Mareep Spotlight Hour (January 2026): Last Minute Guide

Mareep Spotlight Hour takes place on January 13th, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm local time, with a bonus of 2x XP for evolving Pokémon. This Spotlight Hour is the second January 2026 Pokémon spotlight. It’s a great time to evolve any trash Pokémon in your storage before you transfer them.

Trainers who plan to participate should be prepared with a Mega Pokémon to maximise candy gains per Mareep caught. Here’s everything you need to know!

Mareep Fact Sheet

Mareep

Mareep is a Electric-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO. As a Electric-type Pokémon, Mareep is weak to Ground-type moves.

Mareep’s maximum Combat Power stat is 1120 CP, and its best Pokémon GO moves are Thunder Shock and Discharge. Mareep encounters are boosted during Rain weather. Shiny Mareep is available! ✨

Pokémon	Requirements	Evolution
Mareep	25 Mareep Candy	Flaaffy
Flaaffy	100 Mareep Candy	Ampharos
Ampharos	200/40 Mega energy	Mega Ampharos

Shiny Mareep

Shiny Mareep is super easy to see – its wool turns bright pink.

–	Regular	Shiny
Mareep
Flaaffy
Ampharos
Mega Ampharos

Mareep CP and IV Chart

Mega Pokémon that boost Mareep

The following Pokémon will grant you extra bonuses when catching Mareep if they are Mega/Primal evolved.

A Note on Mega Catch Bonus

While a Pokémon is Mega-Evolved, additional XP and Candy is granted when catching a Pokémon that shares a type with it, or for any raid boss caught. These do not stack with each other. Additionally, High and Max Level Mega-Evolved Pokémon grant an increased chance to obtain Candy XL when catching a Pokémon that shares a type with it.

Is it worth evolving Mareep?

PVP

Ampharos may not be a premier PvE Pokémon, but the tables turn in PvP, where its versatile moveset and mono-typing make it a fine pick 😄. Expect a good number of wins, but keep in mind that Ampharos still has a tough time against the meta’s biggest threats 🫢.

🔵 Great League – Ampharos is a bit of a mixed bag in the Great League, with Volt Switch, Trailblaze, and Brutal Swing making it unpredictable, often tossing matches in your favor ✌️. However, its low DEF makes it a sitting duck to even high-damage Fast attacks, ultimately limiting its impact 🤕. As such, Ampharos is highly dependent on the right matchups, making it a hit or miss.

🟡 Ultra League – Ampharos performs best in the Ultra League, where its snappy moveset gives it potential against a variety of targets 🎯. While it still struggles with squishiness, it performs well as a lead 👌. Overall, a noticeable Pokémon in this competitive meta.

🟣 Master League – Ampharos simply lacks the stats needed to succeed in the Master League.

Mega Evolutions can’t be used in the GO Battle League, but when the Master League: Mega Edition pops up, some of them become formidable combatants 🤺.

🔵 Great League – Not eligible.

🟡 Ultra League – Not eligible.

🟣 Master League – In the Mega Edition, Mega Ampharos actually works due to its great stats and moveset. Volt Switch pairs well with Thunder Punch and Brutal Swing, allowing it to bait shields and take down Pokémon like Mewtwo, Dusk Mane Necrozma, Togekiss, Yveltal, Ho-Oh, and Primarina 🙌.

However, it lacks the closing power you’d expect from a Mega Evolution, and even though it secures some impressive wins, it still loses to most of the powerhouses.

PVE

In the early years of Pokémon GO, Ampharos was the go-to Electric-type for many trainers. However, power creep has been hard on this beloved species, as the meta now features numerous powerhouses that are simply better than Ampharos 🫤.

If you want to use Ampharos, just Mega Evolve it! 🧬

⚔️ Raids – Ampharos is not too bad. A decent 211 ATK gives it some degree of viability if you don’t have other options. Again, opt for its Mega Evolution, which is a top-notch DPS pick 🌩️.

🛡️ Gyms – Ampharos lacks the bulk required to be even a decent Gym defender.

Mega Ampharos is one of the most disappointing Mega Evolutions in Pokémon GO. It’s not only outclassed by plenty of other Electric Pokémon, but it’s so underwhelming that you can’t even consider it a budget option. Something like Mega Banette may be surpassed by Mega Gengar in the Ghost meta but Mega Banette is still a fantastic attacker. That’s not the case with Mega Ampharos, where even Shadow Zebstrika does more damage.

⚡ Electric type

Mega Ampharos has a good TDO but its damage output leaves a lot to be desired. Even if you keep Shadows out of the picture, Mega Ampharos is still subpar, with Pokémon like Regieleki, Thundurus Therian, Xurkitree, Thundurus Incarnate, and Zekrom outperforming it.

Additionally, even some Electric Pokémon with slightly lower DPS than Mega Ampharos like Electivire have moves with lower cooldown. As such, they outperform Mega Ampharos with Party Power.

On the bright side, the Dragon subtyping helps Mega Ampharos resist Water-type attacks. Still, it’s just a baby Zekrom at the end of the day.

🐲 Dragon type

Mega Ampharos needs a complete Dragon-type moveset to even be considered in that role. Tragically, Dragon Pulse (in its Pokémon GO moveset) and Outrage are the only two Dragon-type moves it can learn, leaving no room for any Dragon Fast Attacks.

There’s no way this Pokémon will make a place for itself in the Dragon debate, so don’t consider investing in it for that role.

⭐ Perks

A decent counter to Water-type Raid Bosses thanks to Mega Ampharos’ resistance to Water-type attacks. In these battles, Mega Ampharos’ high TDO also keeps the Mega Boost thriving.

Ultimately, you should ideally be using Zekrom.