MKAU Gaming was invited to partake in the latest Pokémon Go Tour experience, as Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos launched over the weekend, being its biggest celebration to date. It’s brought the beloved Kalos region to life, the event blends immersive in-person experience with a worldwide in-game adventure, uniting trainers across the globe for a massive celebration inspired by Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, which were first released on the Nintendo 3DS in October 2013.

Pokémon Go Tour: Kalos does not just celebrate one of the franchise’s most stylish regions; it goes all-in on scale, spectacle, and Mega Evolution. From brand new Mega debuts and long-awaited Shiny Pokémon to rotating habitats, special research paths and stacked bonuses, this year’s GO Tour feels designed to reward both hardcore players and collectors alike. Whilst we are still talking about collectors, the headline of the tour is Mega Dragonite, making its Pokémon GO debut in the newly introduced Super Mega Raids.

These raids are much more demanding than anything we have seen in Pokémon GO, and trainers will need to coordinate into larger groups to bring them down, which adds to the challenge. Joining Dragonite are Mega Victreebel and Mega Malamar, both of which made their debut during the event, and some trainers were even lucky enough to encounter some shiny ones.

There was plenty for Kalos fans to chase around with several Shiny debuts over the weekend, with Shiny Diancie making its Pokémon GO debut through the ticket holder exclusive masterwork research, which could be completed at your own pace. Meanwhile, Shiny Honedge, Shiny Hawluca and Shiny Klefki all entered the game globally for the first time. Honedge was available during the one-star raids, while Hawlucha and Klefki will hatch from 10km Eggs, with them all having boosted shiny odds over the weekend.

There was also an increased chance of encountering Shiny Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, and we can’t forget about the event-costumed fan favourite Pikachu, who got a special fashionable Kalos makeover, appearing in Calem’s hat and Serena’s hat, with shiny variants also available.

The costumed Pokémon, along with some select raid bosses, can feature some brand new special backgrounds, which are a little bit of a souvenir inspired by Pokémon X, Pokémon Y and Mega Evolution. If you’re lucky enough to catch Xerneas and Yveltal, you will also get a version-specific background, which you can flex on those fake fans who didn’t show up to the event.

Raids were packed across all tiers with rotating Mega Raids running hourly during both days, with some highlights including Mega Charizard X and Y, Mega Garchomp, Mega Lucario, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Gallade, Mega Latis and more. Five-star raids included Kalos legends, while the one-star raids included Pokémon like Honedge and costumed Pikachu.

There were three themed habitats, which were Central Village, Mountain Manor and Coastal Laboratory, which were rotated and each brought their own curated selection of Kalos and fan favourite Pokémon. The egg pools were equally stacked with the chance to hatch Pokémon like Larvitar, Bagon, Beldum and Gible, with the chance of scoring those shiny variants.

If you were lucky enough to purchase a ticket, you gained access to some special research capabilities, and you could choose between the X Version and Y Version patch. Completing it rewards an encounter with either Xerneas or Yveltal, each featuring an exclusive background tied to your choice.

Timed research also introduced region-specific Furfou trims, allowing Trainers to temporarily access styles that are usually locked to specific regions. Add in boosted Route gameplay, including increased Flabébé encounters, Zygarde Cells, and Mateo interactions and exploration was heavily encouraged over the weekend.

Niantic continues to flex its why Pokémon GO is a movement. The Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos brought in Super Mega Raids, a mountain of Shiny Pokémon, deep research paths, and genuinely worthwhile bonuses. This event delivered one of the most content-rich weekends Pokémon has ever seen.