Pokemon GO Season of Hidden Gems Guide: Events, New Pokemon, GO Fest, and More

A new season has begun in Pokemon GO: The Season of Hidden Gems! This season runs from June 1 until September 1, and brings with it a ton of new features, including major events like GO Fest 2023, new Pokemon like Diancie, and a lot more.

Check back as this hub will be updated frequently throughout the Season of Hidden Gems. We'll have all the info on new Pokemon, ongoing events, bonuses, and everything else you need to know throughout the season.

Bonuses

There are a few ongoing bonuses for the Season of Hidden Gems, most of which relate to trading.

• All Trainers can make one extra Special Trade per day
• All Trainers will earn an additional Candy for every trade
• Trainers Level 31 and up will receive a guaranteed +1 Candy XL when trading
• The increase to Remote Raid damage will now be permanent. Pokemon raiding remotely will deal the same damage as Pokemon raiding in-person

New Features and Information

As the season goes on, there will be occasional news and updates from the Pokemon GO team. Here's everything announced so far.

Shadow Raids

A new type of Raid is now available, with Shadow Pokemon serving as the Raid Bosses. By battling Team GO Rocket members and fighting in Shadow Raids, players can find Shadow Shards. Combine four Shadow Shards with Pokemon Willow to create a Purified Gem, which can be used to weaken a Shadow Raid Boss before fighting it.

More info: Pokemon GO: How to Get and Use Shadow Shards and Purified Gems

Web Store

Niantic has opened an online store, simply called the Web Store. Players can purchase bundles and items for their game, including PokeCoins. The Web Store is not yet available in every region, but can be accessed here.

Style Page Update

The Trainer style page has been updated. Now, players can preview multiple items at once and even save whole outfits for later use! The entire Style page has had a visual overhaul and is now easier to use.

New Pokemon

A few new Pokemon have been announced for the Season of Hidden Gems, debuting in Pokemon GO for the first time. Here's who we've seen so far:

• Sandygast and Palossand (debuted for Beach Week in June)
• Carbink (debuting in GO Fest in August)
• Diancie (debuting in GO Fest in August)

We have a full guide to a complete Pokedex and how many Pokemon it contains. We update it whenever new Pokemon debut, so click here to check how your Pokedex stacks up, and to see a list of the most recently-added Pokemon in Pokemon GO!

Major Events

Most major events are not detailed until shortly before their start time, but we do know the dates for various events, as well as some of their details. Additionally, this section will contain all the info you need on upcoming Community Day dates, Spotlight and Raid hours, and GO Fest 2023.

Current Ongoing Event(s)

Water Festival: Beach Week

The annual Water Festival returns, this time with the debut of Sandygast and Palossand. This event runs from June 6 at 10am to June 12 at 8pm. Here are the guides for the event, with everything you need to know:

• Event Guide (Field Research, Spawns, and more)
• How to Catch Sandygast and Palossand
• Lake Guardian Raid Guide (Mesprit, Uxie, Azelf)
• Mega Swampert Raid Guide

Community Day Dates and Pokemon

All of the dates for the Season of Hidden Gems' Community Days have been revealed, but the featured Pokemon have not. We'll fill out this section as the announcements are made, so check back.

GO Fest 2023

The biggest Pokemon GO event of the year, GO Fest, is coming this August. The event will have in-person dates in London, UK, New York, USA, and Osaka, Japan, as well as a global event at the end of the month.

Many details have been released, with the most exciting being:

• The debut of the Mythical Pokemon Diancie and its relative, Carbink
• The worldwide availability of typically-regional Pokemon Heracross, East Sea Shellos, and West Sea Shellos
  • Pachirisu and Carnivine will spawn on Incense for ticket-holders

• Nine Raid Passes from spinning Gyms per day

Tickets are now on sale in the in-game shop, and Niantic will announce more info in the coming days.

For the full post from Niantic, check here.

Spotlight Hours

Spotlight Hours are announced month-by-month, meaning we only have information on June's at the moment. Here are the dates, featured Pokemon, and bonuses:

Raid Hours

Like Spotlight Hours, Raid Hours are only known on a month-by-month basis. The Lake Guardians will hang around for two weeks, before the return of Nihilego, which will be available shiny for the first time.

Research Breakthrough Rewards

During the Season of Hidden Gems, the following Pokemon may be encountered as Research Breakthrough rewards:

*Goomy's shiny will debut during GO Fest in August

Pokemon Spawns and Biomes

Biomes around the world will feature certain Pokemon during the Season of Hidden Gems.

Egg Hatches

The contents of eggs picked up during the Season of Hidden Gems are as follows!

GO Battle League Info

The GBL will have a new rotation of special cups, events, and rewards as part of the Season of Hidden Gems. We'll give a quick rundown of the major goings-on, but be sure to check Niantic's post for the nitty-gritty details.

Standard Leagues

Here are the dates for the standard league rotations:

GBL Special Cups

*Niantic's GBL announcement for this season did not include the details of the Jungle Cup: Little Edition. However, this cup has run in the past and had the following rules: Pokemon over 500 CP are not permitted; only Normal-, Grass-, Electric-, Poison-, Ground-, Flying-, Bug-, and Dark-type Pokemon are allowed.

GBL Events

So far, two GBL events have been announced.

GO Battle Weekend: Clay - July 1 at midnight to July 2 at 11:59pm.

• Free Timed Research will reward the Clay-Style Hat
• Paid Timed Research will reward Stardust
• Maximum sets per day will be increased to 20
• 4x Stardust from win rewards (but not end-of-set rewards)

Pokemon GO World Championships - August 11 to August 15

• Full details, including start and end times, have not been announced yet