Five Thursdays, five Pokémon, five different bonuses: Pokémon GO scheduled one Spotlight Hour every week of October 2026, from 6 to 7 p.m. local time. Seedot opens the month on the 1st, Elgyem follows on the 8th, Stufful on the 15th, Morelull on the 22nd, and Gastly closes it out on the 29th, two days before Halloween begins. Here is the full schedule, what each bonus is actually worth, and which one deserves a spot on your calendar.
What is the full October 2026 Spotlight Hour schedule?
All five Spotlight Hours of the month fall on a Thursday, from 6 to 7 p.m. local time, without exception. The bonus changes every time: Catch XP, Catch Candy, Transfer Candy, Catch Stardust, then Evolution XP to close the month.
| Date | Featured Pokémon | Bonus | Shiny in game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, October 1 | Seedot | 2× Catch XP | Yes, since May 2020 |
| Thursday, October 8 | Elgyem | 2× Catch Candy | Yes, since 2022 |
| Thursday, October 15 | Stufful | 2× Transfer Candy | Yes, since April 2022 |
| Thursday, October 22 | Morelull | 2× Catch Stardust | Yes, since November 2023 |
| Thursday, October 29 | Gastly | 2× Evolution XP | Yes, available for years |
The month is packed around these five dates: the Zorua Community Day lands on October 10, between the Elgyem and Stufful hours, and the Fall Marathon runs from October 13 to 19, which overlaps exactly with the Stufful Spotlight Hour. All five shinies above are confirmed in the game, but nothing says their appearance rate is boosted during the hour itself: Niantic only announces that for select events, never for a standard Spotlight Hour.
Seedot, October 1: what does the Catch XP bonus do?
Seedot is a Grass-type Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. On October 1 from 6 to 7 p.m., every capture pays double XP, with no size or throw-quality requirement attached: it is a bonus that simply rewards how many Poké Balls you throw within the hour.
Seedot evolves into Nuzleaf for 25 Candy, then into Shiftry for 100 more Candy. In the main series games the second evolution needs a Leaf Stone, but Pokémon GO runs this whole line on Candy alone. The shiny has existed since the May 2020 Community Day, with a deep reddish-orange tint replacing the usual brown.
Elgyem, October 8: does the Catch Candy bonus change much?
Elgyem, a Psychic-type Pokémon from Pokémon Black and White, gets a bonus on October 8 that doubles the Candy earned from every capture, Pinap Berries included if you use them. Its evolution into Beheeyem costs 50 Candy: at roughly 3 or 4 doubled Candy per catch depending on walking distance, a short session is enough to gather the evolution in one hour.
Elgyem's shiny arrived later than Seedot's, during the 2022 Psychic Spectacular. The only visible difference is the eyes, which turn from green to pink, an easy detail to miss on a small screen.
Stufful, October 15: why the Transfer Candy bonus matters twice as much
Stufful, a Normal and Fighting-type Pokémon, is the only one of October's five featured Pokémon whose evolution costs 400 Candy. Bewear ranks among the most expensive evolutions in the game, well above the usual 50 to 100 Candy. On October 15, transferring every spare Stufful pays double Candy instead of one: it is the best window of the month to build up the 400 you need without spending weeks on it.
If plush-toy-shaped Pokémon are your thing, the Eevee LED Pokéball with wooden base plays in the same cute-on-a-shelf category, at €29.99 like the rest of the range. Stufful's shiny, available since the April 2022 Community Day, lightens the brown coat into a paler, pinkish shade.
Morelull, October 22: what does the Stardust bonus change?
Morelull, a Grass and Fairy-type Pokémon discovered in Pokémon Sun and Moon, brings a doubled Stardust bonus on every catch on October 22. It is the most universally useful bonus of the five: it helps even trainers with no interest in evolving or building a Morelull, since Stardust powers up any Pokémon on the team.
Its evolution into Shiinotic costs 50 Candy, with no middle step. The shiny, released at the November 2023 Festival of Lights, swaps the pink cap for a reddish brown, one of the most noticeable differences on this list.
Gastly, October 29: the Evolution XP bonus right before Halloween
Gastly closes the month on October 29, two days before Halloween begins, with a bonus that doubles the XP earned from every evolution. Its line happens to be the cheapest of the five to fully evolve: 25 Candy to become Haunter, then 100 Candy for Gengar, or a free trade if a fellow trainer already owns a Haunter.
Stacking up Gastly caught within the hour, then evolving them one by one while the bonus is still running, turns into a large chunk of XP for a modest Candy cost. For the same nighttime mood once Halloween is over, the Umbreon Crystal LED Pokéball stays lit all year, not just for the length of an event.
How do you get the most out of each type of bonus?
October's five bonuses do not play out the same way: a catch bonus is prepared before the hour, an evolution bonus is prepared during it. The real difference is what you need ready in hand when the clock starts.
| Bonus type | Prepare before the hour | Mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Catch XP (Seedot) | A stock of Poké Balls, a Lure Module if possible | Chasing throw quality over volume just slows the pace down |
| Catch Candy (Elgyem) | Nothing special, the effect applies automatically to every catch | Forgetting Pinap Berries, which also get doubled |
| Transfer Candy (Stufful) | Do NOT transfer your spare Stufful before the hour starts | Transferring too early, before the doubling applies |
| Stardust (Morelull) | Free space in your Pokémon storage so you are not forced to transfer mid-session | Skipping the hour because you do not want a Morelull: the Stardust benefits the whole team |
| Evolution XP (Gastly) | A stock of already-caught Gastly or Haunter, spare Candy on hand | Waiting until the next day to evolve: the doubling only applies between 6 and 7 p.m. |
Which October Spotlight Hour is worth the trip the most?
Candy for Candy, Stufful's pays off the most if you are playing for the evolution: 400 Candy is double, even quadruple, what the other four lines of the month require. Gastly's comes in a close second for anyone chasing a full evolution at the lowest cost, since the entire line only needs 125 Candy.
For a player just starting out with no Candy stockpile yet, Morelull's hour stays the simplest: the Stardust bonus benefits the whole team from the very first catch, with no math or stockpile needed beforehand. It is a ranking that depends on your goal, not a single bonus that beats the rest across the board.
Between two Spotlight Hours, the light-up Pokéballs collection still counts 29 models at €29.99 each.
Frequently asked questions about October 2026 Spotlight Hours
What time do October 2026 Spotlight Hours take place?
All five run from 6 to 7 p.m. local time, every Thursday of the month: the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th of October. The time slot does not change from one week to the next.
What is the bonus for the Gastly Spotlight Hour?
On October 29, every evolution completed between 6 and 7 p.m. pays double the usual XP. The bonus applies to any evolution, not just Gastly's, but its line stays the cheapest in Candy of the month.
Can Seedot be shiny during its Spotlight Hour?
Yes, Seedot's shiny has been available since the May 2020 Community Day. Nothing indicates the appearance rate is specifically boosted during the October 1 Spotlight Hour, unlike what happens during a Community Day.
Should you save your Candy for the Stufful Spotlight Hour?
Yes, if Bewear is the goal. The evolution costs 400 Candy, one of the steepest totals in the game, and October 15 doubles what every spare Stufful pays out on transfer, cutting down noticeably on the time needed to gather them.
How long does a Spotlight Hour last in Pokémon GO?
One hour, 6 to 7 p.m. local time, with no extension. That is shorter than a Community Day, which usually runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or across a three-hour window in recent editions.
Which October 2026 Spotlight Hour is best for a beginner?
Morelull's, on October 22. The Stardust bonus benefits any Pokémon on the team from the first catch, with no Candy math or stockpile to prepare in advance, unlike the Stufful or Gastly bonuses.
Image credits: official Pokémon Pokédex artworks, from the pages of Seedot, Elgyem, Stufful, Morelull, Gastly, Haunter and Gengar. Characters and game © The Pokémon Company / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK / Niantic. Sources: pokemongo.com, Leek Duck, Pokémon GO Hub, Pokébip, Poképédia.
