Update, October 12, 2026: the Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event ended on September 22, 2026. We rewrote this page as a verified recap (the earlier preview described the event as upcoming and included an unconfirmed season subtitle). For what is live now, see the October 2026 events calendar.
Event Recap: What Happened
The Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event ran from Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. It tied in with the Pokémon Horizons anime, and its main draw was a brand-new costume: Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles, along with its evolutions Charmeleon and Charizard in the same goggles. Shiny versions and Special Backgrounds were possible, though rare.
An earlier Horizons tie-in event ran in March 2024 and centred on Pikachu wearing Cap’s hat, so that costume was not new this time. The goggles were the real debut.
Key Details
| Feature | What it was |
|---|---|
| Costumed debut | Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles. Evolving cost 25 Charmander Candy (to Charmeleon), then 100 (to Charizard). |
| Wild spawns, all day | Charmander in goggles; Pikachu in Cap’s hat appeared only rarely. |
| Wild spawns, 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Fidough and Wattrel, with Chansey as a rare find. |
| Wild spawns, 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. | Eevee and Hatenna, with Rockruff as a rare find. |
| 1-star raids | Pikachu wearing Cap’s hat. |
| 3-star raids | Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles, Meowscarada, Skeledirge and Quaquaval. |
| PokéStop bonus | Increased chance of meeting Kecleon at PokéStops. |
| Spotlight Hour | Thursday, September 17, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. local time. Leek Duck lists 2× Stardust for catching and more frequent goggle Charmander. |
GO Pass and Timed Research
A free GO Pass called “Collaboration Celebration Event” was granted automatically at the start. Its milestones included 2× Candy for catches at Rank 1 (3× for Deluxe holders), one-hour regular Lure Modules at Rank 10, and extra Stardust for catching Hatenna and Wattrel at Rank 20. Deluxe cost US$4.99, or US$6.99 with six extra ranks. GO Pass rewards expired on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time.
A Timed Research line was redeemed through the Pokémon GO Web Store, and it included a goggle Charmander encounter. Its tasks and rewards had to be completed and claimed by September 22 at 8:00 p.m.
Other sites often skip these points: the event also offered snapshot “surprise encounters” with characters and Pokémon from the series (Leek Duck lists up to five a day), and each day brought a new PokéStop Showcase category. The official announcement did not list a collection challenge or egg hatches.
What To Do Now That It Has Ended
- Keep the costumed Pokémon you caught. The goggles are a permanent cosmetic on those individual Pokémon. If you caught several, evolve your best one by IVs and keep the rest as Candy or trade fodder.
- Plan the evolutions. Charmander to Charmeleon takes 25 Candy and Charmeleon to Charizard takes 100, so a full line needs 125 Candy. Use the Candy Calculator to check how much more you need, and the Evolution Calculator to see the resulting CP.
- Check IVs before powering up. A costumed Charizard is a collectible first and a raid attacker second, so only invest Stardust if the IVs justify it. See our IV guide.
- Do not expect leftover event rewards. The GO Pass, the Timed Research and the redeemable code all closed with the event window, so there is nothing further to claim.
Will It Return?
Nothing has been announced about the goggle costumes coming back. The only documented Horizons precedent is the earlier tie-in event on March 5 to 11, 2024, which featured Pikachu wearing Cap’s hat, and that costume reappeared in 2026. Niantic announces returns on its own schedule, so watch the event calendar for official news.
Related Guides
- Pokémon GO Events in October 2026
- Pokémon GO Event Calendar
- Shiny Pokémon Guide and Odds
- Candy Calculator
- Pokémon GO IVs Explained
- Beginner’s Guide to Raids
- Pokémon GO events hub
Sources: Pokémon GO official news: Pokémon Horizons Celebration Event 2026; Pokémon GO official news: Pokémon Horizons Anime Celebration (2024); Leek Duck event page.
