Halloween season is almost upon us, and that always means an incredible spooky themed event in Pokémon GO! It is always fun to speculate what might happen during the event, and with the Halloween event, we can often predict certain Pokémon and costumes thanks to past events, and the Pokémon Center Halloween merchandise line.
Remember, this is wild speculation, and lots of me keeping my fingers crossed. Nothing here is official!
Pokémon Debuts
Announced for October 2026 we have both a Dynamax Max Battle Day, and a Super Mega Raid Day, with no featured Pokémon announced yet.
Here are my top predictions for the Super Mega Raid Day:
The currently unreleased Ghost and Dark type Mega Pokémon are Mega Chandelure, Mega Froslass, Mega Darkrai, Mega Golurk and Mega Scrafty. Of them all, I think Mega Darkrai is by far the least likely with it being a Mythical, I think they’ll hold off on it for a little longer yet. Personally I think Mega Chandelure or Mega Froslass are the most likely, probably Mega Chandelure, because Litwick has already been featured for a Community Day. It isn’t a rare Pokémon, but it will get some hype! It also features in some of the promotional art for the Season of Twilight Trails, so surely it has to debut!
For the Dynamax Max Battle Day, we will almost certainly get a Legendary Pokémon. It is specifically a Dynamax Max Battle Day, not Gigantamax, and Dynamax Max Battle Day events typically include a Legendary.
There is a possibility of a Mythical that has been readily available in raids, like Darkrai, but I suspect Altered Forme Giratina getting a Dynamax debut is the most likely option. It will impact the meta, but not ultimately lead the pack in the future, so it is an easy release for a Halloween timed event. Origin Forme Giratina and Yveltal both have potential, but with such strong meta impacts, it feels a bit early for Scopely to release them yet.
Costume Pokémon
Is it Halloween without new Costume Pokémon in GO? Absolutely not! In previous years some of the Costumed Pokémon we’ve had added to the game have been based on the Pokémon Centre’s Halloween plushies, so let’s take a look at them.
Alcremie is a big no, it hasn’t debuted in game, so we aren’t getting a Costume version of it any time soon. A Costume Alolan Raichu would be an adorable pick, and a good choice for a tier 3 raid boss during the Halloween event. Crobat would be fun, but typically if a Pokémon can evolve we get the base form of the Pokémon in a Costume, so Crobat feels less likely. This doesn’t apply to Alolan Raichu because it does not evolve from Pikachu. So my top pick is… Zorua! Zorua and Zoroark both got Costume plushies this year at the Pokémon Center, with Zorua in key chain form, and Zoroark in plushie form. This makes them an ideal choice, and the Dark typing is a perfect fit for the spooky season. Plus with Zorua featuring for October Community Day, it makes the shiny more readily available, so Scopely aren’t concerned with keeping it rarer.
Pikachu will almost certainly get either a new Costume based on the above plushie, or we’ll see a return of another Halloween themed Pikachu. Polteageist would be fun, but with Sinistea being so rare, and an awkwardly tiny Pokémon to don a costume, Polteageist feels likely. Pawmi is another cute option, but the plushie is less Costume, more Pawmi in a pumpkin, which again feels a little tricky to translate into Pokémon GO.
Shiny Pokémon
A new shiny Pokémon for a Dark or Ghost type leaves us with an interesting predicament, because there aren’t many unreleased shinies for each typing!
I’ve picked out two potential options, Mimikyu and Greavard. We waited SO long for Mimikyu that it feels almost too soon to get the shiny version, but Greavard? Greavard is the perfect fit! It has been in game for a little while, is a perfect spooky little pal to befriend, and has a fantastic golden shiny. I think Greavard’s time to shine is Halloween 2206.
Another Ghost type that isn’t shiny in game yet is Poltchageist, and yes, those sprites really are the shiny forms. Barely any different! I think it is a little soon for shiny Poltchageist, but we could get a surprise.
New Pokémon
What about an entirely new Pokémon I hear you cry? Everyone always wants a fun debuting Pokémon, so who could it be?
Bramblin makes their debut in the Harvest Festival in October which could have been a great fit as a Grass and Ghost type, which could mean no brand new Pokémon. We also recently saw Maschiff, a Dark type debut in game too. Which makes potential options even trickier! I don’t think we’ll see a Ghost or Dark type debut, but instead maybe something a bit more left field.
Basculegion is a Ghost and Water type, evolving from White Striped Basculin only. It could fit! A new evolution isn’t the most exciting, but the typing fits the Halloween theme, and we have slowly been adding in the new Galarian evolutions, with Basculegion one that is missing.
Pukyumuku is a Water type. I know, how does it fit? Well cause it’s spiky and kinda weird. Duh! Real talk, it is a wild choice but there are so few unreleased pokemon that something as odd as Pyukumuku might debut, but I honestly don’t think we’ll get something ‘new’ new, rather a different form like a Dynamax or Mega instead.
Conclusion
In terms of realistic top picks, I am calling:
- Mega Chandelure
- Shiny Greavard
- Dynamax Altered Forme Giratina
- Costume Zorua and Zoroark
- Costume Pikachu
What do you think will happen this spooky season? I am wildly wrong, or do you think I am on the money?
