The First Bird Pokémon Is Landing in Pokémon GO During the Catch Mastery Event!

Pokémon GO is heating up with a pair of exciting events! First up is the Catch Mastery event, a part of the larger Might and Mastery event, already underway alongside the Festival of Colors.

Catch Mastery: Archen Takes Flight!

From 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time on March 16th, the spotlight shines on Archen, the First Bird Pokémon! Prepare for increased wild encounters with Omanyte and Kabuto, including a boosted chance to find their Shiny forms. Archen itself will be available as a Field Research reward, boasting an increased Shiny rate. Level up quickly with double XP for Nice Throws and better, and for Curveball Throws.

A Timed Research task focuses on catching Rock-type Pokémon. Complete up to ten sets of tasks to earn a whopping 40 Archen encounters!

Mega Absol Raid Day: Brutal Swing Incoming!

Get ready for Mega Absol Raid Day on March 23rd, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. Absol is getting a powerful upgrade: the new Charged Attack, Brutal Swing! This move, dealing 55 power in Trainer Battles and 65 power in Gyms and Raids, becomes a permanent addition to Absol's arsenal after the event.

To help you conquer these raids, the Remote Raid Pass limit increases to 20 from 5:00 p.m. PDT on March 22nd to 8:00 p.m. PDT on March 23rd. You can also snag up to five additional free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs, for a total of six for the day.

Haven't joined the fun yet? Download Pokémon GO from the Google Play Store!

And don't forget to check out our article on the upcoming St. Patrick's Day event, "Watcher of Realms: The Four-Leaf Clover's Song"!