When is the Pokémon Go Test Your Mettle event?

A new event in Pokémon Go’s Season of Light is bringing Celesteela, Kartana, Mega Aggron, and Togedemaru to the mobile game for the first time. 

Test Your Mettle, which runs for a few days in September 2022, is all about Steel-type Pokémon and the challenges they can allow their trainers to overcome. As usual, players will also find event bonuses, new encounters in Eggs, Raids, and the wild, new Field Research tasks, and an exclusive Timed Research.

Both Ultra Beasts Celesteela and Kartana are available in five-star raids during the event, but there is a catch: you will probably not be able to catch them both yet unless you have a long international trip planned for this month. The Launch Pokémon is emerging only from Southern Hemisphere Ultra Wormholes, while the Drawn Sword Pokémon is exclusive to the Northern Hemisphere. Mega Raids have a new boss in Mega Aggron, a special form of Aron’s final evolution, who is also debuting in the game. And Steel-type Pokémon are taking over all levels of raids: you can find Magneton, Skarmory, Mawile, and Lairon in three-star raids, and Scyther, Beldum, Shieldon, Klink, and Togedemaru in one-star raids.

Togedemaru, the Roly-Poly Pokémon, is making its Pokémon Go debut in September 2022. In addition to one-star raids, it can be found in the wild, as a Field Research task reward, and as a Timed Research reward. Mega Energy for Steelix, Scizor, and Aggron will also be available as a reward from research tasks (Field Research for the former two and Timed Research for the latter). As special bonuses, catching Pokémon with Nice Throws, Great Throws, and Excellent Throws during the event will grant you more Candy and is more likely to grant Candy XL. 

When does the Pokémon Go Test Your Mettle event start and end?

Most of the Test Your Mettle event will run for exactly six days, starting on Friday, Sept. 16, and ending on Wednesday, Sept. 21. That includes all the wild encounters, event bonuses, new Egg hatches, exclusive Field Research tasks, and exclusive Timed Research. The event starts at 10am local time on Sept. 16 and ends at 8pm local time on Sept. 21.

But the raids are getting a head start: the new raid bosses, including debuting Ultra Beasts Celesteela and Kartana, will be active for two entire weeks, from Sept. 13 to 27. That likely means the two of them will be featured in the Raid Hours taking place on Sept. 14 and Sept. 21, in their respective hemispheres.