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Pokémon GO is launching an exciting event known as the Festival of Colors. This marks the third occurrence of this event in the game, which was not held in 2024. The Festival aims to honor the real-life festival of colors, Holi, a Hindu celebration that takes place in India and several other areas globally.
The Festival of Colors will kick off on Thursday, March 13, at 10:00 AM and continue until Monday, March 17, 2025, at 8:00 PM local time. With just under a week to participate, make sure to redeem promo codes in Pokémon GO to enhance your gameplay experience.
New Pokémon Debuting During the Festival of Colors
New Pokémon Available in the Festival of Colors
The Pokémon GO Festival of Colors event will introduce several new Pokémon and their Shiny forms, increasing the variety of Pokémon available for capture. Among the new arrivals, the shiny variant of Bruxish, a Water and Psychic-type Pokémon, will make its debut. This shiny form features vibrant red and green colors with white highlights.

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Another exciting addition is the various forms of Flabébé. While it’s not the strongest Fairy-type in Pokémon GO, it features different colored flowers based on the trainer’s location. Players in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa can catch a Yellow Flower Flabébé. Meanwhile, both White Flower and Orange Flower Flabébé will be globally available, giving everyone a chance to collect this unique version.
Though there are no entirely new Pokémon announced for the event, Shiny variants remain intriguing targets for collectors.
Shiny Smeargle is also making a return to Pokémon GO, but with a unique twist. To catch Shiny Smeargle during the event, trainers will need to take snapshots. There will be limited opportunities to do this each day, so it’s important to stay alert. Once the event ends, the Shiny variant will no longer be available, and players will have to wait for future chances to catch it.
All Raids During the Festival of Colors & Best Counters
Tips for Defeating Raid Bosses
The Festival of Colors event in Pokémon GO will feature a diverse range of raid bosses. Depending on your experience level, you may find the more challenging raid bosses in March 2025 to be more appealing than the easier ones. There will be 1-star, 3-star, 5-star, and Mega raids available, providing robust challenges. Note that the one-star raid is exclusive to India.
The 3-star raids will challenge you with Vaporeon (Water), Jolteon (Electric), and Flareon (Fire). The table below outlines the weaknesses of these Eeveelutions to help guide your counters. Essentially, Water-types are vulnerable to Electric- and Grass-types, Electric-types are weak against Ground-types, and Fire-types are susceptible to Water- and Ground-types.
Raid Type |
Boss |
Counters |
---|---|---|
One-Star Raid (India-Only) |
Pikachu in a Kurta |
|
Three-Star |
Vaporeon |
|
Three-Star |
Jolteon |
|
Three-Star |
Flareon |
|
Five-Star |
Tapu Koko |
|
Mega |
Mega Swampert |
In the 5-star raid, Tapu Koko, an Electric and Fairy-type Pokémon, has a vulnerability to Ground- and Poison-type moves, which you can use to your advantage. As a 5-star raid boss, it’s best to gather a group of friends to take on Tapu Koko.
The Mega Raid boss is Mega Swampert, a Water- and Ground-type Pokémon. This means it’s especially weak against Grass-type attacks, although Electric-type moves can also deal effective damage. It’s advisable to tackle any Mega Raid with the support of fellow trainers.
Festival of Colors Event Rewards Overview
Complete Reward Breakdown for This Event
The Pokémon GO Festival of Colors event features numerous rewards that you can earn through various gameplay methods. Rewards can be obtained by completing Time Research, field research tasks, and event bonuses. There are both free and paid versions of these tasks, so you can enjoy the event without having to spend money if you choose.
Research Type |
Rewards |
---|---|
Free Timed Research |
|
Paid Timed Research |
|
Field Research |
All research offers a chance to capture event-themed Pokémon, while anyone who pays for the Paid Timed Research will also receive the rewards from the Free Time Research. Additionally, any Lure Modules activated during this event will last for three hours, while Incense will remain effective for two hours, granting you extended play opportunities.
Regional Bonuses for Trainers in India
Bonus Features for Players in India
If you’re in India, you’ll receive specific bonuses during the Pokémon GO Festival of Colors event. These bonuses encompass exclusive Branching Timed Research tasks and additional perks from raids. The Branching Timed Research will present Indian players with challenges not available to others.

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While the details of this Branching Timed Research remain under wraps, it’s confirmed that 1-star Raids will feature Pikachu dressed in traditional Indian attire. This will also include additional rewards for catching Pokémon in Raids. If you’re outside of India, these bonus rewards won’t be available to you, but plenty of fun activities await during the Festival of Colors event in Pokémon GO.