What is the mysterious Pokémon ‘Chest’ countdown and what does it mean for Scarlet and Violet or Pokémon Go?

A mysterious new Pokémon has been following players around in Pokémon Go following Dratini Community Day Classic, with many players expecting that this has something to do with an upcoming tie-in with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s release on Nov. 18. 

The Pokémon leaked prior to appearing but is still not fully obtainable in the game. Rather it appears in the overworld after players spin special Gold PokéStops and collect an item known as the “????? Coin.” But that coin isn’t only appearing in the game. 

The Pokémon Company also launched a side site simply listed as “chest” on the official Pokémon website, which originally featured a closed mystery chest, a three-pronged timer, and nothing else. This has slowly changed, as every four hours new developments seem to be happening with the website. 

What is the mysterious Pokémon ‘Chest’ countdown and what does it mean?

Originally, the timer on the website was set to 000 with a closed chest and only the number one visible beneath the image. Every four hours, something has happened on the website, and it appears that this will continue throughout the night. 

Based on data pulled from the website, the final announcement will be made at 8am CT on Nov. 6, but we still don’t know what that is since the only files hosted natively on the website are currently of the chest slowly filling up with coins—which started happening after the first two updates. 

Related: What are Gold PokéStops and what do they do in Pokémon Go?

We still don’t know what this whole mystery surrounding the coins and the new Pokémon are exactly, but we do know that this Pokémon and the coins are from the Paldea region, as the internal code revealed when it first leaked. Along with that, Professor Willow is already introducing players in Pokémon Go to Jacq, a professor from the academy players will attend in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, as they research these coins. 

Once the contents of the chest are fully revealed, players will likely learn more about this mysterious Pokémon and how it will be utilized in the newest games. However, that will have to wait until Niantic and TPC are ready to share more details—which should be very soon considering how quick this content cycle has picked up.