Pokemon GO Dark Skies overview: Best tips and tricks, hunt-worthy shinies, and more

Pokemon GO Dark Skies is the lead-up event for the GO Fest: Max Finale. It kicked off at 10 am local time on Monday, August 18, 2025, and will end at 10 am local time on Satuday, August 23, 2025. Eternatus makes its debut in the game during this period. No other new Dynamax Pocket Monsters will enter the arena, but every creature that has already been introduced will return.

This article covers all the features and bonuses of the Pokemon GO Dark Skies and tells you how to make the most out of it.

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Pokemon GO Dark Skies features and bonuses

Features

Eternatus debut

Eternatus enters the Pokemon GO arena during this event. It will be available through the GO Pass: Max Finale.

Wild spawns

• Grookey
• Scorbunny
• Sobble
• Skwovet*
• Wooloo*

Raids

1-star raids

• Sinistea

3-star raids

• Galarian Farfetch'd*
• Galarian Weezing*

5-star raids

August 18-20

• Zacian*
• Zamazenta*

August 21

• Zacian*

August 22

• Zamazenta*

Special raid hours

Thursday, August 21, 2025, 6 pm - 7 pm

• Zacian (Crowned Sword)

Friday, August 22, 2025, 6 pm - 7 pm

• Zamazenta (Crowned Shield)

Dynamax battles

Monday, August 18

• Squirtle*
• Caterpie*
• Gastly*
• Krabby*
• Shuckle*
• Sableye*
• Beldum*
• Latias*
• Latios*
• Trubbish*
• Sobble
• Hatenna

Tuesday-Wednesday, August 19-20

• Charmander*
• Omanyte*
• Kabuto*
• Articuno*
• Zapdos*
• Moltres*
• Pidove*
• Drilbur*
• Cryogonal*
• Scorbunny
• Rookidee*
• Toxtricity (Amped Form)*
• Toxtricity (Low Key Form)*

Thursday-Friday, August 21-22

• Bulbasaur*
• Machop*
• Chansey*
• Raikou*
• Entei*
• Suicune*
• Wailmer*
• Darumaka*
• Passimian*
• Grookey
• Skwovet*
• Wooloo*
• Falinks*

* - shiny available

Bonuses

• More Power Spots than usual will be active
• Power Spots will refresh daily
• Max Particle collection limit will increase to 1,600
• Remote Raid Pass limit increased to 30

Other than this, there is a Pokemon GO Dark Skies Timed Research.

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Best tips and tricks for Pokemon GO Dark Skies

To make the most of this event, do the following things:

• Participate extensively in Max Battles: Take advantage of the denser distribution of Power Spots.
• Collect all the Dynamax Pokemon you don't have: Some of the Max Battles have only been available in specific ocassions for limited times (case in point, all the legendaries). Try to catch them now if you missed the previous events.
• Invest in the GO Pass Deluxe: Max Finale: This is the best way to earn Eternatus Candy and Candy XL.

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Best shinies to look for during Pokemon GO Dark Days

• Shiny Dynamax Passimian
• Shiny Dynamax Latios and Latias
• Shiny Dynamax Rookidee
• Shiny Dynamax Raikou
• Shiny Dynamax Charmander

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In other news, Beelzeboy won the 2025 Pokemon GO World Championships.

Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

• Ditto disguises
• Buddy Evolution Adventure Together guide
• Best Fast Attacks in Pokemon GO
• Sierra counters
• Cliff counters
• Arlo counters
• Giovanni counters
• Team GO Rocket Grunts