The First Bird Pokémon Is Landing in Pokémon GO During the Catch Mastery Event!

Pokémon GO is gearing up for a busy couple of weeks with exciting events on the horizon! First up is the Catch Mastery event, a part of the larger Might and Mastery event, already underway alongside the Festival of Colors.

Catch Mastery: Archen Takes Flight!

The Catch Mastery event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time on March 16th, starring the First Bird Pokémon, Archen! Get ready for increased wild spawns of Omanyte and Kabuto, with a chance to encounter their Shiny forms. Archen itself will be available as a Field Research reward, boasting a boosted Shiny rate. Maximize your XP gains with double XP for Nice Throws or better, and for Curveball Throws.

A Timed Research task focusing on catching Rock-type Pokémon will also be available. Complete up to ten sets of tasks for a grand total of 40 Archen encounters.

Mega Absol Raid Day: Brutal Swing Arrives!

Next up is Mega Absol Raid Day on March 23rd, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. Absol is getting a powerful new Charged Attack: Brutal Swing! This move will be permanently added to Absol's arsenal after the event, dealing 55 power in Trainer Battles and 65 power in Gyms and Raids.

To help you conquer those raids, the Remote Raid Pass limit will be temporarily increased to 20 from 5:00 p.m. PDT on March 22nd to 8:00 p.m. PDT on March 23rd. You'll also be able to collect up to five additional free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs, for a total of six for the day.

Haven't joined the fun yet? Download Pokémon GO from the Google Play Store!

And for more Pokémon GO news, check out our article on the upcoming St. Patrick's Day event, "Watcher of Realms: The Four-Leaf Clover's Song."