Paldea Adventure: Event & Rewards Guide

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The first event in Pokémon GO for December 2025 is called “Journey to Paldea.” This event introduces new Pokémon, Raid Bosses, and special rewards for participating in different activities. During the event, you can complete Special Research tasks and catch featured Pokémon to add new creatures to your collection — some of which are appearing for the first time. Since the event is only available for a limited time, it’s best to take advantage of every opportunity to participate for the best results.

Just like previous events, Journey to Paldea kicks off with some ongoing bonuses. While the event runs, you’ll earn twice the amount of experience points from winning Raid Battles and evolving Pokémon in your collection. With many recent changes to level-up mechanics in Pokémon GO, this extra XP will be especially helpful in advancing your Trainer level.

Journey to Paldea Event Schedule

The event begins on December 2, 2025, and runs through December 9, ending at 8:00 PM local time. It starts at 10:00 AM local time on the first day and continues until the last day, when the bonuses and special features will conclude. One notable change this year is that featured Pokémon will vary each day, rather than sticking with just one group throughout the event.

Some players will see certain Pokémon featured on specific days, so it’s important to participate on the days when the Pokémon you want to catch are in the spotlight. For example, Group A will be featured on December 2, 4, 6, and 8; while Group B will be highlighted on December 3, 5, 7, and 9. This rotating schedule encourages daily participation and ensures you don’t miss out on different Pokémon.

During the event, players can also spend about $1.99 on a Paid Timed Research task. This includes exclusive tasks with unique rewards available until the event ends, making it a good choice if you’re looking to maximize your experience and catches.

New Pokémon and Wild Spawn Highlights

Each day of Journey to Paldea features different Pokémon appearing in the wild, not just a single group. Among the debut Pokémon is Nacli, a Rock-type Pokémon that originally appeared in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. This Pokémon can be found in Pokémon GO during the event, and you can collect Nacli Candy to evolve it into stronger forms like Naclasque and Garganacl.

In addition to Nacli, other Paldean Pokémon such as Smoliv (Grass/Normal) and Pawmi (Electric) will also be more common. Some of these may spawn as shiny Pokémon, depending on your shiny encounter rates, which increases your chances of finding rare color variants.

The event also features a rotation of increased spawn rates for six other Pokémon, with specific days dedicated to each group:

Group A: Larvitar (Rock/Ground), Drifloon (Ghost/Flying), Skrelp (Poison/Water) — increased on Dec 2, 4, 6, 8
Group B: Bagon (Dragon), Misdreavus (Ghost), Clauncher (Water) — increased on Dec 3, 5, 7, 9

Shiny versions of Larvitar and Bagon will be especially common during the event, making it a good time to catch these rarities. Keep in mind, only the Paldean variants of Tauros are featured during this event, and they don’t have alternate forms.

Raid Battles and Challenges

While the Raid Boss lineup isn’t huge, it offers some variety. There are three 3-Star Raid battles, with two Pokémon appearing for all players, plus a regional variation of one Raid Boss depending on your location. For example, the regional version of Tauros can differ based on where you are playing.

Some of the Raid Bosses include Paldean Tauros (Fighting-type) with regional forms such as Blaze Breed and Aqua Breed. These Raid Bosses are weak to certain types, so using effective counters will make battles easier. For instance:

The Fighting Tauros is weak to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic types. Good counters include Alakazam, Gallade, Toucannon, Staraptor, and Salamence.
The Fire/Fighting Tauros also has weaknesses like Water and Psychic, with Pokémon such as Garchomp and Gardevoir as strong options.
The Water/Fighting Tauros is found in the Western Hemisphere, with counters like Sceptile and Gardevoir.

Other Raid Bosses include Dondozo (Water-type) and Bombirdier (Flying/Dark), both of which have shiny versions that can appear.

Challenges and Rewards

Throughout the event, you’ll have opportunities to complete various Challenges that can provide encounters with featured Pokémon. Completing Collection Challenges — tasks requiring you to catch a certain number of Pokémon during the event — can earn you automatic encounters, including the debuting Nacli.

For players who purchase the Premium Timed Research, additional encounters with Pokémon like Larvitar, Bagon, and Nacli are available. Completing research tasks also awards Stardust, which can be used to buy items or new cosmetics. Be sure to finish your tasks before December 9, as any incomplete tasks will expire after the event ends.

Participating actively in Journey to Paldea will help you gather rare Pokémon, earn experience points, and get the most out of this limited-time event. Don’t forget to take advantage of the daily rotations and special raids to build your collection of Pokémon from the Paldean region!