Fans have been wondering, and now there is an answer: the first Legendary Pokémon will be arriving in Pokémon GO beginning this weekend. It’s all part of the Pokémon GO Fest and the global missions that tie into the event, as the popular mobile Augmented Reality sensation celebrates its first full year this July.
https://youtu.be/bvSe6pMvUjM
The first of the legendaries will hit Chicago at the GO Fest itself per the worldwide Play Together event. If catch targets are met around the world, players in Chicago’s Grant Park will have a chance to defeat Legendary Pokémon. Should those players triumph, Raid Battles may include a Legendary egg that allows players to battle and catch rarities like Lugia and Zapdos.
As Niantic explains:
As Trainers around the world go out and explore their neighborhoods in search of Pokémon and Raid Battles, they can keep an eye out for unique Legendary Eggs appearing at Gyms. If Trainers and their team are able to successfully defeat a Legendary Raid Boss, they’ll have the opportunity to catch a Legendary Pokémon of their own! While Legendary Pokémon will help them take on the toughest Raid Bosses and Gym Battles, they’re not willing to leave their Trainer’s side, so they can’t be left to defend Gyms.
On July 22, thousands of Trainers in Grant Park for Pokémon GO Fest and the millions of others around the world will be working together to unlock in-game bonuses for the entire Pokémon GO community. If they manage to catch enough Pokémon during the Pokémon GO Fest Challenge Windows, the first Legendary Pokémon will be revealed in Grant Park. If the Trainers in Chicago succeed in defeating the Legendary Pokémon, that Pokémon will start appearing in Raid Battles around the world, after Pokémon GO Fest.
If you manage to wrangle such legendary beasts, you can’t leave them at Gyms, but you can use them in Gym Battles. You will need to be level 15 in-game in order to participate in raids per the appearance of Legendaries, so prepare appropriately.
The Pokémon GO Fest takes place Saturday, July 22, where hundreds of players will descend upon the Windy City to complete various challenges and capture hard-to-find critters. Legendary Pokémon were teased in the game as far back as its reveal trailer in 2015. While the trailer shows Pokémon including Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Kanto’s Legendary Bird trio, it’s unclear which ones will actually appear to be raid battled (Mewtwo, Mew, the Legendary Beasts, and Celebi were those absent from the trailer). According to Niantic, these rewards will roll out through July 24th should players be successful.
