The Pokemon GO Community Weekend 2023
Every December, we don’t get a singular Community Day with one Pokemon. Instead we get a recap weekend, where the Pokemon from the Community Days of the year are split into two groups, and you have two Community Days on one weekend. This year’s Community Weekend featured the likes of Fennekin, Chespin, Froakie, Togetic, Noibat, Poliwag, Slowpoke, Grubbin, Axew, Timburr and Wooper.
Just like previous years,we got two days of spawns, with all 11 Pokemon spawning from between 10am to 10pm, then the community day spawn rates and shiny chances from 2pm t0 5pm. Evolving a Pokemon that featured in a Community Day in 2023, Community Day 2022 or a Community Day Classic in 2023 would grant it its legacy move. Weirdly, in the last 10 minutes of every hour, the Community Day Classic Pokemon would spawn. But it was very much a “blink or you’ll miss it” sort of thing, since the spawns were squeezed in between normal Community Day spawns.
There was both premium research for a dollar and free research. The free research just gave you one of each Pokemon, plus one of each of last year’s Pokemon. However, it was FILLED with Power Up A Pokemon and Catch 15 Pokemon, making it both a chore and a drain on stardust. The dollar research though was not only much easier than the free research but also 100% worth the dollar, since it gave you TWO elite TMs.
Personally, this catch-up weekend was a bust for me. Day one in particular was a mess. Because there was a risk of rain, I decided to go to the mall to play, but the spawns were very much lacking, it was stupidly busy and filled with screaming kids and my 4G kept on cutting out. Even as I returned back to the town centre, where I normally play, the 4G was still having problems. It wasn’t until I got home that my 4G sorted itself out and I could actually play properly. My GPS was glitching out thanks to the 4G problem, and my Friends List refused to open for the entire event, meaning I had next to no Pokeballs. To add to my annoyance, the spawns were 90% Slowpoke, and I failed to catch a single shiny until 4:35pm, when I caught a shiny Fennekin. I also caught a shiny Galarian Slowpoke and, the only highlight of the weekend, a shiny Larvitar in the last 3 minutes of the event. Day 2 wasn’t much better, but at least the spawns were better, as I only went to town hall and didn’t bother with the mall. Still, a weird lack of shinies on both days. Normally I do much better.
Not only that, but I didn’t even get a good 3-star Pokemon. Somehow, despite completing that free research, I only managed to get ONE 3-star Pokemon, a Deino. I was super unlucky. I got four Pokemon with 10/10/10 stats, the lowest stats possible from field research.
Honestly though, this year’s Pokemon weren’t particularly amazing, except maybe for Axew, if you lacked good dragon types (and there wasn’t a particularly good dragon event this year). It was alright if you didn’t already have a good set of starter Pokemon with Blast Burn, Frenzy Plant and Hydro Cannon. Getting some Timburr would be great if you have someone to trade with to get that free evolution, but not everyone can trade, and its Community Day move is pretty mediocre, even as a coverage move for PvP. However, if you play PvP, then this year was fucking amazing. Wooper, Slowpoke, Poliwag and Togetic were all great Pokemon who got some amazing additions to their move pools. Grubbin’s evolutions Charjabug and Vikavolt did okay as spice picks for Great and Ultra League. Unfortunately, Noibat and Noivern were completely and utterly useless, and will probably remain as such for a long time.
Still, even Noibat sounds better than what we’ve been teased for next year. While Rowlette sounds… okay, absolutely NO ONE is looking forward to Chansey Community Day in February.