Pokémon GO’s next season is here, and it carries more weight than most. Memories in Motion is the game’s 22nd season and arrives as the official runup to Pokémon GO’s tenth anniversary. Beyond the celebratory framing, this season introduces some of the most significant structural changes Niantic has made to how the game runs day to day, from brand new daily bonus systems to a complete overhaul of how events are delivered. Whether you are a returning Trainer or a daily player, there is a lot to take stock of before March 3 arrives.
When Does Memories in Motion Start and End?
| Detail | Date and Time |
| Season Start | Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM local time |
| Season End | Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at 10:00 AM local time |
| GO Battle League Season 26 Start | Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 1:00 PM PST (GMT -8) |
Memories in Motion lasts exactly three months and runs fully in your local timezone, so there is no need to convert times unless you are tracking GO Battle League specifically.
How Pokémon GO Events Are Changing This Season
One of the biggest shifts in Memories in Motion is not about Pokémon at all. Niantic is changing how events are structured and delivered across the board, and these changes apply from this season onwards.
| Change | What It Means |
| Event pacing | Events will follow a more regular and predictable schedule |
| Weekend events move to Saturdays | All weekend events now take place on Saturdays, local time |
| Paid tickets replaced by GO Passes | Events will move away from paid tickets and use event-based GO Passes instead |
| Spotlight Hours discontinued | Weekly Spotlight Hours no longer run. Daily Discoveries and Wednesday Raid Hour fill that weekly rhythm going forward |
| In-game event calendar | A calendar showing upcoming events will be added to the game later this season |
The shift from paid tickets to GO Passes is particularly notable for players who regularly buy event access. The GO Pass system introduces both a free progression track and a paid GO Pass Deluxe tier priced at $4.99, which offers upgraded rewards and faster progression through the premium track. The removal of Spotlight Hours is equally significant since those weekly bonus spawn windows were a fixture for players grinding Candy and Stardust. Daily Discoveries and Wednesday Raid Hour now cover that weekly structure instead.
Daily Discoveries: A New Bonus Every Day of the Week
Memories in Motion introduces Daily Discoveries, a system where each day of the week carries its own dedicated bonus. These run from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM local time every week throughout the season, though they will not be active during global GO Fest, GO Wild Area, or GO Tour events.
| Day | Daily Discovery Bonus |
| Monday | 2x GO Points from Pass Tasks. Power Spots refresh more frequently and additional Power Spots activate. Max Battles rotate to feature different Dynamax Pokémon. (Max Battles active 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM local time) |
| Tuesday | PokéStop Showcases activate with up to 20 different categories |
| Wednesday | Five-star and Mega Raid Bosses rotate at the start of the day. Raid Hour runs from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM local time |
| Thursday | Up to 4x Stardust from GO Battle League win rewards. Maximum daily sets increase from 5 to 10, for up to 50 battles total |
| Friday | Up to 2 Special Trades. Increased Lucky Trade chance. Up to -10% Stardust cost for trades. 2 guaranteed Candy XL from trades for Trainers level 31 and above. (In-person trades only) |
| Sunday | Incense and all Lure Module types last up to twice as long |
Saturday is the only day without a Daily Discovery bonus, which aligns with the new policy of running weekend events on Saturdays. So while you will not have a passive daily bonus, Saturdays will frequently carry the season’s major events instead.
The Shiny Pokémon Rule Change
Memories in Motion introduces a meaningful update to how Shiny Pokémon appear in the wild. From this season forward, any evolved Pokémon that has already had its Shiny debut in Pokémon GO can appear as a Shiny in wild encounters. Previously, evolved forms were largely limited to specific event windows, so this opens up more consistent Shiny hunting opportunities throughout the season.
On top of that, Niantic confirmed the following increased Shiny rates for the season:
- Pokémon encountered from Raid Battles have an increased Shiny chance compared to wild encounters
- Pokémon hatched from Eggs have an increased Shiny chance compared to wild encounters
- Shadow Pokémon rescued from Team GO Rocket can be Shiny if their Shiny form has debuted
- Shadow Pokémon from Team GO Rocket Leaders and Giovanni have a higher Shiny chance than those rescued from Grunts
New Pokémon Arriving in Memories in Motion
Memories in Motion brings several new Pokémon debuts to Pokémon GO. Here is every confirmed new addition:
| Pokémon | Generation | Type | Notes |
| Gigantamax Pikachu | Gen 1 | Electric | Uses G-Max Volt Crash |
| Blipbug | Gen 8 | Bug | Pre-evolved form of Dottler and Orbeetle |
| Dottler | Gen 8 | Bug / Psychic | Middle evolution |
| Orbeetle | Gen 8 | Bug / Psychic | Has a Gigantamax form |
| Flittle | Gen 9 | Psychic | Evolves into Espathra |
| Espathra | Gen 9 | Psychic | Evolution of Flittle |
| Orthworm | Gen 9 | Steel | Known as a Titan Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet |
Special Research: Pressure Rising and Volcanion
A free Special Research story called Pressure Rising goes live on March 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM local time and is available to all Trainers at no cost. It does not expire, so you can complete it at your own pace throughout the season and beyond.
To access Pressure Rising, you need to complete the Glitz and Glam Special Research first. Completing Pressure Rising rewards an encounter with the Mythical Pokémon Volcanion.
Prep Tip: If you have not finished Glitz and Glam yet, complete it before March 3, 2026. Pressure Rising will not become accessible until Glitz and Glam is done, so finishing it ahead of the season start means you can jump straight into the new quest on day one.
However, if you already caught Volcanion through the GO Fest 2025 exclusive Special Research, completing Pressure Rising will reward you with Volcanion Candy instead.
Community Day Dates for Memories in Motion
| Date | Event |
| Saturday, March 14, 2026 | March Community Day (Scorbunny) |
| Saturday, April 11, 2026 | April Community Day |
| Saturday, May 9, 2026 | May Community Day |
| Saturday, May 16, 2026 | May Community Day Classic |
All Community Days now fall on Saturdays in line with the new event scheduling policy introduced this season.
March Event Schedule and Raid Lineup
March 2026 Events
| Dates | Event |
| March 3 to March 9 | Unannounced event |
| March 10 to March 16 | Unannounced event |
| Saturday, March 14 | Scorbunny Community Day |
| March 17 to March 23 | Bug Out |
| Saturday, March 21 | Research Day |
| Saturday, March 28 | Max Battle Day |
| March 31 to April 6 | Unannounced event |
March Five-Star Raid Bosses
| Dates | Raid Boss |
| March 4 to March 10 | Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres |
| March 11 to March 17 | Zacian (Hero of Many Battles) |
| March 18 to March 24 | Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles) |
| March 25 to March 31 | Regieleki |
March Mega Evolution Lineup
| Dates | Mega Pokémon |
| March 4 to March 10 | Mega Pinsir |
| March 11 to March 17 | Mega Steelix |
| March 18 to March 24 | Mega Slowbro |
| March 25 to March 31 | Mega Houndoom |
Max Monday Lineup for March
| Date | Dynamax Pokémon |
| Monday, March 2 | Dynamax Rookidee |
| Monday, March 9 | Dynamax Pikachu |
| Monday, March 16 | Dynamax Falinks |
| Monday, March 23 | Dynamax Regice |
| Monday, March 30 | Dynamax Woobat |
Egg Pool Changes for Memories in Motion
| Egg Type | Pokémon Hatching |
| 2 km | Dunsparce, Wimpod, Tadbulb |
| 5 km | Sizzlipede, Snom, Fidough |
| 5 km Adventure Sync | Chingling, Happiny, Audino |
| 7 km (from Gifts) | Galarian Meowth, Galarian Corsola, Galarian Zigzagoon |
| 7 km (from Routes) | Hisuian Growlithe, Galarian Slowpoke, White-Striped Basculin |
| 10 km | Deino, Honedge, Impidimp |
| 10 km Adventure Sync | Goomy, Turtonator, Toxel |
Research Breakthrough Pokémon
Completing Field Research tasks to unlock a Research Breakthrough during Memories in Motion gives you a random encounter with one of the following Pokémon:
Gyarados, Honedge, Dhelmise, Sinistea, Duraludon, and Dreepy
Gyarados, Honedge, Dhelmise, Sinistea, and Duraludon all have a chance to appear as Shiny versions if you are lucky.
GO Battle League: Season 26 Schedule
GO Battle League Season 26 runs alongside Memories in Motion and begins on March 3, 2026 at 1:00 PM PST. Here is the full rotation of leagues and cups throughout the season.
| Dates | Leagues and Cups |
| March 4 to March 11 | Great League + Kanto Cup: Great League Edition |
| March 11 to March 18 | Ultra League + Spring Cup: Great League Edition |
| March 18 to March 25 | Master League + Jungle Cup: Great League Edition (4x Stardust) |
| March 25 to April 1 | Great / Ultra / Master League (4x Stardust) |
| April 1 to April 8 | Great League + Electric Cup: Great League Edition |
| April 8 to April 15 | Ultra League + Fantasy Cup: Great League Edition |
| April 15 to April 22 | Master League + Spring Cup: Great League Edition (4x Stardust) |
| April 22 to April 29 | Great / Ultra / Master League (4x Stardust) |
| April 29 to May 6 | Great League + Fantasy Cup: Great League Edition |
| May 6 to May 13 | Ultra League + Jungle Cup: Great League Edition |
| May 13 to May 20 | Master League + Catch Cup: Memories in Motion (4x Stardust) |
| May 20 to May 27 | Great / Ultra / Master League (4x Stardust) |
| May 27 to June 3 | Great / Ultra / Master League (4x Stardust) |
Note on the Catch Cup: Only Pokémon caught between March 3 and June 2, 2026 are eligible for the Catch Cup: Memories in Motion edition.
Season 26 Rank-Up Encounters
Players can encounter the following Pokémon once per season at specific rank milestones: Pidgeot, Pancham, Togetic, Honedge, Dreepy, and Pikachu Libre. Any of these may appear as Shiny if you are lucky.
Avatar Items: Blue-Inspired Rewards
Trainers who climb the GO Battle League ranks earn avatar items inspired by Blue from Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!
| Rank | Reward |
| Ace | Shoes inspired by Blue |
| Veteran | Pants inspired by Blue |
| Expert | Top and bag inspired by Blue |
| Legend | Pose inspired by Blue |
Extra Features Arriving This Season
Memories in Motion also brings a set of smaller but notable additions that tie into the game’s tenth anniversary celebrations.
| Feature | Details |
| “What’s Your Favorite?” Camera | A new in-game camera feature that lets you take a photo with your favourite Pokémon and share it with friends. Designed as part of the tenth anniversary celebrations |
| Themed Stickers | Memories in Motion stickers are available by spinning PokéStops, opening Gifts, and purchasing them from the in-game shop |
| Web Store Seasonal Boxes | New boxes are available on the Pokémon GO Web Store throughout the season, including a Remote Raid Pass, a Max Particle Pack bundle, and Pokémon Storage expansions. The Web Store refreshes regularly so it is worth checking back |
You can visit the Pokémon GO Web Store directly at pokemongolive.com to see the current box offerings.
Season-Long Bonuses
These bonuses apply throughout the entire Memories in Motion season, regardless of which events are running:
- Increased XP and Stardust for completing a seven-day Pokémon catch streak
- Increased XP for completing a seven-day PokéStop spin streak
- One additional Candy when trading Pokémon in-person
- One guaranteed Candy XL from in-person trades for Trainers at level 31 and above
Official Links
| Detail | Link |
| Season Page | pokemongolive.com/en/seasons/memories-in-motion |
| GO Battle League Page | pokemongolive.com/news/go-battle-league-memories-in-motion |
| Season Trailer | Available on the official Pokémon GO YouTube channel |
| Web Store | Pokemon Go Web Store section |
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