The Season of Timeless Travels in Pokémon GO introduces a brand new character, Mateo! Beginning on December 4, 2023 (Pacific Standard Time), Trainers can meet Mateo at the end of Routes that they explore and participate in his Gift Exchange with Trainers from all around the world.
To celebrate Mateo being introduced to Pokémon GO we also have the Along the Routes event, with special bonuses, featured Pokémon, and the debut of shiny Hisuian Sneasel!
Along the Routes Event
Date & Time 📅
| Starts | Ends |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 10:00 AM local time |
Friday, December 8, 2023 at 08:00 PM local time |
Event Bonuses 🎁
-
1/2 Egg Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator during the event period
-
Event themed Pokémon spawning in the wild
-
Shiny Hisuian Sneasel debut
-
Event themed 7km eggs
-
5× XP for spinning a PokéStop for the first time.
-
3× XP for spinning PokéStops.
-
2× Stardust for opening gifts
Infographic
Hisuian Sneasel Shiny Debut
Sneasel (Hisuian)
Hisuian Sneasel will make their shiny debut in Pokémon GO! It is a really fantastic shiny family, with a grey and neon yellow colour palette that is very different from the original colour ways. Female and Male Sneasel do have a gender difference, with the male form having a longer feather on their head.
| Shiny Hisuian Sneasel (female) | Shiny Hisuian Sneasel (male) | Shiny Sneasler |
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 |
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Mateo and the Gift Exchange
Mateo, a researcher who loves to travel, is on his way to Pokémon GO! He enjoys collecting and exchanging Postcards and Gifts from all over the world. He’s excited to meet you at the end of your journey on a Route.
- As you near the end point of a Route, Mateo may be waiting for you with some Gifts he has collected!
- Talk to Mateo to begin a Gift Exchange.
- Choose which of Mateo’s Gifts to exchange from the Route end point, the Route start point, or a nearby PokéStop.
- Add a sticker if you like, and select Exchange.
- Get ready to receive your new memento from another Trainer! Don’t forget to add new Postcards to your Postcard Book to expand your Postcard collection and catch different forms of Vivillion.
You can participate in a Gift Exchange with Mateo once a day. Be sure to have your encounter with Mateo before you complete the route, or he will vanish.
Niantic Support have shared that you can only encounter Mateo on your first Route of the day.
Routes and Party Play
Get the party started in Pokémon GO! Trainers forming a party can now complete Routes together. What Routes are you most excited to explore with your friends?
Learn more about Party Play, Pokémon GO’s new feature that transforms the way you play Pokémon GO with your friends.
A million Routes have now been created worldwide! Since the launch of Routes in July 2023, Trainers from all over have helped to create amazing Routes for their communities to enjoy. One million Routes have been created globally, and we’re excited for how much more there is to come.
Want to learn more about Routes? Check out our article here.
Featured Pokémon
Wild Spawns
The following event themed Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild:
7km Eggs
The following event themed Pokémon will hatch from 7km eggs obtained during the event:
Field Research Tasks
The following event themed Pokémon will be available as encounter rewards from field research tasks:
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Send a Gift to a Friend |
5×
PokeBall
|
| Send 3 Gifts and add a sticker to each |
Eevee
|
| Earn a Candy walking with your buddy |
5×
Great Ball
|
| Hatch an Egg |
Wooloo
|
| Trade a Pokémon |
Sneasel (Hisuian)
|
Special Research: A Route to New Friendships
A new Special Research story will become available to Trainers during the event. Learn more about Mateo and the power of exchanging Gifts through the Special Research story, A Route to New Friendships.
A Route to New Friendships (1/4)
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Explore 1 km |
Wooloo
|
| Spin 3 PokéStops |
900×
XP
|
| Earn a Candy exploring with your Buddy |
5×
Razz Berry
|
| Exchange a Gift with Mateo |
1×
Incense
|
| Stage rewards | |
|
|
A Route to New Friendships (2/4)
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Catch 7 Pokémon |
10×
Poke Ball
|
| Spin 5 PokéStops |
1500×
XP
|
| Explore 3 km |
Wooloo
|
| Walk 1,000 m while traveling Routes |
Woobat
|
| Stage rewards | |
|
|
A Route to New Friendships (3/4)
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Hatch an Egg |
Feebas
|
| Spin 15 PokéStops |
2000×
XP
|
| Complete 5 Field Research |
1000×
Stardust
|
| Exchange 3 Gifts with Mateo |
Sneasel (Hisuian)
|
| Stage rewards | |
|
|
A Route to New Friendships (4/4)
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Claim rewards | Coming soon… |
| Claim rewards | Coming soon… |
| Claim rewards | Coming soon… |
| Claim rewards | Coming soon… |
| Stage rewards | |
| Coming soon… | |
Timed Research
Here are the full Along the Routes Timed Research tasks and rewards:
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Explore 1 km |
Wooloo
|
| Send a Gift to a friend |
5×
Pinap Berry
|
| Explore 2 km |
Pawmi
|
| Explore 5 km |
Feebas
|
| Send 3 Gifts to friends |
1×
Incense
|
| Explore 7 km |
Sneasel (Hisuian)
|
| Stage rewards | |
|
|
PokéStop Showcases
During the Along the Routes event, be on the lookout for Showcases at select PokéStops where you can enter Sneasel and Hisuian Sneasel.
