Major Pokemon GO events and more happening in May 2025

Time of India

26-04-2025

(Image via Niantic)
May 2025 is shaping up to be the thrilling month for the Pokémon GO trainers. It is going to keep all busy with evolution-focused events, global celebrations, and limited-time raids. From the debut of some long-awaited Pokémon to the exclusive Mega
Raid
Days, here is everything you must know so as not to miss a single catch.
Growing Up Event (May 2-7)
If you want to evolve Wimpod,
Magikarp
, or Swablu, the event is a golden chance. For 6 days, you will get to earn double XP and Candy to hatch the eggs. You will also get boosted Shiny odds for the species. The wild spawns will be featuring the high-candy evolutions. So, stock up as and when you can.
Do not miss Collection Challenges. To complete them, nets some extra rewards. If you have been sitting on the Magikarp Candy pile, now is the time to finally get the
Gyarados
or add the Altaria to the roaster.
For the collectors, this time-specific event will also introduce the Egg-exclusive Pokémon apart from the Field Research tasks, rewarding the Rare Candies. So, stock up on the Pinap Berries and clear the Egg inventory, as the week is all about efficiency.
Mega Kangaskhan Raid Day (May 3): 3 hours to shine
The Mega Kangaskhan is making a return for the limited-time Raid Day between 2 PM and 5 PM. This will be your shot at the Shiny variant or the perfect IV. The raid passes will be crucial as Niantic is lifting the Remote Raid limits, temporarily. So, team up if needed, but do not miss.
However, the Mega action is not going to stop there, as more Pokémon will be featured. Like,
May 1 and May 12, 2025- Mega Houndoom
May 12 and May 25, 2025- Mega Gyarados
May 25 to June 3, 2025- Mega Altaria
All the 3 Pokémon can be encountered as the Shinies. So, give priority to the raids to bolster the Mega collection.
The Shadow Raid enthusiasts will get the fix, too. The upcoming weekends will pit the trainers against the Shadow Regirock. It will require strategic teamwork to conquer. Make optimal encounters, and do not forget to purify for the powerful Regirock addition.
Pro tip:
The stomp attack of Mega Kangaskhan is brutal in the PvP. So, catching the strong one will give you the edge in the battles.
Crown Clash (May 10-18)
Kingambit, the Big Blade fierce Pokémon, is finally making its debut. However, there is a twist as you will need to evolve the Bisharp under some special conditions, likely involving the wins in the battles against the Bisharp leaders. Pawniard spawns will be skyrocketing. So, farm the candies while you can.
The event will further introduce the crown-wearing Nidoking and Nidoqueen. It will also introduce some bonuses and themed raids. Additionally, the Collection Challenges net the rare items like Star Pieces and Fast TMs. The timed research and Raid bonuses round out the event, making it ideal for competitive battlers and also casual players.
Note:
If you love the Steep and Dark types, this will be the must-grind event.
Suicune Max Battle Weekend (May 10-11)
Suicune will get the Dynamax form, and the trainers can battle it in the special raids, all throughout the weekend. The Shiny hunters must take note, as this is your best shot to get Shiny Suicune with the boosted odds. Also, the signature move of Suicune, Nature's Madness, is about to make its debut, too, making it the must-catch for PvP enthusiasts. Pair it with Lake Trio's return in the region-locked raids that will start May 12, and the raid calendar will remain packed.
The free Timed Research would offer you some extra rewards, quite likely, such as TMs and Rare Candy. Make sure to stock up on the Max Revives; the Water-type beast hit quite hard. Also, team up or use the Remote Raid passes. The latter's limit would be temporarily increased for the event.
Legendary & Mega Raid Schedule, Spotlight Hours and More
The May 2025 are completely stacked with,
May 1–12:
Tapu Fini
, with Nature's Madness move
May 6- Furfrou spotlight hour will offer 2× Catch Candy
May 11- Community Day will come with some unannounced species
May 12–25: Azelf (American regions), Mesprit (EMEA/India regions), and Uxie (Asia-Pacific regions)
May 13- Sandygast spotlight hour will offer 2× Transfer Candy
May 17- on Shadow Raid Day, you can expect the rare Shadow Pokémon
May 20- Poochyena spotlight hour will offer 2× Evolve XP
May 24- Community Day Classic will give the fan-favorite throwback
May 25- Gigantamax Machamp Max Battle Day will come with Dynamax-focused battles
May 26–June 3: Tapu Bulu with the Nature's Madness move
May 29- Golett spotlight hour will offer 2× Catch Stardust
The Mega Raids rotate between Gyarados, Altaria, and Houndoom, all with the Shiny potential. The Shadow Raid fans can hunt the Shadow Regirock on the weekends. Meanwhile, the Max Mondays (6:00–7:00 PM) even spotlight Dynamax Pokémon like the Grookey and Rookidee. The hourly windows are just perfect to farm the Candy or to hunt the high-IV specimens.
While Niantic keeps a lot of details under wraps, past trends suggest the pseudo-legendary or the starter Pokémon for the CD.
Go Fest 2025 hype begins
While the Go Fest global event is not until June, the month of May marks the last full prep month. The early ticket buyers who got them before April 15 even received the bonus Timed Research that featured Skiddo.
Even Volcanion will make its debut during GO Fest. However, only the ticket holders will be able to catch it. So, if you are attending in-person events held in Jersey City, Paris, or Osaka, start planning the trip now.
As for May 2025, it is one of the busiest months yet for Pokémon GO. Between the debut of Kingambi, the Dynamax form of Suicune, and the GO Fest prep, there is no downtime. Give priority to candy farming during the Growing Up event, Mega Kangaskhan raids, held on May 3, and Legendary raids (Tapu Fini/Bulu, Lake Trio).
Whether you are chasing the Shiny or hunting Legendaries, May 2025 will be the best one for you. Happy hunting!