Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard wearing Friede's goggles debut in Pokémon GO from Wednesday, September 16 at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. local time. Shinies are available from day one, Pikachu wearing Cap's hat returns, and Season 3 of the anime wraps up on Netflix on September 18. Here is everything worth planning for.
The full Charmander line, goggles up: the artwork from the announcement on pokemongo.com. © Pokémon GO / The Pokémon Company
When is the Pokémon Horizons event in Pokémon GO?
The Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event runs from Wednesday, September 16 at 10:00 a.m. to Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. local time. It is the third edition of this crossover: the first ran from March 5 to 11, 2024, the second from April 16 to 22, 2025.
The timing is no accident. Part 4 of Season 3, the one that closes the Laquium storyline, lands on Netflix in the US on Friday, September 18, two days into the event. Game and show have moved in lockstep before: the March 2024 edition accompanied Captain Pikachu's arrival on screen. In the UK, the series streams on BBC iPlayer.
The April 2025 edition already put Pikachu wearing Cap's hat front and center. © Pokémon GO / The Pokémon Company
If you enjoy these short, dated Pokémon GO windows, we broke down a similar one in our guide to the perfect Mewtwo from Pokémon GO's 10th anniversary: the logic never changes, everything happens in six days.
How do you get Charmander wearing Friede's goggles?
Charmander wearing Friede's goggles appears in the wild all day long during the event, in some Field Research encounters, through Lure Modules and in GO Pass rewards. Its Shiny form is available from September 16. Evolving costs 25 Candy for a goggled Charmeleon, then 100 more to reach Charizard.
The detail collectors should note: Charmeleon wearing Friede's goggles can ONLY be obtained through evolution. It does not spawn in the wild and does not appear in raids. Charizard has two routes, evolution or three-star raids. If you want the full Shiny line, every Shiny Charmander caught during the six days counts, and those 125 Candy disappear fast.
A costumed starter is a rare thing in Pokémon GO: Pikachu has dozens of outfits, while the Charmander line had never received anything this distinctive. At Pokéled we have been team Charmander from the start, and it is one of the lamps we most enjoy shipping: the Charmander LED Pokéball on a wood stand does exactly what the lizard's tail does, it glows at night.
Why is Charmander wearing Friede's goggles?
Friede is the Pokémon Professor of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, co-founder of the Rising Volt Tacklers, the crew traveling with Liko and Roy. His first partner is a Charizard capable of Mega Evolution, and the goggles pushed up on his forehead are his signature look. The event costume is a tribute to that Trainer-and-Charizard duo.
Captain Pikachu and Friede's Charizard, the Professor's two Pokémon in the series. © The Pokémon Company / OLM
Mild Season 3 spoiler ahead: after the Laqua incident, the story jumps forward a full year, and Captain Pikachu then appears wearing the goggles of his missing Trainer. It is the first time the anime has allowed itself a time skip like this, and those goggles become a genuine on-screen symbol. Seeing them on a Charmander in Pokémon GO, two days before the finale drops on Netflix, is a wink that fans of the show will read instantly. The Pokémon Company's announcement sets the tone for the season's end: "With Terastallization, Mega Evolution, and new moves making their Pokémon stronger than ever, their skills and bonds will be put to the ultimate test."
Captain Pikachu, a.k.a. Cap, Friede's second Pokémon and the airship's figurehead. © The Pokémon Company
And if Friede's Charizard gets to you, we understand: it is the most requested Pokémon in our 3D-engraved catalog. The Charizard crystal LED Pokéball freezes it mid-flight inside a K9 crystal block, at 29.99 EUR like the rest of the range.
Which Pokémon spawn during the event?
Spawns rotate with the clock: Fidough, Wattrel and the occasional Chansey by day, Eevee, Hatenna and the occasional Rockruff by night. Goggled Charmander and Pikachu wearing Cap's hat appear all day long. In raids, goggled Charizard holds the three-star tier alongside Paldea's three final starters.
| Window | Pokémon | Shiny available |
|---|---|---|
| All day | Charmander wearing Friede's goggles, Pikachu wearing Cap's hat | Yes, both |
| Day, 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Fidough, Wattrel, Chansey (rarer) | Fidough and Chansey |
| Night, 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. | Eevee, Hatenna, Rockruff (rarer) | Yes, all three |
| One-star raids | Pikachu wearing Cap's hat | Yes |
| Three-star raids | Goggled Charizard, Meowscarada, Skeledirge, Quaquaval | Yes, all four |
| PokéStops | Kecleon, increased encounter chance | Yes |
On top of that: daily PokéStop Showcases with rotating categories, event-themed Field Research and surprise photobombs in snapshot mode. The nighttime Eevee is no coincidence either, it is the other face of the series, since Liko grew up surrounded by that evolution family.
What does the GO Pass include and how much does it cost?
The event GO Pass activates automatically and free of charge on September 16. Playing moves you up the ranks and unlocks encounters, XP, Lure Modules, Premium Battle Passes and Rare Candy XL. Two paid tiers exist, the GO Pass Deluxe at 4.99 US dollars and the Deluxe with 6 bonus ranks at 6.99 US dollars.
In the euro version of the app, French site MargxT recorded 5.49 EUR for the Deluxe and 7.99 EUR for the version with bonus ranks. The progression bonuses are worth chasing even without paying: double catch Candy from rank 1 (tripled with Deluxe), Lure Modules lasting a full hour and attracting the featured Pokémon at rank 10, extra Stardust on Hatenna and Wattrel at rank 20. My casual-player take: the free Pass is more than enough to walk away with the goggled Charmander, keep your 8 dollars. One last calendar note, unlocked rewards expire on Thursday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m., two days after the event ends. Claim everything before then.
Where can you watch the series before the event?
Season 3, Rising Hope, concludes with Part 4 arriving on Netflix in the US on September 18, 2026. Seasons 1 and 2 plus the first three parts of Season 3 are already streaming there, and UK viewers can catch the series on BBC iPlayer. Six days of event is exactly enough time for a catch-up binge.
The Season 3 poster: Captain Pikachu wears the famous goggles, with Shiny Rayquaza looming above. © The Pokémon Company / OLM
On the menu for the season's end: Liko, Roy, Dot and Ult facing Laquium and the Explorers, with Terastallization and Mega Evolution as reinforcements. The trailer sets the tone:
Watch the Season 3: Rising Hope trailer
September is a packed month for Pokémon mobile games: Mew's login gift starts on September 7 in Pokémon Sleep, and we detailed every reward tier in our article on the Mew gift in Pokémon Sleep. Plenty to do on both screens.
And one week after this event wraps up, the Harvest Festival takes over: Shiny Applin from September 29, then a Shadow Zekrom to rescue from Giovanni between October 2 and 5. Dates, the shared GO Pass and the fusion trap are covered in our Harvest Festival 2026 guide.
Frequently asked questions about the Pokémon Horizons event
Can goggled Charmander be Shiny from day one?
Yes. The announcement confirms it: Charmander wearing Friede's goggles has its Shiny form available from the opening on September 16, and the Charmeleon and Charizard evolutions do too. No delayed unlock like some past costumes, the Shiny hunt starts at 10:00 a.m. on day one.
Does the costume disappear when Charmander evolves?
No, the goggles stay at every stage: 25 Candy gives you a goggled Charmeleon, 100 more a goggled Charizard. Evolution is actually the only way to get the costumed Charmeleon, which appears neither in the wild nor in raids during the event.
How do you get Pikachu wearing Cap's hat?
It spawns in the wild all day during the event and holds the one-star raid tier, with Shiny odds in both cases. The costume honors Captain Pikachu, Friede's partner, and this is its third run after the March 2024 and April 2025 editions.
Is the event free to play?
Yes. Access, spawns, raids and the base GO Pass cost nothing, and the costumed Charmander can be caught without spending a cent. Only the Deluxe Passes (4.99 dollars, 5.49 EUR observed) and Deluxe with 6 ranks (6.99 dollars, 7.99 EUR) are paid, for tripled Candy and head-start ranks.
What happens after September 22?
Costumed spawns stop on Tuesday, September 22 at 8:00 p.m., but GO Pass rewards remain claimable until Thursday, September 24 at 8:00 p.m. After that, you wait for a possible return: roughly thirteen months have separated each edition of this event so far.
Who are Liko and Roy in the series?
The two heroes of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, the show that took over from Ash's adventures in 2023. Liko travels with a mysterious pendant, Roy with an ancient Poké Ball, and both ride with the Rising Volt Tacklers, the crew founded by Professor Friede and Captain Pikachu.
Want a Charmander that stays lit all year, no Candy required? Our collection of light-up crystal Pokéballs keeps the same price all year round, 29.99 EUR each.
Image credits: Pokémon GO / The Pokémon Company (event artwork), The Pokémon Company / OLM (anime series, posters). Sources: pokemongo.com, pokemon.com, Bulbapedia, Leek Duck, MargxT.
