'Pokemon Go' Rumors: Throwback Challenge 2020 Reaching Players Shocks Niantic

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Niantic figuring out how the "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto Research" made its way to some players

"Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto Research" event will last until May 7

Players already playing "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto Research" will not be included in the official launch

Niantic confirms that there is something new ahead for "Pokemon Go" players with the "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto" research. The only problem is that this event is not yet scheduled for release and yet it has reached some trainers. The reason behind the leak remains unknown. Regardless some players have already reportedly started the Field Research Tasks, one that involves trying to catch MewTwo.

Niantic apologized for the confusion as they have yet to determine the cause of the hiccup. Event details will be following soon but "Pokemon Go" players who were lucky enough to get it can start the tasks. Once the official release of the event is made, players who already got it will no longer receive it again per a Twitter post.

"Trainers, research was released to some Trainers ahead of schedule," Niantic said in a statement. "The event details will be released shortly, meanwhile Trainers who received this research can complete it now but won't receive it again. Sorry for the confusion!"

The "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto" research is a nine-part Field Research that will allow players to come across a rare Pokemon in Kanto. It is the latest offering from Niantic following the release of similar events in the past. Among the rate Pokemon who were released before including Lapras, Nidoking, Dratini, and Aerodactyl.

It turns out that Niantic had disabled the research temporarily before forcibly returning it since there were players who already had access. As of this writing, Niantic has yet to announce the official date when the "Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto" will be made available to "Pokemon Go" players. However, Serebii claims that the event will be out soon and will last only until May 7.

Niantic may have overlooked the fact that the volume of players likely to be back on "Pokemon Go" has ballooned. This was discussed in a previous post, explaining how the number of augmented reality players is likely to boom with most have nothing better to do.

Though "Pokemon Go" is a game that usually requires movement, game developers made some tweaks by increasing spawns and urging players to use incense to attract pocket monsters to come to them. The only question is which among the Pokemon will be popping up and if there will be a difference when one plays the game from different regions.

Pokémon Go's new update is expected to finally bring out the Mewtwo Pokémon . Pictured: A man plays "Pokémon Go" by Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam, Aug.18, 2016. Photo: REUTERS/Kham

'Pokémon Go' rolls out remote raids

Location-based game "Pokémon Go" continues adapting to the era of home confinement with a premium Remote Raid Pass.

"Pokémon Go" players can continue to tackle some of the game's toughest opponents -- and continue to drop money into the mobile app -- through a new Remote Raid Pass.

The pass, an optional purchase for the free Android and iOS game, allows players to access Raid Battles taking place nearby without having to travel to a specific spot.

In this way they can join up to 19 other players in taking on one of the game's more fearsome creatures.

Players can earn a complimentary Raid Pass each day from a virtual Gym location, though Premium Raid Passes offer greater versatility.

Niantic, the game's developer, is promoting the Remote Raid feature with a roster of returning Pokémon on a three-week rotation.

Found within the most challenging five-star rated Remote Raids will be Darkrai (April 28 - May 5), Altered Forme Giratina (May 5 - May 12) and Virizion.

Each week begins and ends at 8pm UTC.

In outlining the design of Remote Raids earlier in the month, Niantic suggested that the feature could remain part of the "Pokémon GO" experience during a period of deconfinement or beyond.

"At launch, Trainers battling in raids remotely will have the same attack power as Trainers who are able to battle at the raid location in person. At a later time, the attack power for Trainers battling remotely will be reduced. Afterward, a Trainer battling at the raid location in person will have higher attack power than a Trainer battling remotely."

Earlier in the year, estimates from analysis firm Sensor Tower showed that as preventative measures spread around the world in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, "Pokémon Go" experienced its best week of the year to date.

With global revenue of $23m USD, players spent 66% more than the previous week's $13m and 35% more than the 2020's previous high, $17m in earl y February.

Niantic has been swift to tweak its game to take into account the stay-at-home orders that would otherwise have prevented players from engaging with the traditional "Pokémon Go" experience, making it easier for them to get involved from a distance.

Pokémon X and Y: How to get every Mega Evolution

There aren't that many Mega Evolutions in Pokémon X and Y, but there are probably more than you think, making it even more difficult to catch ’em all.

In order for a Pokémon to undergo a Mega Evolution, it needs to be holding a Mega Stone appropriate to its type, and the trainer needs to be wearing the Mega Ring. If both conditions are met and the Pokémon is able to mega evolve, then you can select the option from within a battle to trigger the Mega Evolution. 

Only one Pokémon can mega evolve during a battle, but that isn’t too bad of a limit considering the game’s random encounters run rampant, and triggering a Link Battle is easy enough. Each available Mega Evolution is listed below along with its corresponding Mega Stone location.

Mega Venusaur: If Bulbasaur is chosen as your second starter, it comes with its Mega Stone, Venusaurite. If not, you can pick it up at Vernal Avenue Stone Emporium in Lumiose City.

Mega Charizard X and Y: If Charmander is chosen as your second second, it comes with its Mega Stone, Charizardite X or Y. If not, you can pick it up at Vernal Avenue Stone Emporium in Lumiose City.

Mega Blastoise: If Squirtle is chosen as your second starter, it comes with its Mega Stone, Blastoisinite. If not, you can pick it up at Vernal Avenue Stone Emporium in Lumiose City.

Mega Alakazam: You can find this stone, Alakazite, in the Reflecting Cave, floor B3F, during the post-game.

Mega Gengar: You will be given this stone, Gengarite, in Laverre City.

Mega Kangaskhan: You can find this stone, Kangaskhanite, in the Glittering Cave during the post-game.

Mega Pinsir: You can find this stone, Pinsirite, in the Santalune Forest during the post-game. It is exclusive to Pokémon X.

Mega Gyarados: You can find this stone, Gyaradosite, in Couriway Town during the post-game.

Mega Aerodactyl: You will be given this stone, Aerodactylite, in Ambrette Town.

Mega Mewtwo X and Y: Mewtwo is holding this stone, Mewtwonite X or Y, upon capture. He’s located in a cave in the Pokémon Village that requires Surf to access.

Mega Ampharos: You will be given this stone, Ampharosite, in Azure Bay.

Mega Scizor: You can find this stone, Scizorite, in the Frozen Cavern located behind Abomasnow.

Mega Heracross: You can find this stone, Heracronite, in Santalune Forest during the post-game. It is exclusive to Pokémon Y.

Mega Houndoom: You can find this stone, Houndoomite, in Route 16 during the post-game. It is Pokémon Y exclusive.

Mega Tyranitar: You can find this stone, Tyranitarite, in the Cyllage Gym during the post-game. It is Pokémon X exclusive.

Mega Blaziken: When you get Torchic from the event giveaway, it’ll come with this stone, Blazikenite.

Mega Gardevoir: In the Lumiose City southern boulevard cafe, you can trade for a Ralts. The Ralts holds this stone, Gardevoirite.

Mega Mawile: You can find this stone, Mawilite, in Shabbneau Castle during the post-game.

Mega Aggron: You can find this stone, Aggronite, in the Cyllage Gym during the post-game. It is Pokémon Y exclusive.

Mega Medicham: You will be given this stone, Medichamite, in Laverre City during the post-game.

Mega Manectric: You can find this stone, Manectite, on Route 16 during the post-game. It is Pokémon X exclusive.

Mega Banette: You can find this stone, Banettite, in the Cave of Emptiness during the post-game.

Mega Absol: You will be given this stone, Absolite, in Kiloude City during the post-game.

Mega Garchomp: You can find this stone, Garchompite, on Victory Road during the post-game.

Mega Lucario: You can find this stone, Lucarionite, held by the Lucario gifted to you in the game. You can turn down this Lucario, but if you want the stone and not the critter, just set the Pokémon free after you take its stone.

Mega Abomasnow: You will be given this stone, Abomasite, at the Frozen Cave where you obtain Abomasnow.

So, while Pokémon X and Y technically has every single Pokémon since the series inception, it only has a handful of Mega Evolutions. However, since the mechanic has now been introduced, it’s safe to assume subsequent installments in the franchise will build upon the new evolution mechanic. It would probably be best to evolve ’em all this time around, so you can fill out your Pokédex now and not have to worry about it in later installments.

This story originally appeared on Geek.

'Pokémon Go' Remote Raid Passes: Where to Get Them and How They Work

Niantic continues to update its popular mobile game, Pokémon Go to make it easier for players to enjoy the game from the comforts of their own home during these trying times.

One of the ways Niantic is updating Pokémon Go is by letting players battle in Raids from anywhere, and that update has finally pushed out to trainers of all levels.

Using Remote Raid Passes, a new item in Pokémon Go, trainers will be able to access any nearby Raid from their couch. However, there are some limitations to the Remote Raid Passes.

First, trainers can only hold three Remote Raid Passes at one time. Secondly, the number of trainers in a Raid Battle is limited. Normally, Raids can hold up to 20 trainers at once. During these times, a Raid accessed through a Remote Raid Pass can only hold up to 10 trainers.

Once life goes back to normal, the limit will be lowered to five. Niantic and the Pokémon Go team will let trainers know when this threshold is changed.

If you're looking to do some Raids from home in Pokémon Go, here's everything you need to know including how to get them and how they work.

HOW TO OBTAIN REMOTE RAID PASSES

Remote Raid Passes in Pokémon Go can only be obtained via the in-game shop.

There's a one-time offer of three Remote Raid Passes for one PokeCoin. After that, one Remote Raid Pass will go for 100 PokeCoins while three sell for 250 PokeCoins for a savings of 50 PokeCoins.

Currently purchasing them via PokeCoins in the in-game shop is the only way to obtain them. Regular Raid Passes can be obtained once a day by visiting a Raid in progress

HOW DO REMOTE RAID PASSES WORK

To use a Remote Raid Pass in Pokémon Go, trainers first need to purchase them in the in-game shop and access the "Nearby" feature in the lower right hand corner of the screen.

Scroll to the right to access the nearby Raids. Once there, select the Raid you wish to visit and Pokémon Go will transport you there. Only Raids that are "ongoing" can be accessed.

After selecting an "ongoing" Raid, you'll see a pink button that says "Battle using a Remote Raid Pass" with the number of trainers in the lobby. Select this button to use one of your passes and it'll put you in a lobby.

Once the timer has run out, you'll be taken to the battle and the subsequent catch sequence once the Pokémon has been defeated. The damage Raid Pokémon do is decreased when battling remotely.

Like regular Raids, once you enter the lobby the Pass is used and you won't be able to get it back so choose wisely.

What do you think of the Remote Raid Passes in Pokémon Go? What do you hope they change moving forward? Let us know in the comments section.

New Pokemon Sword & Shield Max Raid Event Now Live

Pokemon Sword and Shield's Gigantamax event has ended, but a new event is now underway in the games. For a limited time, some of the most popular Pokemon in competitive battling will be featured in Max Raids, and you're guaranteed to get some great TRs for defeating them.

Throughout the event, Pokemon like Tyranitar, Dragapult, Togekiss, Whimsicott, Excadrill, and their pre-evolved forms will appear much more frequently in Max Raids in both titles. On top of that, you'll also be able to encounter the Heat and Wash forms of Rotom.

This Max Raid event runs until May 11. To refresh your Raid dens, you'll need to connect the game online either by activating the Y-Comm or going into Mystery Gift and selecting the option to Get the Wild Area news. Be sure to also check out our Sword and Shield Max Raid guide for helpful tips on battling Raid Pokemon.

There's a lot more content on the way to Pokemon Sword and Shield later this year, including two big expansions: Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra. The former arrives this June and takes players to the eponymous Isle of Armor, where they'll train under a former Pokemon League champion named Mustard and receive the new Legendary Pokemon Kubfu. The Crown Tundra, meanwhile, launches in fall and takes place in a new arctic region, where players will be able to explore Pokemon dens together.

A new Mythical Pokemon named Zarude will also be introduced later this year. As we recently learned, Zarude is able to learn a brand-new, exclusive move called Jungle Healing, which restores HP and cures status effects for Zarude and any ally Pokemon on the field. Fans in Japan fans who pre-order tickets for the series latest film, Pokemon the Movie: Coco, will receive download codes for Zarude and Shiny Celebi, but The Pokemon Company has not yet announced how these Pokemon will be distributed overseas.

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Pokemon Go Remote Raid Passes Now Live

Pokemon Go's Remote Raid Passes have arrived. The new feature is now available to all players who are at least trainer level five, and as their name suggests, they allow you to join a Raid remotely, so you don't need to physically travel to a Gym to participate in the battle.

If you have a Remote Raid Pass, you can use it to take part in any Raid that appears on the Nearby screen. You can receive three Remote Raid Passes through a special one-PokeCoin bundle from the in-game shop. Niantic is also selling additional Remote Raid Passes at a limited-time price of 100 PokeCoins.

As helpful as the new Raid Passes are, they come with a couple of caveats. First, while up to 20 players will be able to join the same Raid, only a limited number will be able to do so using Remote Raid Passes. On top of that, while players who join Raids via Remote Raid Passes will initially have the same attack power as those physically present at the Gym, Niantic says remote players' attack power will eventually be reduced. You can read more about Remote Raid Passes on the official Pokemon Go website.

Remote Raid Passes are only the latest measure Niantic has implemented to make Pokemon Go easier to play from a personal setting amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. You will also be able to receive one bonus Field Research task each day without spinning a PokeStop. You can also now feed your Pokemon multiple Candies and Stardust at once, letting you power them up much more quickly than before.

The Remote Raid Passes arrive in Pokemon Go just as Landorus is about to leave Raids. The Legendary Pokemon was originally scheduled to depart on April 21, but Niantic extended its stay by an additional week, so it will now appear in Raids until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on April 28. Time is also running out to catch April's Research Breakthrough reward, Alolan Exeggutor.

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'Pokémon Masters' Egg Feature: Which Starter Pokémon Should You Choose?

Pokémon Masters pushed out a major update to include Eggs and a new Pokémon for players to collect.

Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, the three Kanto region Starter Pokémon, are available through Eggs in Pokémon Master but players can only select one. While there may be a way to obtain all three Pokémon in the future—DeNA confirmed that more Eggs will be added at another time—your choice can be very important to your roster of Sync Pairs.

All three starter Pokémon have the same final move called "Race You." This status move will increase the speed and critical hit ratio of your Pokémon. Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle also have the same ability in "Power Reserves 2," which increases the attack power of your Pokémon if their HP is below half.

The final evolutions of the starter Pokémon also have the same base stats—351, 224, 97, 224, 97,175—so the only difference between them are the first three moves and the typing.

We break down each Pokémon to help players select which of the three Kanto Starters is best for you.

BULBASAUR

Bulbasaur and its evolutions Ivysaur and Venusaur are Grass and Poison-type Pokémon. However, in Pokémon Masters they are classified as a Grass-type Sync Pair. This starter Pokémon is weak to Fire-type attacks and is the only one of the three that has a physical and special attack.

Razor Leaf, a physical Grass-type attack, can hit all of your opponents and has a higher critical hit ratio than most moves.

It also has Dire Hit, which increases the chances of your moves being a critical hit. Solar Beam is the Bulbasaur line's most powerful attack and is on the special side. However, like the main Pokémon games, Solar Beam needs two turns to use but if the weather is sunny then the move will launch in one turn.

If you're looking for a Grass-type Sync Pair that can break Physical and Special walls and deal damage to more than one opponent at a time this may be the choice for you. The downside is that trainers will need to bring a Pokémon that knows Sunny Day to get the full potential of this Sync Pair.

CHARMANDER

This Fire-type Sync Pair is all about hitting hard and fast on the special side. Charmander and its evolutions learn Flamethrower and Fire Blast as its two attacking moves. Both Fire-type attacks are very powerful and have a small chance of burning. Its status move is X Sp. Atk, which increases this Pokémon's special attack by two stages.

There are a lot of powerful Fire-type Sync Pairs in Pokémon Masters already--including a more powerful pair in Red and Charizard—so if you're not attached to this Pokémon you may want to choose one of the other two.

SQUIRTLE

This Water-type Sync Pair is very similar to the Charmander line. It has two powerful Special Attacks in Bubblebeam and Hydro Pump with the former having a small chance of decreasing the opponent's Speed.

It also has the X Sp. Atk status move to increase its Special Attack just like the Charmander line.

If you're lacking in powerful Water-type Sync Pairs, you can't go wrong with Squirtle as your choice. Like the Charmander line, Squirtle and its evolutions have a straightforward strategy of hitting hard and fast.

Which of the three are you choosing and why? Let us know in the comments section.