Pokémon GO: coming to a headset near you?

Say so long to Pumpkaboo Spice! It’s the season of the Delibird now, and he always knows when you’re sleeping. That’s why I stick to Victory Road: no ice or snow. I also sleep with one eye open since that incident with the Raticate. shudders

Here’s this week’s rundown (estimated read time, 4.5 minutes):

• Pokémon GO-ing into the future of AR

• An overview of the latest TCG expansion, Paradox Rift

• The next Scarlet & Violet 7-star raid deets

• Pokémon GO: Community Day breakdown (& the next event)

Pokémon GO’s creator outlines the future

In a recent interview with the BBC (featuring such quaint phrases as “snaffled a Snorlax, poached a Pikachu” and “collared a Charizard”), creator John Hanke spoke about what he think the future holds for GO and AR tech.

And no, he didn’t mention any fixes or updates related to current issues driving many players away from the game

Predicting 2024 as a breakthrough year for AR, Hanke said Niantic is interested in mixed reality devices such as Meta Quest and Apple’s Vision Pro. They hope devices that “you can use when you're out for a walk and with your friends, and they don't get in your way” will allow Pokémon to be a more natural part of the environment and “respond to things in the environment in a realistic way.”

Of course, this is on the heels of Niantic laying off 230 people and closing its L.A. office. Plus cancelling or closing most of its other AR games.

According to BBC reporter Andrew Rogers “Niantic is hoping it can increase the time and money people spend in Pokémon Go, and tempt lapsed users back with new features and game modes.”

The key word for me in that statement was money. Is the game going to get better (either in new ways or by returning beloved past features)? Or is Niantic doubling down on strangling the Golden Yungoos?

Back to the Future with Paradox Rift Expansion

The hype trains wants for no one! Just when we got settled in to 151, the next expansion is here to push its way in. Paradox Rift features additional Ancient and Future Pokémon found in Scarlet & Violet, as part of 180 brand-spanking new cards.

Type-shifted (the TCG’s version of Terastalizing) Pokémon ex are back too, including Water-type Garchomp ex and Toxtricity ex among the 15 new exes.

And for those who love full art and illustrations, get ready for some suh-weetness. 😤 I’m gonna shut up now and just let these beauties speak for themselves:

Bring on the ghosts: Hisuian Typhlosion 7-star Raids

Let’s be real: Fire-Tera was not what we wanted here but hey, I’m just glad we’re getting the Hisuian starter final evos in another format outside of Legends.

Anyways, ghost… badger?…weasel? (what am I looking at?) is coming Thursday, November 2, at 5 p.m. to Sunday, November 5, at 3:59 p.m. PST and then again Thursday, November 9, at 4 p.m. PST to Sunday, November 12, at 3:59 p.m. PST.

Fire-Tera with ghost moves shouldn’t be too hard to cover with like… any water Pokémon (Hisuian Samurott is an obvious one if you’ve got it). I’m sure we’ll see a couple of of nasty twists but honestly, Koraidon or Miraidon would probably do the trick as well. You could always go a different dragon route with Garchomp, Hydreigon, or Dragonite, too. And keep Hisuian Arcanine with Flash Fire ability in mind.

All I’m saying is you’ve got options, friend. After you emerge victorious, hit reply and tell me what your build was, yo!

November Community Day & Festival of Lights

Community Day

Whether you know him as Wooper or Pooper, don’t miss your chance to get BOTH this Sunday, November 5, from 2-5 p.m. local time.

Both are shiny unlocked and their respective evolutions have the following charged attacks:

• Quagsire: Aqua Tail

• Clodsire: Megahorn

Event Bonuses

• 2x Candy for catching Pokémon.

• 1/4 Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in Incubators during the event period.

• 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 from 2-10 p.m. local time.)

• Trades require 50% less Stardust. (active from 2-10 p.m. local time.)

Festival of Lights

• Tuesday, November 7 at 10 a.m. to Sunday, November 12, at 8 p.m. local time.

• Tadbulb and Bellibolt make their debut (both shiny locked) - 50 candy to evolve.

• Litwick and Tadbulb feature in PokéStop Showcases.

Event Bonuses

• 2x Stardust for hatching Pokémon.

• 2x Candy for hatching Pokémon.

• Incense (excluding Daily Adventure Incense) activated during the event will last twice as long.

Wild Encounters (all shiny unlocked except Tadbulb)

Pikachu, Vulpix, Ponyta, Magnemite, Voltorb, Chinchou, Mareep, Slugma, Electrike, Litwick.

Rare Encounters: Morelull (shiny unlock debut), Tadbulb

7 km Eggs (all shiny unlocked): Elekid, Magby, Dedenne, Morelull

Increased Incense Encounters: Alolan Geodude, Slugma, Volbeat, Illumise,

Blitzle, Litwick, Litleo, Dedenne, Morelull (all shiny unlocked).

Hisuian Voltorb, Tadbulb (shiny locked).

Field Research task encounters: Darumaka, Morelull (both shiny unlocked), Tadbulb.

Card of the Week

Imma level with you: there was too much card eye candy to go around this week. So here’s TWO MORE full art cards from Paradox Rift for your eyeball pleasure. 😍 

Random encounters around the internet

• Worth the watch: an AI plays Gen 1 Pokémon. 20,000 times.

• How the first 151 Pokémon changed over time.

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

Until next time,
Cooltrainer “the only headset I wear is Go-Goggles” Ace