Pokemon GO Sparring Partners Raid Day: Date, time, event bonuses, and more

Sparring Partners Raid Day sees Mega Heracross appear more frequently as Mega Raid Boss for three hours during the day's proceedings. Apart from that, trainers will also encounter Hariyama and Scraggy in GO Raids. Furthermore, the event features a paid ticket, a new attack availability update, free Timed Research, and more.

This article provides all available updates regarding the day's event in Pokemon GO.

Pokemon GO Sparring Partners Raid Day event overview

Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game

Date, time, and event bonuses

Sparring Partners Raid Day takes place on Sunday, April 13, 2025, from 2 pm to 5 pm local time. The event bonuses are:

The Remote Raid Pass limit will increase to 20 from Saturday, April 12, at 5 pm to Sunday, April 13, 2025, at 8 pm PDT.
Receive up to five additional free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs (for a total of six).
Increased chance of encountering Shiny Heracross, Hariyama, and Scraggy from Raids.

Featured Pokemon and attack availability updates

Mega Heracross (shiny variant available) will spawn in Mega Raids in Pokemon GO gyms. Hariyama (shiny variant available) and Scraggy (shiny variant available) will spawn frequently in raids.

Also read: Best counters to Mega Heracross raids in Pokemon GO: Weaknesses, Shiny odds, 100% CP, and more

With Sparring Partners Raid Day, Heracross can learn the Charged Attack Upper Hand. The move's official details are:

Trainer Battles: 70 power and a chance to lower the opposing Pokémon’s Defense by one stage
Gyms and raids: 50 power

Event Ticket and Timed Research

Pokemon GO trainers can pick up the Sparring Partners Raid Day Event Ticket for $4.99. It will be active on Sunday, April 13, 2025, from 2 pm to 5 pm local time, with the following bonuses:

Eight additional Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs (for a daily total of 14)
Increased chance to get Rare Candy XL from Raid Battles
50% more XP from Raid Battles
2× Stardust from Raid Battles

Also read: Is Pokemon GO Sparring Partners Raid Day ticket worth purchasing?

The event will also introduce a free Timed Research event with the following tasks and rewards:

Sparring Partners Raid Day Timed Research: Step 1 of 1

Win a raid - 2000x Stardust
Win 2 raids - 2000x Stardust
Win 3 raids - 2000x Stardust
Win 4 raids - 2000x Stardust
Win 5 raids - 2000x Stardust
Rewards: 10x Kubfu Candy, 2x Kubfu Candy XL

Also read: Pokemon GO Sparring Partners Raid Day overview: Best tips and tricks

Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

About the author

Angshuman is an Assistant Content Manager, Gaming, at Sportskeeda with a specialized focus on Pokemon. While completing his Master's degree in English Literature, Angshuman's research topics primarily included the many facets of game studies. That, along with his love for the medium which he believes to be the pinnacle of storytelling, led him to become a writer in the genre.

Angshuman prefers both solo and multiplayer titles on PC and PS5. His love for gaming stemmed from playing Bounce and God of War on mobile phones, and on to Age of Empires and Zoo Tycoon on PC. If he ever wished to convert a gaming cynic into a admirer, he would recommend indie games because of their versatility and their ability to be unaffected by genre-stifling publisher expectations.

Angshuman has interviewed several indie game developers in his career, spoken at many conferences, and contributed to book chapters. In his capacity to create highly accurate content, he thoroughly researches a topic, tracks citations until he finds the original source, and ensures his content doesn't misrepresent, misquote, or appropriate information.

In his spare time, Angshuman enjoys story writing, shooting landscapes and short films, reading, and painting.

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Edited by Dinesh Renthlei