiday event, Trainers can choose the bonus they want for completing Timed Research—either double XP or double Stardust for catching Pokémon.

  • Increased XP and Stardust from opening Gifts.

Card of the Week

You’ll find this Basic (with a capital B) Delibird in the 2018 holiday calendar, sipping peppermint mocha and living his best cozy cottage life in between Instagram shoots.

Side note: since he delivers packages, shouldn’t the name be pronounced dee-li-bird (like delivered) not delly-bird?

Random encounters around the internet

Obscure Pokémon Fact of the Day (from u/Mx_Toniy_4869)

Until next time,
Cooltrainer “I saw mommy kissing Delibird” Ace