New Year, new Pokémon come to GO

Howdy Cooltrainers and welcome to the New Year! I’ve spent the holiday break deep in the lower levels of Victory Road, doing hanging sit ups from stalactites and basically training to be the best me ever. Time to get super shredded and finally beat that jerk Machoke in an arm wrestle.

You know what they say: New Year, new Meowth.

Here’s this week’s rundown (estimated read time, 3 minutes):

• January’s Pokémon GO Community Day will be a hoot

• Dusk Form Lycanroc debuts in GO

• All current Scarlet & Violet Mystery Gifts

January Community Day: Rowlet

Get ready for Pokémon’s cutest owl (sorry, Hoothoot) in the first Community Day of the year, running from 2 to 5 p.m. local time on January 6.

The featured attack fully-evolved Decidueye learns as part of the event is Frenzy Plant, but it can also learn the charged attack Spirit Shackle beginning during the event and continuing on after.

Event Bonuses

• 3x Stardust for catching Pokémon.

• * 2x Candy for catching Pokémon (active 2-10 p.m.)

• 2x chance for Trainers level 31 and up to receive Candy XL from catching Pokémon.

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

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

• One additional Special Trade can be made for a maximum of two for the day.* (active 2-10 p.m.)

• Trades will require 50% less Stardust.* (active 2-10 p.m.)

Dusk Form Lycanroc debuts in GO

He’s here! Dusk Form Lycanroc (and his shiny form) are coming to go during the Lustrous Odyssey event running Saturday, January 6 at 10 a.m. to Wednesday, January 10 at 8 p.m. local time.

According to the official announcement “some Rockruff that Trainers hatch or encounter will be able to evolve into Dusk Form Lycanroc instead of Midday Form or Midnight Form Lycanroc.” I take this to mean that the evolution requirement functions similar to the Own Tempo ability needed to evolve Rockruff into DF Lycanroc in the mainline games in that random Rockruff will be able to evolve into this form.

You’ll likely be able to see on the evolution preview button if your Rockruff has what it takes. While the announcement doesn’t state this, it make sense that Rockruff captured in encounters or raids, or hatched from eggs during this event will be much more likely to evolve into DF Lycanroc.

Event Bonuses

• Increased frequency of Buddy Pokémon bringing you Souvenirs.

• Increased frequency of Buddy Pokémon bringing you presents.

• Your buddy will spend more time on the map after being fed Berries or Poffins.

• Rockruff hatched from Eggs received as Adventure Sync rewards during Pokémon GO: Timeless Travels may have a chance to evolve into Dusk Form Lycanroc. (they hatch from 2km and 7 km Eggs).

Field Research Encounters: Hisuian Growlithe, Hisuian Sneasel, Rockruff (all shiny unlocked).

Wild Encounters: (all shiny unlocked) Gastly, Eevee, Spinarak, Sunkern, Teddiursa, Lunatone, Solrock, Yungoos, Fomantis, Morelull. Rare encounters include Espeon and Umbreon.

Raids

• One-Star: Hisuian Growlithe, Hisuian Sneasel, Rockruff, Rhyhorn (all shiny unlocked).

• Three-Star: Lapras, Aerodactyl, Hisuian Braviary, Wyrdeer (all shiny unlocked).

Mystery Gift Roundup

If you’ve been having a holly jolly season, you may have missed some of the current Mystery Gift Codes announced for Scarlet and Violet. Here’s the complete list of every active gift. Let’s be real: they’re probably better than the socks you got from Aunt Meredith.

• Get via internet | TM223 (Metal Sound) x10 *expires “mid January 2024”

• L1KEAFLUTE | Cetitan

• SWEET0RSP1CY | Sweet Herba Mystica or Spicy Herba Mystica x1

• TEAMSTAR | Revavroom

• SEEY0U1NPALDEA | Chest-Form Gimmighoul

• WEARTERASTALCAP | Terastal Cap

• SUPEREFFECT1VE | Expert Belt

• G0TCHAP0KEM0N | Quick Balls x30

Card(s) of the Week

While we wait for Paldean Fates in February, here’s a full art trio from kantaro, who tells the story of a Fuecoco’s evolution to Skeledirge over the course of several supermarket runs.

Random encounters around the internet

• If you haven’t watched the Netflix miniseries Pokémon Concierge yet, here’s another reason to: it currently has a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes (and 92% audience score).

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

Until next time,
Cooltrainer “New Year, New Meowth” Ace