Pokemon GO Confirms 9th Anniversary Party Bonuses and Pokemon Debuts

Trainers, mark your calendars! Pokémon GO is pulling out all the stops for its 9th Anniversary Party, promising a week-long celebration packed with exciting new Pokémon debuts, a dazzling array of bonuses, and plenty of opportunities to expand your collection. The festivities kick off on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM local time and will run until Sunday, July 6, 2025, at 8:00 PM local time. Prepare for an unforgettable experience as Niantic pulls out all the stops to commemorate nine years of global Pokémon adventures.

This anniversary event is poised to be one of the most rewarding for both seasoned veterans and new players, featuring a blend of familiar celebratory elements and fresh surprises. From the highly anticipated arrival of new costumed Pokémon to boosted Shiny odds and a chance to finally snag Shiny Gimmighoul, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Brand New Faces: Pokémon Debuts Steal the Spotlight!

The highlight of any Pokémon GO event is often the introduction of new Pokémon, and the 9th Anniversary Party delivers! Trainers can look forward to the debut of several exciting new variants:

• Party Hat Ivysaur and Party Hat Venusaur: For the first time ever, Bulbasaur’s evolutions, Ivysaur and Venusaur, will be available wearing festive party hats. This is a significant moment for Kanto region enthusiasts and costume collectors, finally allowing trainers to complete the party-hat Kanto starter evolution line.
• Gimmighoul holding a 9th Anniversary Coin: Get ready for a unique Gimmighoul variant! This special Gimmighoul will appear holding a commemorative 9th Anniversary Coin and will feature a distinct 9th anniversary-themed Special Background. While Golden Lure Modules won’t attract this specific Gimmighoul, it will be available through Field Research and Timed Research.
• Shiny Gimmighoul DEBUT!: This is the big one! For the first time in Pokémon GO, the elusive Shiny Gimmighoul will be making its highly anticipated global debut during this event. This means Trainers might finally have a chance to add the gleaming gold Coin Chest Pokémon to their Shiny Living Dex. The regular Roaming Gimmighoul will also have its Shiny form available, as will the special 9th Anniversary Coin variant. This is a major opportunity for collectors and a fantastic value addition to the event.

In addition to these exciting debuts, Trainers will have increased chances to encounter Shiny Pikachu wearing a cake hat and Shiny Eevee wearing a party hat from raids. These popular costumed Shiny Pokémon are always a welcome sight and add an extra layer of excitement to raid battles.

A Festival of Bonuses: Maximize Your Progress!

What’s a party without gifts? Pokémon GO’s 9th Anniversary brings a generous suite of bonuses to help trainers accelerate their progress and enjoy the game even more:

• Increased Chance for Lucky Friends: Your chances of becoming Lucky Friends with your in-game buddies will be significantly boosted. This is perfect for those highly desirable Lucky Trades that guarantee strong Pokémon with optimized stats.
• Increased Chance for Lucky Pokémon in Trades: Similarly, the likelihood of a Pokémon becoming Lucky when traded will be higher. This synergizes perfectly with the Lucky Friend bonus, providing fantastic opportunities to acquire powerful Pokémon.
• Faster Friendship Level Increase: Opening Gifts, trading Pokémon, and battling together in raids, Gyms, or Trainer Battles will all contribute to faster increases in your Friendship Levels. This is ideal for quickly reaching Great, Ultra, and Best Friend status to unlock further benefits.
• PokéStops May Turn Gold Without a Golden Lure Module: This is a rare and exciting bonus! Normally, Golden PokéStops only appear with a Golden Lure Module. During the event, there’s a chance they’ll appear naturally, offering a unique opportunity for extra items and potentially more Gimmighoul Coins.
• Increased Gimmighoul Coin Drops: Spinning PokéStops with a Golden Lure Module will have an increased chance of yielding 9 or 99 (or even more!) Gimmighoul Coins, essential for evolving Gimmighoul into Gholdengo.

Beyond these overarching event bonuses, there are also special limited-time bonuses that will rotate throughout the week, encouraging daily engagement:

• July 1 at 10:00 AM – July 3 at 10:00 AM local time: Enjoy 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator on these days. Hatch those valuable 10km eggs in half the time!
• July 3 at 10:00 AM – July 5 at 10:00 AM local time: Earn 2x XP for catching Pokémon. This is the perfect window to use Lucky Eggs and power-level your Trainer.
• July 5 at 10:00 AM – July 6 at 8:00 PM local time: Receive 2x Stardust for catching Pokémon. Stock up on this crucial resource for powering up your Pokémon and trading.

Wild Encounters, Raids, and Research Galore!

The wild will be teeming with party-themed Pokémon during the anniversary event. Keep an eye out for increased spawns of Party Hat Bulbasaur, Party Hat Charmander, and Party Hat Squirtle. These Kanto starters, especially the Party Hat variants, will be excellent candidates for catching and evolving. Interestingly, you may also discover party hats in the wild, tapping on which will award items or encounters with event-themed Pokémon.

One-star raids will feature Cake Hat Pikachu and Party Hat Eevee, both with an increased chance of being Shiny. This offers a more accessible way to hunt for these desirable Shiny forms.

As expected, a variety of Field Research tasks will be available, offering rewards such as items and encounters with event-themed Pokémon, including the elusive Gimmighoul holding a 9th anniversary coin.

Furthermore, a free Timed Research opportunity will provide XP, Stardust, and encounters with Pokémon like Party Hat Bulbasaur, Party Hat Wobbuffet, and Gimmighoul holding a 9th anniversary coin. For those willing to invest, a paid Timed Research ticket for US$1.99 will grant access to exclusive rewards including a Super Incubator, a Max Mushroom, and another encounter with the special Gimmighoul.

Finally, for the most dedicated trainers, the Masterwork Research: Wish Granted story will be accessible for US$4.99. This epic research journey culminates in an encounter with the Mythical Pokémon Shiny Jirachi! As an added bonus, Trainers who purchase this Masterwork Research or have it active will also enjoy 2x Incense duration, 2x Daily Adventure Incense duration, and 2x Lucky Egg duration throughout the anniversary event. This offers a significant boost to progress for those tackling this long-term challenge.

Collectibles and Community Engagement

No anniversary is complete without new collectibles! Event-themed stickers will be available from spinning PokéStops, opening Gifts, and purchasing from the in-game shop. New avatar items, including Team Valor, Mystic, and Instinct GO Wristbands, will also be available for purchase in the shop, allowing trainers to show off their team pride.

The Pokémon GO Web Store is also getting in on the action with the “9th Anniversary Party Ultra Ticket Box” for US$4.99, featuring a Timed Research ticket, early access to a Party Hat avatar item, and other useful in-game items. Shopping on the web store also nets trainers double Reward Points on eligible purchases, a nice incentive for those looking to maximize their value.

The 9th Anniversary Party promises to be a vibrant and rewarding event for the entire Pokémon GO community. With highly anticipated Pokémon debuts, a plethora of valuable bonuses, and engaging research tasks, trainers have every reason to log in daily and celebrate nine incredible years of catching ’em all! So charge your phones, stock up on Poké Balls, and get ready for a week of unparalleled fun in the world of Pokémon GO!