Pokémon GO Fall Marathon 2026: Bramblin, Visor Pikachu and the GO Pass

The Pokémon GO Fall Marathon, subtitled Buddy Trek, runs from Tuesday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, October 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. local time. Bramblin makes its debut, a free Timed Research hands out a Pikachu wearing a marathon visor for 42 km of walking, and Mega Manectric reaches Super Max Level.

The announcement landed on September 23 on pokemongo.com. I read it in its four language versions on the site (French, English, Spanish, German), because details drift from one language to the next and that is where the bad surprises hide. Here is what is written in black and white, what is not, and the order I would tackle it in.

What are the dates of the Fall Marathon 2026?

The event starts on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. and ends on Monday, October 19 at 8:00 p.m. local time, which is six days and ten hours of play. Three times really matter: the Incense switch on October 16 at 10:00 a.m., the end of the Timed Research on the 19th at 8:00 p.m., and the expiry of the GO Pass rewards on Wednesday, October 21 at 8:00 p.m.

One detail I spotted while reading: the Spanish version of the announcement says "31 de octubre" instead of the 13th for the start of the first Incense phase. The other three languages correctly say the 13th, which is also the start of the event.

The event lands in the middle of a busy month: the Zorua Community Day on October 10 comes three days before it, and the Hatch Day on Saturday, October 17 overlaps its last days.

Who is Bramblin, the star of this Marathon?

Bramblin is a Grass and Ghost-type Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, known as Virovent in French. Pokémon GO gets it for the first time during the Fall Marathon: it is the one genuinely new thing in the event, everything else being known content dusted off.

The concept reads at a glance: a ball of thorns rolling through the desert, the classic tumbleweed of every western, with two eyes watching you from inside. The Pokédex artwork just below shows the same bush as a drawing.

Then comes the question of its evolution. Brambleghast is not announced for Pokémon GO: the text of the announcement only names Bramblin, even if some sites list both in their headline. GamerRant points out that the developer has not said how players will get Brambleghast. In Scarlet and Violet, Bramblin evolves when it levels up after 1,000 steps walked outside its Poké Ball with the Let's Go feature; GO Hub infers that you may need to walk with it as your buddy. That is a hypothesis, nothing more.

On the shop side, if the Grass type is your thing, the Bulbasaur LED Pokéball with wooden base is the one I would slip in here: same family, and a light that stays on long after the event is over.

How do you get Bramblin, and can it be shiny?

Bramblin can be encountered in three ways: at the end of GO Pass tasks, by activating Incense during either of the two phases, and through Field Research tasks. It is not announced as shiny: in the Incense lists, every other Pokémon carries an asterisk meaning "shiny possible", and Bramblin does not.

I checked all four languages: the missing asterisk is identical everywhere, so there is no shiny Bramblin announced for October 13 to 19. For that week, aim for Electrike and Hisuian Growlithe instead, whose shiny boosts are written down.

How do you get the Pikachu with the marathon visor?

A free Timed Research asks you to explore 5, 10, 21 and then 42 km. Each step pays 4,200 XP, 16,800 XP in total, and the final reward is an encounter with Pikachu wearing a marathon visor. Everything must be finished and claimed before Monday, October 19 at 8:00 p.m. local time.

The 42 km is a nod to the length of a marathon (42.195 km). Spread over the event, that comes to a little over 6.5 km a day if you start on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., which looks more like a daily commute than a feat. The steps come from GO Hub: the announcement only details the rewards. It also says nothing about the buddy's role in counting the kilometers, despite the event's subtitle.

One useful note: this visor is not new. Leek Duck lists it among the rewards of the Spring Marathon (May 12 to 18, a single 42 km task for 21,000 XP) and of the Summer one (August 4 to 10, the same four steps as here). If you already have it, walk for the XP and for Bramblin, not for the visor.

How does the Fall Marathon GO Pass work?

The free GO Pass arrives on its own on October 13 at 10:00 a.m. The Deluxe version costs US$4.99, or US$6.99 with six ranks included (Rank 7 straight away), converted into your local currency. Two rank bonuses matter: Incense lasts two hours from Rank 10, and Mega Energy is multiplied by five at Rank 20.

The Pokémon GO Web Store adds gifts with purchase: 10 Ultra Balls, five Max Revives, five Max Potions and one Premium Battle Pass with the Deluxe (two passes with the +6 Ranks version). The Ultra Box, sold only on the store, adds 20 Ultra Balls, 10 Max Revives, 10 Max Potions, five Premium Battle Passes, one Incubator and one Super Incubator.

My take: for Bramblin alone, the free pass and Incense are enough according to the announcement. The Deluxe makes sense mostly for the Mega Energy and the extra encounters. And watch the Rank 20 condition: the ×5 only applies when exploring with Electrike or Manectric as your buddy, after Mega Evolving Manectric at least once. It is the kind of line you read after walking twenty kilometers for nothing.

Which Pokémon appear, and which can be shiny?

In the wild, the announcement names Ponyta, Doduo, Electrike and Blitzle, with Skarmory as a rare appearance, all shiny-capable. Incense changes on October 16 at 10:00 a.m. Two shiny boosts are written down: Electrike for the whole event, Hisuian Growlithe from Incense between October 16 at 10:00 a.m. and October 19 at 8:00 p.m.

All of them can be shiny except Bramblin. Daily Adventure Incense is excluded from these lists, and Incense lasts two hours from GO Pass Rank 10.

Electrike is the one I would watch first: it appears in both Incense phases, in the wild, in Field Research, and its shiny boost lasts the whole week. Hisuian Growlithe, a Fire and Rock type, takes over from Friday.

Mega Manectric at Super Max Level: what changes?

Mega Manectric joins the Pokémon eligible for Super Max Level and learns the Charged Attack Discharge+, at 50 power in Trainer Battles and 150 in Raid Battles. You must first reach Mega Level 3 (Max), then spend that Pokémon's Mega Energy: Mega Evolving alone is not enough.

Discharge+ gets stronger with the Mega Level, but the announcement does not say how much Mega Energy the last step takes, so I am not putting a number on it. Three sources are written down: the Deluxe GO Pass rewards, some Field Research tasks, and the Rank 20 ×5 bonus. If the Electric type is part of your team (or your desk), the Ampharos LED Pokéball with wooden base plays in the same category.

How does this Marathon differ from the May and August ones?

The format is well oiled: same GO Pass price, same length, same Pikachu with a visor. What changes is the star and the rank bonuses. In October they no longer touch PokéStops or eggs as in May and August, but Incense and Mega Energy.

In plain terms: we go from a Marathon that rewarded XP farming to one that rewards Mega Energy. For people who walk, that is a real change of pace. Before it, the astronaut Pikachu of Space Week takes up the very first days of October.

Between two kilometers, the light-up Pokéballs collection has not moved: 29 models, all at €29.99.

Frequently asked questions about the Pokémon GO Fall Marathon

Can you get a shiny Bramblin during the Fall Marathon?

It is not announced. In the Incense lists of all four versions of the announcement, every Pokémon that can be shiny carries an asterisk, and Bramblin has none. The shiny boosts that are written down concern Electrike and, from October 16 to 19, Hisuian Growlithe.

Do you need the GO Pass Deluxe to get the Pikachu with the marathon visor?

No. The Timed Research is free: it asks you to explore 5, 10, 21 and then 42 km, for 4,200 XP per step and the encounter with visor Pikachu. It must be finished and claimed before Monday, October 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. local time.

How much does the Fall Marathon GO Pass Deluxe cost?

US$4.99 for the Deluxe, US$6.99 for the Deluxe + 6 Ranks, which gives you the Rank 7 points at purchase. The price is converted into your local currency, and availability can vary by region.

Until when can you claim GO Pass rewards?

Until Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. local time, two days after the event ends. Points, however, are only earned until Monday, October 19 at 8:00 p.m.: claiming rewards takes no play time, but forget it and everything disappears.

Will Brambleghast be available during the event?

No announcement says so. The Pokémon GO text names only Bramblin, and how to get Brambleghast has not been explained. The only lead, unconfirmed, comes from the main games, where the evolution requires walking with Bramblin.

Should you Mega Evolve Manectric before reaching Rank 20?

Yes, if you want the bonus. It multiplies Mega Energy by five when exploring with Electrike or Manectric as your buddy, but only after Mega Evolving Manectric at least once. Without that earlier Mega Evolution, the bonus does not activate.

Image credits: event key art and GO Pass rewards taken from the announcement published on pokemongo.com; Pokémon artworks taken from the Pokédex via PokémonDB. Characters and game © Scopely Explore / Pokémon / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK. Sources: pokemongo.com (FR, EN, ES and DE announcements), Pokémon GO Hub, Leek Duck, GamerRant, Poképédia.