Our big predictions for Pokémon Go Fest 2025

With Niantic confirming the dates and locations for Pokémon Go Fest 2025, we thought we would have some fun predicting what we expect to see appear at these events from May to June in the in-person and global offerings.

After all, outside of the dates and locations, Niantic hasn’t revealed any information regarding the events and what content trainers can expect. Not that that hasn’t stopped me from already looking at flights and hotels to get ahead of the curb.

So, with that in mind and eight years of playing Pokémon Go under my belt, I wanted to take a chance to predict what I expect to see at the event. Let’s see if I get it right in a few months’ time when the official information drops.

Our Pokémon Go Fest 2025 predictions

1) Arceus, Manaphy, and Phione finally make their Go debut

Considering how long Sinnoh fans have been waiting, Arceus, Manaphy, and Phione are sure to make their debut during Go Fest this year, right?

Of course, Niantic will likely hold back Arceus’ multiple forms, and trainers will only be able to get the base version. It would be great if the Shiny form would be available at the same time as Necrozma was last year.

As for Manaphy and Phione, either they will be part of the Special Research tasks at these events, or Niantic will find a way to put them behind special new Eggs that’ll likely require you to walk a long distance before the event ends to get one.

Failing the above, the flagship Pokémon will likely be something like Volcanion, Magaerna, or the missing shiny Ultra Beasts trainers have yet to grab.

2) Shiny Scatterbug makes its debut alongside Poké Ball pattern Vivillon

Scatterbug has been a part of the game for a while now, so the chance to add its Shiny form at Go Fest feels like the best time, as Niantic could give Scatterbugs caught in person at Go Fest a chance to be the rare Poké Ball pattern of Vivillon.

The Poké Ball pattern at events makes the most sense, and that way, Shiny versions of the other Scatterbugs could then appear in Postcards if a trainer was lucky. It’ll be a pain to collect them all, regardless.

Shiny Frigibax also seems like a safe bet for the token Dragon-type Shiny added in yearly Go Fest Globals.

3) More new Galar Pokémon

Galar Pokémon have only just started to appear in Pokémon Go since the end of 2024, so the chance to add more favorites from that region, including the fossil Pokémon or even the legendary Pokémon Eternatus, into raids feels like a new brainer. You could even make Eternatus’s Eternamax form appear in Max Raids local to the in-person venues.

There are so many Galar Pokémon to choose from, including Pokémon from the DLC like Urshifu and Calyrex for Niantic to pool from, on top of the other Pokémon yet to make their debut from other regions like Honedge, Type: Null, and Mimikyu that would surely delight players across the globe.

4) Paradox encounters

Honestly, this one is a bit more out of there, but if Niantic wanted to make Go Fest this year feel like a big event, they could drop a ton of Paradox Pokémon like Great Tusk, Iron Valiant, and more into the wild as rare spawns or using a new mechanic. You could have a bunch of them spawn in each of the in-person events and then drop them all in Global afterward.

I doubt this one would happen, as it is more of a personal wish to make Go Fest feel as huge as they were in the past when Niantic would do something out of the box like spawn every Legendary Pokémon into raids at the same time to welcome Hoopa, or when Ultra Beasts took over raids in 2022. I want to see something seismic like that happen again and feel Paradox Pokémon could have that effect to excite trainers globally.

5) Something Legends Z-A related

The last one feels like a given this year with a new Pokémon title on the way with Legends: Z-A, but I feel any content from Legends Z-A would either be saved for the Kalos event due to take place in early 2026, or when the game launches.

If Legends Z-A comes out during the Summer, then having a Go Fest themed around Z-A content would make a lot of sense, including some of the new Pokémon that could appear there or even dropping Mega Mewtwo and other Mega Pokémon that make their debut in the latest installment.

That’s it for my predictions, though, so what do you think will appear this year? Let us know in the comments below.