On Pokémon GO , the Kanto Tour starts this Saturday, February 20th. The ticketed event offers many bonuses that are somewhat opaque. We will show you how to make the most of the event.
What is the Kanto Tour? This event is somewhat comparable to the GO Fest. You purchase a ticket for 12 euros and then can take advantage of the Kanto Tour for a full 12 hours.
The event focuses exclusively on the first generation of Pokémon. All 151 monsters from the Kanto region should be available during this time.
Kanto Tour Schedule – Flow and Hour Blocks
When does the Kanto Tour run? It starts on February 20th at 9:00 AM local time. You then have 12 hours, until 9:00 PM, to make the most of the event.
During the 12 hours, monsters will appear in various hour blocks. You will find different monsters increased during each hour.
These are the hour blocks: So far, only the names of the hour blocks are known. They are oriented around the locations of the Kanto region:
- 9 AM to 10 AM: Pallet Town
- 10 AM to 11 AM: Cerulean City
- 11 AM to 12 PM: Vermilion City
- 12 PM to 1 PM: Fuchsia City
- 1 PM to 2 PM: Pokémon League
- 2 PM to 3 PM: Pallet Town
- 3 PM to 4 PM: Cerulean City
- 4 PM to 5 PM: Vermilion City
- 5 PM to 6 PM: Fuchsia City
- 6 PM to 7 PM: Pokémon League
- 7 PM to 9 PM: Pokémon from all previous hours
If the Pokémon do actually reflect these locations, one might expect, for example, that the common Pokémon will appear more frequently in Pallet Town. Monsters like Pidgey, Rattata, or Spearow appeared there.
The hours around the “Pokémon League” could become exciting because that is where the strongest monsters were in the handheld games.
From 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, you will find all Pokémon that appeared during the event again.
Features at the Kanto Tour
Look forward to these bonuses: To give you a rough overview of all the bonuses available for the Kanto Tour, we will list them here for you:
- All first-generation Pokémon are available as Shiny – meaning 9 new Shinies will be introduced
- All first-generation Pokémon can be found in the wild, in raids, quests, incense, or evolution
- There are more candies for catching Kanto Pokémon
- In total, there are 10 new collection challenges
- A new special research is available, which unlocks a masterpiece research upon completion, rewarding you with Shiny Mew at the end
This choice is yours: Before the tour starts, you can choose between the green and red editions. Depending on the edition, you can encounter different Pokémon in the wild and in incense.
An overview of all the differences can be found in this graphic:
How does it work with the Shinies? As you can see in the graphic above, there are different Pokémon per edition that have an increased Shiny chance.
How high this chance is and whether other Pokémon will also appear somewhat more frequently as Shiny is currently unclear.
In general, however, all 151 Pokémon should also be available as Shiny during the Kanto Tour.
Here’s how to get Shiny Mew: The mysterious Pokémon is only available if you complete a special research and unlock another research. Once you have completed the 2nd research, you will get Shiny Mew.
According to Niantic, the tasks there are quite tricky. One must, among other things, walk 151 kilometers. So expect that you will be stuck on the task for several days.
These are the collection challenges: In total, there are 10 collection challenges you should complete during the event. They revolve around the individual locations of the Kanto region or the following themes:
- Raid battles
- Research
- Evolution
- Incense
- Trading
You can complete these challenges until February 28 and do not have to solve them directly at the Kanto Tour.
What is available without a ticket? Even if you haven’t purchased a ticket for the Kanto Tour, there are some bonuses you can take advantage of. These include:
- Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo are available in legendary raids
- Pokémon from the Kanto region will appear in the wild and in raids
- There is a limited research for all trainers
- The trading distance has been increased to 40 kilometers
So even if you don’t invest 12 euros in the event, you can benefit from some bonuses. It is currently unknown whether trainers without a ticket will also have an increased Shiny chance for certain Pokémon.
In the past, however, there have also been some live events that cost money. For example, tickets for events around Genesect or Regigigas were sold. At those, there were items and special bonuses that only ticket holders received.
The GO Fest is usually the most well-known ticketed event in Pokémon GO. Due to the Corona crisis, this event took place individually at home for each player in 2020. Normally, a GO Fest only happens at a fixed location, where trainers then have to travel to.
Make the most of the Kanto Tour – These tips will help you
How to prepare: It is important that you secure a trading partner. You can only complete all tasks related to the Kanto Tour if you have a partner who chose the other edition. You do not need to play together with them, but it is enough if you take advantage of the 40-kilometer trading radius.
In addition, you should have enough items. Depending on your playtime, you should stock up on Poké Balls. We recommend at least 500 balls if you plan to play most of the event. Additional items, such as Lures or Incense, should also be stocked up in your inventory.
Lastly, you should sort your Pokémon box. The more space you have there, the longer you can catch Pokémon without having to sort in between. So make sure to tidy up beforehand and make space for Kanto Pokémon.
How to play the event effectively: In general, you should figure out how many hours you want to play effectively in advance. We recommend that you at least visit each location that changes hourly once. That would total 5 hours. Depending on which hour you then enjoy most, you can play that second hour again.
Ideally, you should always have an incense active. The item attracts specific Pokémon during the event that you should definitely catch. In general, using incense can help you catch more monsters and potentially bag more Shinies.
We recommend that you use the catch trick. This allows you to catch monsters significantly faster and is overall more effective and efficient.
In general, you should set routes where many Pokémon appear. It is best to also keep in mind that these routes do not run through highly trafficked areas to avoid encountering too many people.
What you shouldn’t miss: The most interesting hours will take place from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM and from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. During that time, the Pokémon League will be in focus, potentially increasing the spawn rates of the rarest Pokémon. Additionally, the time from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM is interesting. All Pokémon will appear again then. So if you wanted to take full advantage of certain areas again, you should play within these two hours.
What happens after the Kanto Tour? It is important to note that you don’t necessarily have to complete all special researches and challenges. On the Sunday after the Kanto Tour, another event related to the first generation starts, which will help you complete these researches.
An overview of all upcoming events that are yet to take place this month can be found here:
Pokémon GO: All Events in February 2021 – Which is worth it?
