Image via Niantic

How to turn Hoopa Confined into Hoopa Unbound (and back) in Pokémon Go

Prison cells work both ways apparently.

Pokémon Go’s most recent season of content, Season of Mischief, is coming to an end with one final event called Mischief Unbound. 

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During the event, players can complete a new Special Research story that will unlock the ability to unleash the Mythical Pokémon Hoopa’s true power. This is done through the use of a special item, the Prison Bottle, which will release Hoopa from its Confined Form and allow it to become Hoopa Unbound.

To unlock Hoopa Unbound, players will first need to have encountered and befriended Hoopa by completing the season-long Misunderstood Mischief Special Research story that started earlier this year. Finishing that Special Research is the only method of obtaining Hoopa Confined, which is necessary for the process.

If you can’t finish the Misunderstood Mischief Special Research before the cutoff for the season on Dec. 1 at 9:59am local time, you can still purchase the new Mischief Unbound Special Research via a $4.99 ticket before that same deadline. 

Related: All Mischief Unbound Special Research tasks and rewards for Pokémon Go

This new Special Research will also help you gather many of the resources you will need to actually help Hoopa realize its full potential since transforming the Mischief Pokémon is pretty expensive. 

In total, taking Hoopa’s form from Hoopa Confined to Hoopa Unbound will cost 50 Hoopa Candy and 10,000 Stardust. 

And, don’t worry, because you can also shift Hoopa back to its Confined form from Unbound. Going back will only cost 10 Hoopa Candy and 2,000 Stardust, but these resources must be used each time a change is made.


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Cale Michael
Lead Staff Writer for Dota 2, the FGC, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and more who has been writing for Dot Esports since 2018. Graduated with a degree in Journalism from Oklahoma Christian University and also previously covered the NBA. You can usually find him writing, reading, or watching an FGC tournament.