Pokémon GO Adds Charmander Wearing Friede's Goggles

The Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event begins on September 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time and ends on September 22 at 8:00 p.m. local time. Its central debut is Charmander wearing Friede's goggles, a new costumed form tied to the animated series collaboration.

You can find the costumed Charmander through several parts of the event. It can appear in the wild, as an encounter from event-themed Field Research, when attracted by an active regular Lure Module, or through the limited-time event GO Pass. Lucky encounters can also be Shiny or carry a Special Background.

The costume is not limited to Charmander. You can spend 25 Charmander Candy to evolve Charmander wearing Friede's goggles into Charmeleon wearing Friede's goggles. From there, 100 Charmander Candy evolves it into Charizard wearing Friede's goggles.

Charizard wearing Friede's goggles also appears directly in Three-Star Raids during the event, giving you another route to the final evolution without evolving the costumed Charmander first.

Charmander wearing Friede's goggles is part of the event's wild encounters, while Pikachu wearing Cap's hat can also appear. The rest of the featured wild lineup changes at 5:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time.

• From 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Fidough and Wattrel appear more frequently, with Chansey as a possible rarer encounter.
• From 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.: Eevee and Hatenna appear more frequently, with Rockruff as a possible rarer encounter.
• Kecleon has an increased chance to appear at PokéStops throughout the event.

The raid lineup gives the collaboration additional ways to encounter its featured Pokémon. One-Star Raids feature Pikachu wearing Cap's hat. Three-Star Raids feature Charizard wearing Friede's goggles, Meowscarada, Skeledirge, and Quaquaval.

Event-themed Field Research tasks award encounters with event-themed Pokémon. PokéStop Showcases also run during the event, with a different showcase category planned for each day. Taking snapshots can trigger surprise encounters with characters and Pokémon from Pokémon Horizons: The Series.

The free GO Pass: Collaboration Celebration Event is distributed automatically when the event starts on September 16 at 10:00 a.m. local time. You earn GO Points to increase its rank and unlock rewards through September 22 at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Major milestones add bonuses as you progress. Rank 1 gives 2x Candy for catching Pokémon. GO Pass Deluxe increases that Rank 1 bonus to 3x Candy. At Rank 10, regular Lure Modules last for one hour and can attract featured Pokémon. Rank 20 grants additional Stardust when catching Hatenna and Wattrel.

Pass Tasks can also award event-themed Pokémon encounters, XP, and Lure Modules. The Deluxe track adds extra Pokémon encounters, Premium Battle Passes, Rare Candy XL, and other rewards.

GO Pass Deluxe costs 4.99 US dollars and adds upgraded rewards plus faster progression. GO Pass Deluxe + 6 Ranks costs 6.99 US dollars and immediately provides enough GO Points to reach Rank 7. Players who upgrade later can still collect Deluxe rewards from ranks they already unlocked.

Note: GO Pass Deluxe availability can vary by region, and local pricing uses the equivalent pricing tier.

Buying the Deluxe upgrade through the Pokémon GO Web Store activates it when the event GO Pass begins and adds a gift with purchase. The standard Deluxe purchase includes 10 Ultra Balls, five Max Revives, one Premium Battle Pass, and five Max Potions.

The Deluxe + 6 Ranks Web Store purchase includes 10 Ultra Balls, five Max Revives, two Premium Battle Passes, and five Max Potions. A web-exclusive Deluxe + 6 Ranks Ultra Box includes 20 Ultra Balls, 10 Max Revives, 10 Max Potions, and five Premium Battle Passes as its gift with purchase.

Unlocked GO Pass rewards expire on September 24, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Rewards need to be claimed before that deadline even though the main event ends two days earlier.