Pokémon Go’s Adamant Time event is great for new players—but a miss for Dialga enjoyers

Niantic has released new information about one of December’s Pokémon Go events, Adamant Time—and it is nothing like players were expecting. Instead of focusing on Pokémon tied to time like Dialga, it is a throwback event aimed at “taking a trip back” to 2016 and the Kanto region. From Dec. 11 to 15, a number of Pokémon that were featured as common spawns when Pokémon Go first launched in 2016 like Ponyta and Krabby will be found more frequently in the wild. Ponyta, Krabby, Vulpix, and Voltorb will all have increased Shiny odds during the event, too.

Other Pokémon like Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle will also have boosted encounter rates, while Dratini is a rare spawn. If you are looking for a Ditto, it could also appear as a few new Pokémon, with Oddish, Koffing, Rhyhorn, and Goldeen now in its transformation pool. All players will get triple XP for any Pokémon caught and the guaranteed number of Lucky Pokémon a trainer can receive via trade will increase from 15 to 25 starting on Dec. 11.

The main focus of this event, alongside the Kanto throwback, is “catching up.” Seasonal Timed Research that rewards players who reach levels 10, 20, 30, and 40 throughout the Timeless Travels season will go live during this event. A seasonal Special Research where players partner up with Professor Willow on an expedition regarding the legends of the Hisui region will also be available during this event and beyond. Along with that, a set of event-themed Timed Research centered on adding more friends is dropping.

Overall, the Adamant Time event seems like a great way for players who have started playing Pokémon Go in the last few years to get an experience somewhat tailored to recreate the 2016 launch era of the game. It will give them a chance to catch Pokémon from Kanto that might not be appearing as frequently as they used to while also getting rewarded for their time through new research and rewards. “I’m seeing basically a new player event. There’s nothing here for anyone who’s actually played consistently since 2016, unless it’s a shiny you might have missed,” Reddit user MommotDe said.

That means some veteran players might be disappointed in this event unless they are looking to train up or Shiny hunt specific Pokémon like Rhyhorn or the Kanto starters. It is a double bummer for those fans who looked at the Adamant Time name paired with the Hisuian seasonal theme and expected a time-centric event featuring Dialga. “LOL, Kanto again. LOL at the clickbait event name,” Reddit user MarkusEF said.

Those players will have to wait until later this season when Go Tour: Sinnoh brings more Gen VI content—and potentially adds Origin Forms for both Dialga and Palkia.