A major ticketed event is coming in February!
Earlier this year, Niantic, the developer of Pokemon Go, offered a few details about some of the events that will take place in the game throughout 2021. In part, the developer told trainers they could expect to see events based on the different regions in the Pokemon universe, such as Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn.
Now, Niantic has announced Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto, the first of those region-themed events that will be added to Pokemon Go.
Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto is set to be a huge event, similar in scope to Pokemon Go Fest. While some features of the event will be available to all trainers for free, Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto will also contain a ticketed experience that will introduce “version” differences to Pokemon Go for the first time.
That is, in the main series of Pokemon video games, at least two games are released in each generation, and players can choose which one to purchase and complete (or, if they buy them both, which one to purchase and complete first). For instance, the current generation of Pokemon video games lets players choose between Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield.
While the multiple Pokemon games in a single generation are mostly the same, they do contain some important differences. For instance, Pokemon Sword contains some Pokemon that aren’t found in Pokemon Shield, and vice versa. Players can trade with other trainers to collect the Pokemon they’re missing in their own game.
For Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto, players will be able to choose between the “Pokemon Red” and “Pokemon Green” versions of this event, with each version focusing on different Pokemon.
But before we get into those differences, here’s a breakdown of all of the event’s features that will be available for free.
The Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto event will be held on February 20, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time.
During this time, all players (even those who don’t buy a ticket) will be able to encounter Pokemon from the Kanto region in the wild and in Raids. Plus, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo will appear in Tier-5 Raids during this time.
In addition, all trainers will be able to complete special event-themed Timed Research tasks during this event. And finally, the trade range will be increased to 40 km to help trainers collect Pokemon they need for their collections.
While these features will be available for free, even more content will be available for players who purchase a ticket for this event. Tickets are available for $11.99, and they can’t be purchased with PokeCoins. That is, you must purchase a ticket with a real money transaction.
Regardless of whether they choose the “Pokemon Red” or “Pokemon Green” version of this event, all ticket holders will have access to the following content on February 20:
Every Pokemon originally discovered in the Kanto region will be available in some way. They may appear in the wild or in Raids, they may be available as a Research Task encounter, they may be attracted to Incense, or you may be able to collect them through evolution. Trainers will be encouraged to collect the first 150 Pokemon from Kanto during this event to earn rewards (that is, every Pokemon from the region except for Mew).
While this event will only be live for one day, Niantic said trainers will have until February 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT “to catch certain Pokémon” and earn these rewards.
Plus, when this event begins, the 150 Pokemon from the Kanto region (again, everything but Mew) will be available to encounter in their Shiny forms. Any new Shiny forms that are introduced as part of this event will continue to be available after the event ends.
Ticket holders will also be able to complete a Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto Special Research storyline in order to earn an encounter with what Niantic is calling a “special Pokémon!” Once they complete this Special Research storyline, they’ll receive a second Special Research storyline that will eventually allow them to encounter Shiny Mew. Niantic said this second storyline is “meant to be completed over a long period of time,” so you won’t have to worry about completing it during this event.
Next, ticket holders will receive more Pokemon Candy when catching Pokemon from the Kanto region during this event, and certain Pokemon caught or evolved during this event will know exclusive moves. Here’s the breakdown:
To be clear, even trainers without a ticket will be able to collect Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo that know these moves by completing their Raids during this event.
Finally, trainers who purchase a ticket for Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto before January 13 at 11:59 p.m. PT will receive free tickets for the Community Day Special Research storylines in January and February. These tickets normally cost $1 each, so this will be a $2 savings if you plan to participate in all three events (Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto and the January and February Community Days). January’s Community Day event is scheduled for January 16, while February’s event will take place on February 7. Niantic didn’t reveal which Pokemon will be featured in each event just yet.
Even if you don’t purchase this Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto ticket before January 13, you can still receive a free ticket for February’s Community Day Special Research storyline if you purchase a Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto ticket before February 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Now that we’ve gone over the event’s general details, it’s time to look at the differences between the Red and Green versions of this event.
Each version will allow ticketer holders to encounter different exclusive Pokemon. To collect the exclusive pocket monsters from the other version, players will need to trade with friends. In addition, each version will give trainers an increased chance of finding a selection of Shiny Pokemon. Here’s the complete breakdown.
To make the most of this event (and earn every reward for collecting all 150 Pokemon), you may want to plan ahead with at least one friend in your town so that one of you chooses the Red Version and the other chooses Green. That way, you can help each other complete the entire collection thanks to the increased trading range of 40 km.
There’s a ton going on during this event, but you don’t have to worry about choosing between Red and Green just yet. However, tickets for Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto are available now, so check out our guide to learn how to get one!
Are you excited about this Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto event in Pokemon Go? Let us know on Twitter at @superparenthq.
This article has been updated to fix a typo in the event date.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
