Introducing the new Pokémon Pecharunt

Pokémon Horizons delayed & Annihilape arrives in Pokémon GO

Author

Cooltrainer Ace
January 18, 2024 • Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes

What’s good, Cooltrainers? Your boy Ace is fighting those January blues, binge-watching reels on my Rotom phone and eating fried Zubat wings by the handful. New Year resolutions are for the weak.

The good news is, it never snows in Victory Road. The bad news? It’s always damp and cold. You’d think a cave with Moltres in it would be more temperate. Gonna have to hug me a Magmar before I start losing fingers to frostbite.

Here’s this week’s rundown (estimated read time, 4 minutes):

Pokémon Horizons U.S. Launch Date Delay

Don’t get that popcorn ready just yet. Last Friday, the Pokémon Company announced that Pokémon Horizons is now releasing on Thursday, March 7. The date was previously listed as Friday, February 23, so a full 11 days later. No word on what caused the announcement—maybe the move is related to Pokémon Day on February 27?

Pecharunt —the poisonous peach

The Pokémon Scarlet & Violet DLC has been out for a week now, so it’s time to introduce the newest addition to the Pokémon parade: Pecharunt.

Long called the “peach Pokémon” by data miners and leakers, this little dude is the star of the epilogue story. As always, I’m keeping things spoiler free, but if you’ve finished The Teal Mask, I recommend you check out “The Untold Story of Pecharunt” video (below) that released earlier this week.

If you’re already done with the Epilogue, watch it anyway!

Even if you aren’t ready to play the Epilogue just yet, be sure to go into Mystery Gifts and claim the Mythical Pecha Berry (via Internet) just to be safe.

Category: Subjugation Pokémon
Type: Poison/Ghost
Ability: Poison Puppeteer

Pecharunt’s Posion Puppeteer is a new Ability that causes Pokémon that are poisoned or badly poisoned by Pecharunt’s moves to also become confused.

Pecharunt’s new move, Malignant Chain, is an attack that launches a chain of poison that may leave its target badly poisoned.

And don’t forget: use Mystery Gift Code NE0R0T0MC0VER for the Neo-Kitakami Case that looks like Pecharunt infected your Rotom phone too (it also features the Loyal Three on the back, if you like those jerks).

Annihilape debuts in Pokémon GO

The undead, angry gorilla that’s been the hero of so many Tera Raids is now coming to a mobile device near you!

The Rage Monkey arrives to throw some ghostly hands beginning Friday, January 19 at 10 a.m. local time as part of Battle Week (which runs until Wednesday, January 24, at 8 p.m. local time.).

Primeape evolves into Annihilape after defeating 30 Ghost-type or Psychic-type Pokémon in battle with Primeape as your buddy (you do not have to defeat these Pokémon with Primeape).

Battle Week Event Bonuses:

  • Team GO Rocket appear more frequently at PokéStops and in balloons.

  • Throh and Sawk will both appear in the wild regardless of your location.

  • 4x Stardust from win rewards. (This does not include the end-of-set rewards and will not stack with the 4x Stardust bonus in January.)

  • The max number of sets you can play per day is increased from five to 10—for a total of 50 battles—from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. local time.

  • Free battle-themed Timed Research will be available. Rewards include the avatar item Ingo-Style Hat.

  • Great League, Ultra League, and Master League will be active during the event.

  • Complete the Raging Battles Collection Challenges to receive three Fast TMs, three Charged TMs, and Stardust.

Field Research Encounters: Mankey (shiny unlocked)

Wild Encounters: Mankey, Machop, Lickitung, Gligar, Sableye, Throh, Sawk, Scraggy (all shiny unlocked).

Raids

  • One-Star: Snubbull, Houndour, Pancham (shiny unlocked) and Mareanie (shiny locked).

  • Three-Star: Primeape, Gyarados (shiny unlocked) plus Zweilous (shiny locked)

January Community Day Classic: Porygon

Ah yes, Porygon. The weird little cyber duck that hands out seizures like Santa hands out presents (old school reference). The Porygon party comes Saturday, January 20, from 2-5 p.m. local time.

Event Bonuses

  • 3x XP for catching Pokémon

  • Lure Modules activated during the event last for three hours.

  • Incense (excluding Daily Adventure Incense) activated during the event lasts for three hours.

  • Evolve Porygon2 (Porygon’s Evolution) during the event or up to two hours afterward to get a Porygon-Z that knows the Charged Attack Tri Attack.

  • PokéStop Showcases feature Porygon

  • Timed Research awarding three Upgrades and three Sinnoh Stones available from 2 - 7 p.m. local time.

Card of the Week

This full art Shiny Palafin is giving off some serious Dark Knight vibes in his underwater lair.

Full art illustration rare shiny palafin pokemon card

Bro needs to stop skipping leg day tho

Random encounters around the internet

Obscure Pokémon Fact (from u/Mx_Toniy_4869)

Until next time,
Cooltrainer “don’t stare at the Porygon!” Ace