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Pokémon GO has one of its busiest weeks of July from July 20 to July 26, 2026. Trainers can hunt the first Shiny Solgaleo, meet Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu, earn up to 10× Catch XP, and prepare Rayquaza for Mega Evolution through the Ozone Ascent event.
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The biggest event arrives on Sunday. The global Pokémon GO Fest 2026 makeup raid event brings back dozens of Legendary Pokémon, several Mega Evolutions, and Mega Mewtwo Y. Trainers can also collect up to 12 free Raid Passes from Gyms during the event.
Top priorities this week: claim Willow’s Birthday Research, hunt Shiny Solgaleo, complete Ozone Ascent for a Meteorite, farm the 10× Catch XP phase, and save time for Sunday’s Mega Mewtwo Y raids.
With so many events overlapping, spending your time and Raid Passes wisely matters. This weekly Pokémon GO guide explains each event, the best rewards, and what free-to-play Trainers should prioritize.
What Is Happening in Pokémon GO from July 20 to July 26, 2026?
Most event times use your local time unless a different time zone is shown.
| Date | Main Events | Best Reason to Play |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, July 20 | Dynamax Trubbish Max Monday; Special Anniversary Pikachu Celebration ends | Finish GO Pass tasks and battle Dynamax Trubbish |
| Tuesday, July 21 | Ultra Unlock begins; Willow’s Birthday Research | Catch Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu and begin the 6× XP grind |
| Wednesday, July 22 | Solgaleo Raid Hour; raid rotation changes | Hunt Shiny Solgaleo and Mega Salamence |
| Thursday, July 23 | Eevee Spotlight Hour; Ultra Unlock bonus increases | Earn 2× Eevee Candy and 8× Catch XP |
| Friday, July 24 | Ultra Unlock continues | Farm starter Candy, XP, and exclusive evolution moves |
| Saturday, July 25 | Ozone Ascent begins; Ultra Unlock reaches its final phase | Get a free Meteorite and earn 10× Catch XP |
| Sunday, July 26 | GO Fest Global makeup raids; Ozone Ascent continues | Battle Mega Mewtwo Y and use up to 12 free Raid Passes |
Dynamax Trubbish is featured from July 20 through July 26, including Max Monday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eevee’s Spotlight Hour takes place on Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., while Solgaleo’s Raid Hour runs on Wednesday during the same local-time window.
What Should You Do on Monday, July 20?
Monday is mainly a cleanup and preparation day.
The Special Anniversary Pikachu Celebration ends at 8:00 p.m. local time. Make sure you finish any remaining GO Pass tasks and claim unlocked rewards before the event closes.
From 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, Dynamax Trubbish will take over Max Battles for Max Monday. It will remain in the regular Max Battle pool through July 26, so missing the one-hour event does not remove every chance to battle it.
This is also your final full day before the Ultra Unlock XP bonuses begin. Clear Pokémon storage, prepare Lucky Eggs, and save enough Poké Balls for the rest of the week.
What Happens During Professor Willow’s Birthday Event?
Willow’s Birthday Research runs on Tuesday, July 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time.
The main reward is the debut of Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu. This costumed Pikachu can appear through free Timed Research, event Field Research, GO Snapshot surprises, and One-Star Raids.
The Timed Research can reward encounters with the new Pikachu, one Lucky Egg, one Star Piece, and additional items. Its tasks and rewards remain available until July 27 at 8:00 p.m. local time, even though the birthday event itself lasts only one day.
Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu can also be Shiny. Some encounters may have a team-specific Special Background. It will remain available in One-Star Raids until the end of the Ultra Unlock event on July 27.
Do not skip Tuesday: logging in and claiming the research protects you from missing an easy costume collectible, even if you finish the tasks later.
How Does the Ultra Unlock: 10th Anniversary Edition Work?
The Ultra Unlock: 10th Anniversary Edition runs from Tuesday, July 21 at 10:00 a.m. until Monday, July 27 at 8:00 p.m. local time.
The event rotates through three groups of first partner Pokémon. Each phase also increases the amount of XP earned from catching Pokémon.
| Event Phase | Featured Regions | Catch XP Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| July 21, 10:00 a.m.–July 23, 10:00 a.m. | Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn | 6× Catch XP |
| July 23, 10:00 a.m.–July 25, 10:00 a.m. | Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos | 8× Catch XP |
| July 25, 10:00 a.m.–July 27, 8:00 p.m. | Alola, Galar, and Paldea | 10× Catch XP |
First partner Pokémon encountered during the event may have a team-specific Special Background. The design is based on the team you belong to when the encounter begins. Trainers who have not joined a team cannot receive these backgrounds.
Normal Lure Modules may also attract Pokémon such as Beldum, Gible, and Dreepy. Beldum and Gible are strong Candy targets, while Dreepy remains useful for Trainers still building its evolution line.
Which Starter Pokémon Should You Evolve?
The event temporarily returns several important Community Day attacks.
Evolving the correct Grass-type first partner Pokémon can grant Frenzy Plant. Fire-type evolutions can learn Blast Burn, while Water-type evolutions can receive Hydro Cannon.
Before evolving everything in your storage, focus on Pokémon with strong IVs, PvP value, Mega Evolution potential, or a role you actually plan to use. The event lasts almost a week, so there is no need to rush every evolution on the first morning.
Is the 10th Anniversary GO Pass Worth Completing?
Every Trainer receives the free GO Pass: 10th Anniversary when the Ultra Unlock event begins.
The reward path includes a 10th Anniversary avatar shirt, a Golden Lure Module, themed encounters, and other items. Reaching Rank 10 unlocks 2× Catch Candy, while Rank 20 increases the chance of receiving Candy XL.
The paid Deluxe track improves the Rank 10 bonus to 3× Catch Candy. It also offers extra encounters and another Golden Lure Module.
From Saturday, July 25 at 12:00 a.m. until Monday, July 27 at 7:59 p.m. local time, there is no daily limit on the number of GO Points you can earn. This makes the weekend the best catch-up window for Trainers who fall behind earlier in the event.
The free path is worth progressing because it overlaps with high Catch XP, starter spawns, Eevee Spotlight Hour, Ozone Ascent, and the Sunday raid event. You can gain ranks while completing activities you would already be doing.
When Does Shiny Solgaleo Debut in Pokémon GO?
The regular raid rotation changes on Wednesday, July 22.
Kyogre remains in Five-Star Raids through July 21. It is then replaced by Solgaleo, which stays until July 28. This rotation introduces Shiny Solgaleo to Pokémon GO for the first time.
Solgaleo will receive a dedicated Raid Hour on Wednesday, July 22, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. More Gyms should host Five-Star Raids during this hour, making it the week’s most convenient Shiny-hunting window.
The Mega Raid rotation also changes on Wednesday. Mega Sceptile leaves and Mega Salamence takes its place through July 28.
| Raid Type | July 15–21 | July 22–28 |
|---|---|---|
| Five-Star Raids | Kyogre | Solgaleo |
| Mega Raids | Mega Sceptile | Mega Salamence |
| Weekend Shadow Raids | Shadow Palkia | Shadow Palkia |
Solgaleo is the better target for collectors because of its new Shiny. However, Mega Salamence Energy can be more useful for accounts that still need a powerful Dragon-type Mega Evolution.
How Should You Prepare for Eevee Spotlight Hour?
Eevee Spotlight Hour takes place on Thursday, July 23, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. The event provides 2× Candy for catching Pokémon.
The Spotlight Hour also overlaps with the 8× Catch XP phase of Ultra Unlock. That makes this much more valuable than a normal Eevee event.
Before 6:00 p.m., clear Pokémon storage, stock up on Poké Balls, prepare Pinap Berries, and set aside a Lucky Egg if you can land regular Excellent Throws. Mega Evolving an eligible Pokémon can also improve Candy gains for Eevee.
Eevee has many evolutions with different uses, so Candy is rarely wasted. Even Trainers who do not need another Eeveelution can use the hour as an efficient XP farming session.
What Is Ozone Ascent and How Does It Help Mega Rayquaza?
Ozone Ascent runs from Saturday, July 25 at 10:00 a.m. until Sunday, July 26 at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Every Trainer can access free Timed Research. Completing it rewards a Meteorite, an encounter with Rayquaza, and additional rewards. A separate paid research ticket provides another Meteorite, Rayquaza Mega Energy, another Rayquaza encounter, and more.
Important: Ozone Ascent is not listed as a Mega Rayquaza Raid Day. Its main value is the Meteorite and the resources needed to prepare Rayquaza for Mega Evolution.
Unlike most Mega-Evolving Pokémon, Rayquaza cannot Mega Evolve with Mega Energy alone. It must first learn the Charged Attack Dragon Ascent, and Dragon Ascent can only be taught by using a Meteorite.
For free-to-play Trainers, the Meteorite is the event’s biggest prize. Complete this research before spending too much time on Sunday’s raids, because the tasks and rewards expire at 8:00 p.m. local time on July 26.
What Is the Pokémon GO Fest 2026 Makeup Raid Event?
The special Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global Sunday Raid Event takes place worldwide on Sunday, July 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.
The event was created after technical issues prevented some Trainers from joining raids during the original GO Fest weekend. It was first announced for selected regions, but the updated announcement expanded it to all Trainers.
The nine-hour event brings back Sunday’s GO Fest raid lineup, including Mega Mewtwo Y in Super Mega Raids.
What Is the GO Fest Makeup Raid Schedule?
| Time | Five-Star Raid Highlights | Mega Raid Bosses |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. | Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Origin Forme Dialga, Origin Forme Palkia, Heatran, Regigigas, the Forces of Nature, Regieleki, Regidrago, and both Enamorus formes | Mega Metagross, Mega Garchomp, Mega Audino |
| 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. | All Deoxys formes, Genesect and its Drives, the four Tapu guardians, Necrozma, and regional Ultra Beasts | Mega Beedrill, Mega Pinsir, Mega Sceptile |
| 4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. | Latias, Latios, Cresselia, Darkrai, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Zacian, and Zamazenta | Mega Tyranitar, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Lucario |
| During the event | Mega Mewtwo Y in Super Mega Raids | Mega Mewtwo Y |
Regional Pokémon in the middle window include Buzzwole in the Americas and Greenland, Pheromosa in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India, and Xurkitree in the Asia-Pacific region. Celesteela and Kartana are divided by hemisphere, while Stakataka and Blacephalon are divided between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.
What Bonuses Are Active During the GO Fest Makeup Event?
Trainers can receive up to 12 free Raid Passes by spinning Photo Discs at Gyms.
Pokémon caught from Five-Star Raids and Mega Raids may have a Special Background. Mewtwo caught from Super Mega Raids can also have one. Mega Evolving a background Mewtwo adds an extra visual effect to its Mega Evolution background.
- Premier Balls are more effective after raids.
- The Link Charge storage cap increases to 2,000.
- The Remote Raid limit is removed during the announced global window.
- Previous Road of Legends Deluxe GO Pass buyers receive extra raid rewards.
The Remote Raid limit is removed from Saturday, July 25 at 1:00 p.m. PDT until Sunday, July 26 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. This window uses PDT rather than local time, so check the conversion for your region before planning remote sessions.
Eligible Road of Legends Deluxe GO Pass buyers receive an additional 5,000 XP from completed raids, three extra Candy from Five-Star or higher raids, and one extra Candy XL from those raids.
Which Pokémon Should You Raid First?
Mega Mewtwo Y should be the main target for most Trainers. Its Super Mega Raid availability is limited, and Mewtwo caught from these raids can have a Special Background.
After that, your priority depends on your account. Choose Origin Forme Dialga or Origin Forme Palkia if you want high-value Legendary Pokémon and wider gameplay utility. Target Necrozma if you still need Candy or fusion-related resources.
Raid Mega Garchomp, Mega Lucario, Mega Tyranitar, or Mega Gardevoir if your account needs practical Mega Evolutions. Collectors may prefer regional Ultra Beasts, costumed Pikachu, Shiny Solgaleo, or Special Background encounters.
Do not spread premium passes across every boss. The raid pool is huge, so decide on two or three targets before the event begins.
What Should Free-to-Play Trainers Prioritize This Week?
The best free-to-play plan begins with Tuesday’s Willow Research. Claim the new costumed Pikachu and start progressing the free 10th Anniversary GO Pass.
On Thursday, use Eevee Spotlight Hour to combine 2× Catch Candy with 8× Catch XP. Save most of your serious XP grinding for Saturday and Sunday, when the Ultra Unlock bonus reaches 10× Catch XP.
Complete the free Ozone Ascent Timed Research for its Meteorite. That reward is much harder to replace than ordinary items.
Finally, use all available free Raid Passes during Sunday’s GO Fest event. Start spinning Gym Photo Discs early and keep checking for another pass after each completed raid. Spending free passes on Mega Mewtwo Y and your strongest secondary targets gives the best overall return.
Pokémon GO July 20–26 Priority List
- Complete the free Ozone Ascent Timed Research for a Meteorite and Rayquaza encounter.
- Use the Sunday GO Fest makeup event to raid Mega Mewtwo Y and collect free Raid Passes.
- Farm 10× Catch XP from Saturday morning through Monday evening.
- Hunt Shiny Solgaleo during Wednesday’s Raid Hour.
- Claim Willow’s Birthday Research and catch Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu.
- Use Eevee Spotlight Hour for Candy and XP.
- Evolve useful starter Pokémon for Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, or Hydro Cannon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Pokémon GO Fest makeup Raid Day available worldwide?
Yes. The July 26 event is available to all Trainers worldwide. It runs from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.
How many free Raid Passes can I get on July 26?
You can receive up to 12 free Raid Passes by spinning Gym Photo Discs. The passes are not delivered all at once, so return to a Gym after using each pass.
Is Mega Rayquaza appearing in raids during Ozone Ascent?
The announced event rewards focus on Timed Research, a Meteorite, a Rayquaza encounter, and Rayquaza Mega Energy through the paid research. Mega Rayquaza raids are not listed as part of Ozone Ascent.
When can I catch Shiny Solgaleo in Pokémon GO?
Shiny Solgaleo debuts when Solgaleo enters Five-Star Raids on July 22, 2026. Its Raid Hour runs from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time that Wednesday.
When does the 10× Catch XP bonus begin?
The 10× Catch XP phase begins on Saturday, July 25 at 10:00 a.m. local time. It ends on Monday, July 27 at 8:00 p.m. local time.
Jul 21, 2026
Pokémon Go
