This Week in Pokémon GO: September 21-27, 2026

Pokémon GO’s September 21-27 2026 week has us enter the third week of the season of Twilight Trails! We are firmly into the new season with a quieter week ahead, with the end of the Pokémon Horizons event, Choose Your Path Timed Research is back, and master your catching with Phantump. In person events also take place around the globe for City Safari! Plus the weekly rotating Raid Hours, Spotlight Hour, Dynamax Battles and Mega Raids.

Weekly Pokémon GO Schedule

Max Monday: Dynamax Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres

On Monday, September 21st, from 6 PM to 7 PM local time, Dynamax Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres will appear in Max Battles! Dynamax Rhyhorn will continue to appear from September 21-27 in Max Battles.

Raid Hour: Buzzwole, Pheromosa and Xurkitree

On Wednesday, September 23rd, from 6 PM to 7 PM local time, Zamazenta will be the featured Pokémon for Raid Hour.

📔 Related guides:

• Xurkitree
• Buzzwole
• Pheromosa

Spotlight Hour: Rattata

On Thursday, September 24th, from 6 PM to 7 PM local time, Rattata will be the featured Pokémon for Spotlight Hour, along with 2× XP for evolving Pokémon and an increased chance to encounter XXS Rattata.

Events in Pokémon GO This Week

Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event

The Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event celebrates season 3 of the TV series Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope releasing in the USA and UK, taking place from Wednesday, September 16, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. You can watch in the USA on Netflix, and in the UK on BBC iPlayer.

The event introduces Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles to Pokémon GO, as well as an increased chance to encounter Kecleon at Pokéstops. Pikachu with Cap’s Hat also returns, and there are rotating timed spawns.

Choose Your Path: Timed Research

From Wednesday, September 23, at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, September 28, at 8:00 p.m. local time Choose Your Path Timed Research will be available in Pokémon GO, letting Trainers experience the game in the way they want!

Through the Choose Your Path Timed Research, you’ll get the option to pick one of three paths: Explore, Catch, or Battle. What you choose will decide the Timed Research tasks and rewards for the entire week.

These Research experiences may differ from Trainer to Trainer, with different versions of the research being experimented with.

Catch Mastery: Phantump

The Pokémon GO Catch Mastery: Phantump event runs on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, putting the spotlight on the Stump Pokémon and rewarding Trainers for precise throws.

During the event, players can enjoy an increased chance to encounter Shiny Phantump, 2× XP for Nice Throws or better, and bonus Candy for accurate catches. Phantump will be available through Field Research, free Timed Research, and paid Timed Research.

City Safari 2026

Pokémon GO City Safari is coming to a slew of cities on September 26th and 27th, 2026! Set off on a citywide adventure as you discover the vibrant stories, new friends, and exciting Pokémon waiting for you in your chosen city. Mudbray and Hawlucha feature, with the classic Eevee Explorer Edition designed to help you discover the secrets of the city.

• Boston, USA
• Brisbane, Australia
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Marseille, France
• Munich, Germany
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Raids

Five-Star Raids

From September 16 to September 22, Zamazenta will appear in Five-Star Raids.

📔 Related guides: Zamazenta

From September 23 to September 29, Buzzwole, Pheromosa and Xurkitree will appear in Five-Star Raids in their respective regions.

📔 Related guides: Xurkitree,Buzzwole, Pheromosa

Mega Raids

From September 16 to September 22, Mega Venusaur will appear in Mega Raids.

📔 Related guides: Mega Venusaur

From September 23 to September 29, Mega Malamar will appear in Mega Raids.

📔 Related guides: Mega Malamar

Shadow Raids

One-star and three-star Shadow Raids will be available daily, while five-star Shadow Raids will take place on Saturdays and Sundays unless otherwise noted. Also, Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus will swoop into five-star Shadow Raids during Twilight Trails! You may even encounter a Shiny Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus—if you’re lucky!

September GO Pass and GO Pass Deluxe

Pokémon GO’s September 2026 GO Pass and GO Pass Deluxe feature exclusive rewards, including an encounter with Latios, XP and Stardust bonuses, and the Timed Incubator!

Trainers can earn GO Points by completing Pass Tasks, unlock milestone rewards through ranking up, and access premium items by upgrading to the Deluxe version via the Pokémon GO Web Store.

Trainers will automatically receive GO Pass: GO Pass: September on Tuesday, September 8, at 10:00 a.m. local time.

GO Battle League Season 28

GO Battle League: Twilight Trails began on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7). Each week brings a different selection of Cups and active Leagues. Here are the active Cups and Leagues this week:

Dates	Cups
September 15–22	Great League Ultra League: Mega Edition Willpower Cup: Great League Edition
September 22–29	Ultra League* Master League: Mega Edition* Retro Cup: Great League Edition*

(*) 4× Stardust from win rewards (this does not include end-of-set rewards)

Season of Twilight Trails

Get ready for Pokémon GO’s Twilight Trails Season! Running from  September 8 at 10:00 a.m. to December 1, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time, this incredible season focuses on new Mega Pokémon, new Dynamax Pokémon, the Paldea Region and more!

Twilight Trails Egg Hatches

The following Pokémon will hatch from Eggs this Season. These are just some highlighted Egg hatches, more Pokémon can hatch from each egg group.

2km Eggs

5km Eggs

10km Eggs

7km Eggs

Adventure Sync Rewards

The following Pokémon hatch from Adventure Sync Eggs this Season. These are just some highlighted Egg hatches, more Pokémon can hatch from each egg group.

5 km Adventure Sync Eggs

10 km Adventure Sync Eggs

Routes Rewards

7 km Eggs from Mateo Gift Exchange

Research Breakthrough

Complete Field Research to unlock Research Breakthrough encounters with one of a variety of Season-themed Pokémon. Find out where your trail leads you each week.