A Beginners Guide to Getting the Most Out of Pokémon Go’s January Community Days

 

What is a Community Day?

A Community Day is an event on Pokémon Go where an influx of a specific Pokémon will be found.

In January there are two Community Days. On Sunday 16^th January there is one for Spheal and on Saturday 22^nd January it is Bulbasaur's turn.

The aim of Community Days is to catch as many of these Pokémon as possible. These Pokémon are sometimes rare, and the ones caught on Community Day have access to Special Moves when evolved during the event. 

Additionally, on Community Days there are increased odds of finding Shiny Pokémon. A Shiny is a rare form of Pokémon that has a different colour. During Community Days the odds of finding a shiny is 1 in 25 rather than the usual rate of 1 in 500.

There are other bonuses such as more XP for catching Pokémon. Incense and Lure Modules also last for a longer time. We will cover these items in more detail later.

How can I prepare for the day?

1. Make sure your device is fully charged. If you decide to play outside you may opt to bring a portable battery pack to extend your playtime.
2. If you decide to go outside remember to prepare any real-life items, you may need. For example, hand sanitisers and face masks, and possibly appropriate footwear if you live in the countryside and plan to catch Pokémon in real-life fields.
3. Keep some Pokémon Storage space free so you can catch as many as possible.
4. Prepare some in-game items for the day. Having a bunch of Pokéballs ready will mean you can spend more time catching. You may want to also prepare Incense, Lure Modules and Lucky Eggs to maximise the amount of Pokémon appearing and the XP gained from participating. 

During the events, you will be able to redeem a free bundle containing 30 Ultra Balls. You can find this by pressing the PokéBall on at the bottom of the screen and then pressing ‘Shop’. You should be able to find the free bundle on Community Day.

Incense increases the amount of Pokémon which appear around your trainer. Usually, this lasts 60 minutes however during a Community Day this is extended for a massive 3 hours.

Lure Modules can be installed into PokéStops and Gyms. These cause more Pokémon to appear around them. You can see in-game when one is being used as confetti will fall from the structure. Normally they only last 30 minutes however during a Community Day they will also last for 3 hours. 

On Community Day just use the standard Lure Module- The other ones will not increase the odds of Community Day Pokémon appearing.

Lucky Eggs grant you double XP so your trainer will level up faster. During Community Days you will receive an XP boost anyway, so combining this with a Lucky Egg will grant the highest possible XP multiplier. The higher your level, the more you will be able to Power Up your Pokémon leading to stronger monsters.

You can find Incense, Lure Modules and Lucky Eggs by Levelling Up your trainer as well as completing research.

What should I do during the day?

Try to log in to the app just before the Community Day starts. The times are listed below in each day's specific section. Community Days tend to be the most popular times for the app, and occasionally Niantic runs into server slow down issues. It is best to be logged in early.

Once the Community Day starts you should see the Spheals and Bulbasaurs appear around you. This is the time to use your Incense and Lucky Eggs if you have any. 

Then feel free to catch as many Pokémon as possible!

How you decide to play the game after this is up to you.

You may choose to stay by some Gyms and PokéStops which will cause a constant stream of Community Day Pokémon. This is especially true if they have Lure Modules installed.  

Alternatively, you can plan a walk. Try to make sure your walk takes you past as many PokéStops as possible to optimise the amount of Pokémon encountered. You can use a website such as Go Maps to check the nearby PokéStops. 

If you are concerned about the pandemic, you can also opt to stay at home and see if the Community Day Pokémon will appear near you. Be sure to use Incense to draw more Pokémon around your house.

If you are hunting Shiny Pokémon, remember that they will only appear Shiny on the catch screen. The Pokémon will have a sparkle when they first appear and a little shiny mark next to their name. 

You might also find local Raid battles may have more participants than normal due to the increase in players.

The most important thing during the Community Day is to have fun! Take breaks if you need to!

16^th January Spheal Community Day

On Sunday 16^th January Pokémon Go will be hosting a Spheal Community Day. From 11am-5pm local time, you will find an increased amount of Spheals with boosted odds of finding a Shiny one.

If you evolve Spheal into Walrein during the day or two hours afterwards, your walrus will know the Special Charged Attack Icicle Spear. This special move is new to Pokémon Go. It is a low energy charged attack that does 60 Power in both Trainer Battles and Gym Battles. Walrein will also know the Special Fast Attack Powder Snow which does 6 Power during battles.

Also on the day trainers will receive:

• 3x Catch XP during the event.
• Incense activated during the event will last for three hours instead of the normal 60 minutes
•  Lure Modules inserted into PokéStops will last for three hours instead of the regular 30 minutes.

Community Day Special Research Story: The Spheal Deal

Also purchasable for $1 or 79p is the special research story The Spheal Deal.

You do not need to clear the Research Story during the Community Day. If you purchase it, it will remain in your app until you finish it.

There will also be a Community Day Box available for 1,280 PokeCoins.

This includes:

• 50 Ultra Balls
•  5 Super Incubators
•  5 Lucky Eggs
• 1 Elite Fast TM

There will also be a free bundle containing 30 Ultra Balls available for free!

22^nd January Community Day Classic: Back to Bulbasaur

Additionally, on Saturday 22^nd January from 2pm-5pm local time, Niantic is hosting another Bulbasaur Community Day. Make sure you log in to enjoy the increased spawn rate of Bulbasaur and higher odds to find a shiny one.

Bulbasaur was originally the third Community Day back in 2018, so this will be the first day dedicated to the first Pokémon in the Pokédex for almost 4 years.

Bulbasaurs that evolve into Venusaur during the event or two hours afterwards will know the move Frenzy Plant. This Special Move has 100 Power during both trainer battles as well as Gym and Raid Battles.

Also on the day trainers will receive:

• 3x Catch XP during the event.
• Incense will last for three hours instead of the normal 60 minutes
•  Lure Modules inserted into PokéStops will last for three hours instead of 30 minutes.

Community Day Special Research Story: Bulbasaur Community Day Classic

There is also a special research story purchasable for $1 or 79p themed around Bulbasaur.

If you decide to purchase it, you will receive new quests to complete. These can be finished at any time during or after the event.

Also purchasable will be a special Community Day Box which is available for 1280 PokéCoins.

Included is:

• 50 Ultra Balls
• 5 Lucky Eggs
• 5 Star Pieces
• 1 Elite Charged TM

Also available will be a free bundle featuring 30 Ultra Balls

Please let me know if you have any other questions about the Community Days. I will answer any questions posted in the comments