Pokemon Go Events Schedule for December 2025

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Pokemon Go December 2025 Events Calendar – Everything Happening This Month

December 2025 is absolutely packed with Pokemon Go events! From the exciting Journey to Paldea celebration introducing Nacli and its evolutions to the massive Gigantamax Snorlax Max Battle Day, there’s something happening nearly every day of the month.

Whether you’re hunting for new Paldean Pokemon, chasing shiny Legendaries during Raid Hours, or maximizing bonuses during weekly Spotlight Hours, this guide has you covered. We’ve got the complete breakdown of every event, bonus, and special celebration happening throughout December and even a sneak peek at what’s coming in early 2026.

Let’s dive into your complete Pokemon Go events calendar so you never miss a limited-time opportunity!

Current and Upcoming Pokemon Go Events in December 2025

Journey to Paldea Event (December 2 – December 9)

Event Dates: December 2, 2025 – December 9, 2025

The Journey to Paldea event brings Generation 9 Pokemon to Pokemon Go with the debut of the Nacli evolution line! This Rock Salt Pokemon and its evolutions, Naclstack and Garganacl, make their first appearance in the game.

Featured Pokemon and Spawns:

Nacli (New debut!)
Naclstack (New debut!)
Garganacl (New debut!)
Other Paldean-region Pokemon with increased spawns

Event Bonuses:

Double XP for winning Raids – Perfect for leveling up quickly
Double XP for evolving Pokemon – Time to clear out those evolution stacks
Increased Shiny rates for Larvitar – Fan-favorite pseudo-legendary
Increased Shiny rates for Bagon – Another top-tier shiny hunt

Special Features:

Timed Research with Paldean-themed rewards
Collection Challenges featuring new Pokemon
Wild encounters focusing on Paldea region species

Pro Tip: Stack your evolutions during this event! With double evolution XP and a Lucky Egg active, you can gain massive XP by evolving multiple Pokemon in one session. This is especially valuable if you’re pushing for level milestones.

The Nacli line is particularly interesting for Rock-type enthusiasts. Garganacl has solid defensive stats and could become useful in both raids and PvP once trainers figure out its optimal movesets.

Well Armed Event (December 11 – December 16)

Event Dates: December 11, 2025 – December 16, 2025

Get ready to flex those Fighting-type muscles! The Well Armed event spotlights Fighting-type Pokemon with the debut of Clobbopus and its evolution Grapploct entering the game.

New Debuts:

Clobbopus (Fighting-type from Galar)
Grapploct (Fighting-type evolution)

Increased Wild Spawns:

Machop
Makuhita
Poliwag
Various other Fighting-type Pokemon

Event Bonuses:

Double Candy for catches – Stock up on candy for your favorite Fighting-types
Extra Candy from Max Battles – More reason to participate in Dynamax raids
Extra Candy XL from Max Battles – Crucial for powering up high-level Pokemon
Increased Shiny odds for Dynamax Hitmonchan
Increased Shiny odds for Dynamax Hitmonlee

Special Features:

Event-themed Field Research tasks
Fighting-type focused encounters

Strategy Tip: If you’ve been wanting to max out your Machamp, Lucario, or other Fighting-types for raid battles, this is your event. The double catch candy combined with Pinap Berries means you’ll be swimming in candy by the end of the week.

The Dynamax Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee shiny boosts are significant—these are relatively rare shinies, and the increased odds make this a prime hunting opportunity for collectors.

Gigantamax Snorlax Max Battle Day (December 14)

Event Date: December 14, 2025 (One-day event)

One of December’s biggest highlights! Gigantamax Snorlax returns for a special Max Battle Day, giving trainers another shot at catching this massive Normal-type—potentially in its shiny form!

Featured Pokemon:

Gigantamax Snorlax (Shiny possible!)

Event Bonuses:

Higher Max Particle limit – Participate in more Max Battles without running out
More frequent Gigantamax-ready Power Spots – Easier to find active battles
Increased Remote Raid participation cap – Join more battles from home
Two extra special trades – Perfect for trading duplicate Gigantamax Pokemon

Special Features:

Timed Research rewarding Dynamax Machop and other prizes
All-day access to Gigantamax battles

Important Note: Gigantamax Snorlax is one of the most iconic Gigantamax forms in the entire Pokemon franchise. Its massive size and G-Max move make it a must-have for collectors. The shiny variant is especially rare, so dedicate serious time to this event if you want that golden sleeping giant!

Preparation Checklist:

Stock up on Max Particles in the days leading up to December 14
Coordinate with friends and local raid groups ahead of time
Have healing items ready for your Dynamax Pokemon
Clear bag space for rewards
Plan your route if you’re hitting multiple Power Spots

For more detailed strategies on preparing for Max Battles, check out our Pokemon Go Max Mondays guide.

Upcoming Unannounced Events (December & Early 2026)

While Niantic hasn’t released full details yet, several events have been teased for late December and early 2026. Mark your calendars!

December 2025 Teased Events

Winter Holiday Part 1

Dates: December 18 – December 24
Expect: Holiday-themed Pokemon, winter spawns, special bonuses

Research Day

Date: December 20
Expect: Special Research tasks with unique rewards

Winter Holiday Part 2

Dates: December 24 – December 29
Expect: Continuation of holiday celebrations, possibly different featured Pokemon

Winter Weekend

Dates: December 27 – December 28
Expect: Weekend-exclusive bonuses and spawns

New Year’s 2026 Event

Dates: December 31 – January 4, 2026
Expect: New Year’s celebration with special spawns and bonuses

January & February 2026 Preview

Niantic has already teased several major events for early 2026:

Community Day Classic – January 4
Raid Day – January 10
Community Day – January 18
Shadow Raid Day – January 24
Max Battle Weekend – January 31 – February 1
Community Day – February 1
Catch Mastery Day – February 7
Raid Day – February 14
Max Battle Day – February 15

Pro Tip: With this many events on the horizon, resource management becomes crucial. Don’t blow all your Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces, and Premium Passes in December—pace yourself to have resources available for January’s packed schedule.

Completed December 2025 Events

December Community Day (December 6 – December 7)

The December 2025 Community Day was Pokemon Go’s year-end celebration, bringing back every featured Pokemon from 2025’s monthly Community Days. This two-day mega-event gave trainers a final opportunity to:

Catch missed shiny variants from throughout the year
Evolve featured Pokemon to obtain exclusive Community Day moves
Take advantage of premium bonuses like boosted XP and Stardust
Enjoy reduced egg hatch distance
Benefit from extended Incense and Lure duration
Access cheaper special trades

This event essentially served as a victory lap for 2025, letting collectors complete their shiny dex and competitive players grab any exclusive moves they missed earlier in the year.

Pokemon Go Spotlight Hours in December 2025

Spotlight Hours happen every Tuesday from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM local time, featuring one specific Pokemon with increased spawns and a special bonus. Here’s your complete December schedule:

December 2: Cranidos Spotlight Hour

Featured Pokemon: Cranidos
Bonus: Double Transfer Candy
Why It Matters: Rampardos (Cranidos evolution) is one of the best Rock-type attackers in the game. This is prime time to stock up on candy and hunt for high IV specimens.

Strategy: Catch a bunch of Cranidos, keep your best ones, then transfer the rest during the event for double candy. You can use that candy to power up your best Rampardos for raid battles.

December 9: Shieldon Spotlight Hour

Featured Pokemon: Shieldon
Bonus: Double Catch XP
Why It Matters: Great for leveling up! Combine with Lucky Eggs for 4x XP per catch.

Strategy: Pop a Lucky Egg before the hour starts, use Excellent throws as much as possible, and rack up massive XP. This is one of the best Spotlight Hour bonuses for gaining levels.

December 16: Mienfoo Spotlight Hour

Featured Pokemon: Mienfoo
Bonus: Double Catch Candy
Why It Matters: Mienshao is a solid Fighting-type for PvP, and the double candy helps you stock up for powering it up.

Strategy: Use Pinap Berries on every catch for quadruple candy (2x from event + 2x from berry). This is candy farming at its finest.

December 23: Spheal Spotlight Hour

Featured Pokemon: Spheal
Bonus: Double Evolution XP
Why It Matters: Perfect for mass evolution sessions! Spheal is also adorable, and its shiny form is excellent.

Strategy: Save up Pokemon ready to evolve, pop a Lucky Egg, and evolve everything during this hour for 4x evolution XP. Combine with any Spheal evolutions for maximum gains.

December 30: Delibird Spotlight Hour

Featured Pokemon: Delibird
Bonus: Double Catch Stardust
Why It Matters: Stardust is Pokemon Go’s most valuable resource, and this bonus helps you stock up.

Strategy: Use Star Pieces during this hour to get 3x catch Stardust (2x from event + 1.5x from Star Piece). Catch everything that spawns, not just Delibird!

Preparation Tips for All Spotlight Hours:

Clear Pokemon Storage space beforehand
Stock up on Poke Balls (minimum 200-300 recommended)
Have Lucky Eggs or Star Pieces ready depending on the bonus
Plan your route if you’re playing while walking
Consider using the Go Plus device for faster catching

Pokemon Go Raid Hours in December 2025

Raid Hours occur every Wednesday from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM local time, flooding gyms with the featured 5-Star Legendary Pokemon. This is your best opportunity for shiny Legendary hunting!

December 3 Raid Hour

Featured Pokemon: Cobalion*, Terrakion*, and Virizion* (Swords of Justice trio)

All three can be shiny
Steel/Fighting, Rock/Fighting, and Grass/Fighting types respectively
Excellent for filling Pokedex gaps

December 10 Raid Hour

Featured Pokemon: Kyurem*

Dragon/Ice Legendary from Unova
Shiny available
One of the Tao Trio

December 17 Raid Hour

Featured Pokemon: Reshiram*

Dragon/Fire Legendary
Highly sought-after for raids
Shiny available

December 24 Raid Hour (Christmas Eve!)

Featured Pokemon: Zekrom*

Dragon/Electric Legendary
Perfect for Christmas Eve raiding with family
Shiny available

December 31 Raid Hour (New Year’s Eve!)

Featured Pokemon: Blacephalon*

Fire/Ghost Ultra Beast from Alola
Rare encounter!
Shiny available

Raid Hour Strategy Tips:

Coordinate with your local community beforehand
Plan a route hitting multiple gyms
Have Remote Raid Passes ready for distant gyms
Stock up on healing items
Bring Golden Razz Berries for Legendary catches

For complete raid boss details including counters and strategies, visit our Pokemon Go Raid Boss schedule guide.

How to Make the Most of Pokemon Go December 2025 Events

With so many overlapping events, here’s how to optimize your gameplay:

Resource Management Strategy

Prioritize Your Goals:

Shiny hunting? Focus on events with boosted shiny rates
Leveling up? Target double XP bonuses
Building raid teams? Prioritize candy-heavy events

Don’t Burn Out: With events nearly every day, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Pick your top 2-3 priorities for the month and focus on those. You can’t do everything!

Stock Up Between Events:

Farm Poke Balls during quiet periods
Let your Pokemon Storage breathe before big events
Prepare healing items for raid-heavy weeks

Community Coordination

Join Local Groups: Discord servers, Facebook groups, and Reddit communities organize raid trains, coordinate trades, and share spawn locations. December’s packed schedule means community coordination is more valuable than ever.

Plan Trading Sessions: Events like Well Armed and Journey to Paldea introduce new Pokemon—coordinate trades with friends to fill your Pokedex faster.

Item Usage Optimization

Lucky Eggs:

Use during double XP events (Journey to Paldea raids, Shieldon Spotlight Hour)
Combine with mass evolution sessions during Spheal Spotlight Hour

Star Pieces:

Save for Delibird Spotlight Hour (double catch Stardust)
Use during raid-heavy events for maximum Stardust gains

Incense and Lures:

Extended during some events—take advantage of longer duration
Best used during events with boosted spawns

Frequently Asked Questions About Pokemon Go December Events

Can I catch shiny versions of the new Paldean Pokemon during Journey to Paldea?

Yes! New Pokemon releases in Pokemon Go typically have their shiny forms available from day one, though the rates are usually the standard 1 in 500 for wild encounters unless specifically boosted. For Journey to Paldea, Larvitar and Bagon have confirmed boosted shiny rates, but Nacli and its evolutions will likely follow standard shiny odds. However, as a new release, expect increased wild spawns throughout the event, giving you more opportunities to hunt. The best strategy is to catch every Nacli you see during the event window—you never know when you’ll encounter that sparkle!

Do I need to participate in Gigantamax Snorlax Max Battle Day if I already have a Gigantamax Snorlax?

It depends on your goals! If you’re a shiny hunter, absolutely yes—this is your chance to get a shiny Gigantamax Snorlax, which is incredibly rare. Even if you’re not hunting shinies, the event offers excellent bonuses like higher Max Particle limits, extra special trades, and Timed Research rewards including Dynamax Machop. Plus, catching multiple Gigantamax Snorlax gives you trading fodder for friends who might miss the event. The candy and XP rewards from multiple battles are also substantial. Unless you’re completely burnt out, it’s worth participating for at least a few hours.

What’s the best Spotlight Hour bonus for new or returning players?

For newer players, the Shieldon Spotlight Hour (December 9) with double catch XP is your best friend. Leveling up quickly unlocks better items, higher-level wild spawns, and more gameplay features. Combine the double XP bonus with a Lucky Egg for 4x XP per catch, and focus on landing Excellent throws for even more XP. If you’re a returning player focused on powering up your team, the Mienfoo Spotlight Hour (December 16) with double catch candy is incredibly valuable—use Pinap Berries for quadruple candy gains and stock up resources for your best Pokemon.

How do I keep track of all these events without missing anything important?

Great question—December is overwhelming! Here are the best strategies: (1) Enable in-game notifications for Pokemon Go so you get alerts about starting events, (2) Bookmark this page and check back weekly for updates, (3) Join your local Pokemon Go community Discord or Facebook group—they usually post reminders about events, (4) Set calendar reminders on your phone for your top priority events (like Gigantamax Snorlax Day), and (5) Check the in-game news tab regularly—Niantic updates it with event details and countdowns. Don’t stress about participating in everything; focus on the 2-3 events each week that align with your goals.

December 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most event-packed months in Pokemon Go history! From new Paldean debuts to massive Raid Hours featuring the Tao Trio, there’s something exciting happening nearly every day. Plan your schedule, coordinate with friends, and make the most of these limited-time opportunities. Happy hunting, Trainers!

More Pokemon Go Resources:

Pokemon Go Events Schedule for December 2025 – Complete Calendar & Guide

Pokemon Go December 2025 Events Calendar – Everything Happening This Month

Current and Upcoming Pokemon Go Events in December 2025

Journey to Paldea Event (December 2 – December 9)

Well Armed Event (December 11 – December 16)

Gigantamax Snorlax Max Battle Day (December 14)