Feel the Rhythm: Pokémon GO Grookey Community Day Guide

New Delhi, january 19, 2026: The first major event of 2026 has arrived! Trainers around the world are gearing up for the January Community Day, featuring the Galar region’s Grass-type starter, Grookey. Whether you are a competitive PvP player or a collector hunting for that elusive shiny, this event offers a massive boost to your journey.

This guide covers everything you need to know to make the most of the Grookey Community Day.

Event Schedule

Mark your calendars for the following date and time:

• Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026
• Time: 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time

While the main spawns occur during this three-hour window, several evolution and trade bonuses remain active until 9:00 PM local time.

Featured Pokémon: Grookey

During the event, Grookey will appear much more frequently in the wild. This is the perfect time to stock up on candy and find a high-IV specimen for your roster.

• Shiny Debut: This event marks the official release of Shiny Grookey. Look for a lighter, more lime-yellowish hue compared to its standard green.
• Special Backgrounds: For the first time, lucky Trainers may encounter Grookey with a Special Background through wild encounters, Field Research, or snapshots.

Exclusive Moves for Rillaboom

To get the most out of your Grookey, you’ll want to evolve it all the way into its final form, Rillaboom. If you evolve a Thwackey (the middle evolution) during the event or up to four hours afterward (by 9:00 PM), your Rillaboom will learn the following:

Move Type	Move Name	Context	Effect
Charged Attack	Frenzy Plant	Community Day Exclusive	High-damage Grass move (100 Power)
Charged Attack	Drum Beating	New Permanent Move	115 Power (Gyms/Raids); Lowers opponent Attack (PvP)

Note: Starting with this event, Rillaboom can learn Drum Beating even after the event ends, but Frenzy Plant is restricted to the Community Day window.

Event Bonuses

Niantic has packed this event with rewards to help you level up your account and power up your Pokémon:

• 3× Catch Stardust: The premier bonus for many players. Use a Star Piece to maximize your gains.
• 2× Catch Candy: Double the rewards for every Grookey you catch.
• 2× XL Candy Chance: For Trainers level 31 and above, catching Pokémon provides twice the chance to receive XL Candies.
• Extended Lures & Incense: Lure Modules and Incense (excluding Daily Adventure Incense) will last for three hours.
• Trading Discounts: One additional Special Trade (maximum of 3 for the day) and 50% less Stardust for all trades between 2:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

Research & Rewards

• Special Research: For $1.99 USD (or local equivalent), players can purchase the “Grooving with Grookey” story. This provides extra encounters, a Premium Battle Pass, and Rare Candy XL.
• Field Research: Spin PokéStops to find event-themed tasks. Rewards include Grookey encounters, Stardust, and Ultra Balls.
• Snapshots: Take up to 5 snapshots during the event for a surprise encounter with Grookey!

Pro-Tips for Trainers

1. Prioritize Rillaboom for Max Battles: Rillaboom is currently a top-tier Grass attacker for Max Battles and Gigantamax encounters. Use this day to farm the Candy and XL Candy needed to max its level.
2. Clear Space Early: Ensure you have at least 200–300 open slots in your Pokémon Storage to avoid stopping to transfer during peak spawn hours.
3. Lure Module Strategy: Grookey has a very high chance of appearing at PokéStops with active Lures from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Even if you miss the main event window, you can still hunt for shinies near Lures until late evening.
4. Save Transfers for Tuesday: If you have extra Grookey after the event, wait until the next Spotlight Hour (usually Tuesday) if it features a “2× Transfer Candy” bonus to maximize your resources.