On Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time, the Catch Mastery event puts Phantump in the spotlight in Pokémon GO: double XP and extra Candy from a Nice Throw or better, a boosted chance at Shiny Phantump, and Cherubi and Drifloon spawning more often in the wild. The paid Timed Research costs US$1.99.
Phantump has a collector's problem: evolving it into Trevenant takes 200 Phantump Candy, or none if it was traded to you. That number is what gives the day its meaning, and no page of the announcement does the math. I did it below, with the source of every figure. I will update this page if the event page changes before Saturday.
When is the Phantump Catch Mastery, and what time does it start?
It takes place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in each player's local time. Timed Research expires at 8:00 p.m.: tasks must be completed and rewards claimed before then.
The event page lists three bonuses. XP is doubled when you catch a Pokémon with a Nice Throw or better. Candy is increased under the same condition, with no amount published. And the chance of meeting a Shiny Phantump is boosted in all three research types: one Field Research, one free Timed Research and one paid Timed Research. Cherubi and Drifloon also spawn more often in the wild, with a boosted Shiny chance.
Which Pokémon can you encounter: Phantump, Cherubi or Drifloon?
Three: Phantump as the headliner, plus Cherubi and Drifloon. Phantump is only listed in the research, while Cherubi and Drifloon also show up in the wild more often than usual and fill the map more during the ten hours.
| Pokémon | Where to find it | Shiny | CP on encounter (Field Research) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phantump, Ghost and Grass type | Field Research, free Timed Research, paid Timed Research | Boosted chance | 446 to 481 |
| Cherubi | More frequent wild spawns, Field Research | Boosted chance | 374 to 407 |
| Drifloon | More frequent wild spawns, Field Research | Boosted chance | 475 to 513 |
The CPs come from Leek Duck: they are the Field Research encounter range, not the Pokémon's maximum CP. Field Research tasks are about throwing accuracy. Pokémon GO Hub lists ten Nice Throws, three Great Throws in a row, seven Great Throws and one Excellent Throw, each rewarding a Phantump encounter.
On the shelf side, a Ghost type has its counterpart here with the Gengar crystal LED Pokéball, €29.99, and the Grass side shows up in the Bulbasaur LED Pokéball with wood stand. There is no Phantump in our catalogue, and I will not pass one Pokémon off as another.
What does “Nice Throw or better” mean?
A throw is graded on three levels: Nice, Great and Excellent. The bonus starts at the lowest one, so any of the three triggers it. The German version of the text says it more clearly than the English one: “gute, großartige oder fabelhafte Würfe”, meaning good, great or fabulous throws.
What matters is never missing the circle: a Nice Throw is the least demanding of the three, and the day rewards consistency more than showmanship. Someone who lands seven throws out of ten will earn more XP and Candy than someone chasing the Excellent and missing.
Is the paid ticket worth it? The math on Trevenant's 200 Candy
It does not pay for a Trevenant, it doubles your Shiny rolls. According to the French site Pokébip, the free research gives 40 Phantump encounters and the paid one 40 more. At 3 Candy per catch, 80 encounters make 240 base Candy, against 200 required.
| Source | Phantump encounters | Candy at 3 per catch | With a Pinap Berry (double Candy) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Timed Research | 40 | 120 | 240 |
| Paid Timed Research | 40 | 120 | 240 |
| Both researches | 80 | 240 | 480 |
| Cost to evolve into Trevenant | 200 | 200 |
The price: the event page lists US$1.99, or the local equivalent, and Pokébip and MargxT both give €2.19 for France. The web store bundle costs the same and adds two Rare Candies to the ticket. Two candies out of the 200 needed, so 1%: a bonus, not a reason to buy.
Two caveats on my numbers. The 40 and 40 encounters come from Pokébip, the event page does not give them: check them in the game on Saturday morning. And the event's “more Candy” bonus adds to these bases with no published amount, so the table is a floor. With Pinap Berries the free research can be enough for a Trevenant if no catch fails; otherwise you fall a few dozen Candy short, which the bonus and the spare Phantump you transfer to the Professor (one Candy each) make up.
Two detours remain. A Phantump received in a trade evolves for no Candy, according to The Click and Pokémon GO Hub. And as a buddy, at 5 km per candy, 200 Candy means 1,000 km: forget it. My take: the ticket is justified if you are hunting the Shiny, not if you only want a Trevenant. For that, the free research, Pinap Berries and a trade do the job.
Shiny Phantump: what are the odds, and what does it look like?
The page announces a boosted chance without publishing a rate, so there is no serious percentage to give you. Shiny Phantump already exists in the game, so does Shiny Trevenant, and a Shiny Phantump evolves into a Shiny Trevenant under the same conditions. What you control is the number of rolls: 40, or 80 with the ticket, plus the wild spawns.
Shiny Phantump is easy to spot: light grey body, red leaves. Cherubi and Drifloon have their own Shiny too, so check before transferring anything that evening: Shiny Cherubi turns orange, Shiny Drifloon yellow.
What should you do with the “Choose Your Path” Timed Research from September 23 to 28?
“Choose Your Path” is a Timed Research that runs from Wednesday, September 23 at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, September 28 at 8:00 p.m. local time, so the 26th falls right in the middle. Each player picks one of three paths, Explore, Catch or Battle, and that choice sets the tasks for the week, which can differ from one player to the next.
The pages I read on September 21 do not detail the tasks of each path. My pick, for lack of better: Catch, since the 26th is spent throwing Poké Balls. That is reasoning, not confirmed information, so reread the tasks before you lock in your path.
What happens right after September 26?
The Harvest Festival starts on Tuesday, September 29 at 10:00 a.m. and runs until October 5 at 8:00 p.m.: see our article on the 2026 Harvest Festival. On October 4 the Astronaut Pikachu ESA event opens, then on October 10 comes the Zorua Community Day. Three dates in two weeks: keeping your Rare Candies and berries for what follows is not absurd.
To keep the desk busy while your phone heats up, the light-up Pokéball collection stays lit with no calendar.
Frequently asked questions about the Phantump Catch Mastery
What time does the Phantump Catch Mastery start and end?
It runs on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in each player's local time. Timed Research expires at 8:00 p.m., so tasks must be finished and rewards claimed before then or they are lost.
How much does the paid Timed Research cost?
The event page lists US$1.99, or the equivalent in your local currency; the French sites Pokébip and MargxT give €2.19 for France. The web store bundle (Ultra Ticket Box) costs the same and adds two Rare Candies. The ticket cannot be bought with PokéCoins, and it can be gifted to a Great Friend or better.
How much candy does Phantump need to evolve into Trevenant?
It needs 200 Phantump Candy. A Phantump received in a trade evolves for no candy at all, according to The Click and Pokémon GO Hub. As a buddy you would walk 5 km per candy, so 1,000 km for 200, which is not a realistic option.
Can you find Phantump in the wild during the event?
The announcement does not say so: Phantump appears in Field Research and in both Timed Researches. The Pokémon that spawn more often in the wild are Cherubi and Drifloon, with a boosted Shiny chance.
Do you need the ticket to get the double XP?
The announcement lists the event bonuses, double XP and more Candy for Nice Throws or better, without tying them to the ticket. The ticket unlocks the paid Timed Research, with more Phantump encounters. Reread the event page in the game before you buy.
Image credits: event artwork © Scopely Explore / Pokémon / Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK; Pokédex artwork © The Pokémon Company / Nintendo; in-game renders of the Shiny versions © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK, via Serebii; boards composed by Pokéled. Sources: Pokémon GO pages for the event and for Choose Your Path (French, English, Spanish, German), Leek Duck, Pokémon GO Hub, Pokébip, MargxT, The Click.
