Mid-September 2026 brought several Pokémon GO events worth planning around. These events have now ended; this guide records their schedules and participation requirements.
The new costume Charmander wearing Friede's goggles arrived, while South Korea hosted Pikachu wearing an orange hanbok. A new Mega Evolution, Mega Staraptor, also debuted in Super Mega Raids.
Each event had different hours and participation regions.
Staraptor Raid Day lasted just three hours. Hanbok Pikachu first appeared in selected Seoul and Incheon locations, followed by an event across South Korea—not across North America.
Here are seven useful takeaways from Pokémon GO's September 2026 schedule.
Mid-September 2026 Event Schedule
The main dates were as follows. Global events used local time; the two Korean events used KST.
| Event | Dates | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Horizons celebration | September 16, 10:00 a.m.–September 22, 8:00 p.m. local time | Goggle Charmander and Pikachu wearing Cap's hat |
| Pikachu Autumn Picnic | September 18, 10:00 a.m.–October 11, 8:00 p.m. KST | Hanbok Pikachu in selected Seoul and Incheon locations |
| Staraptor Super Mega Raid Day | September 19, 2:00–5:00 p.m. local time | Mega Staraptor debut |
| Pikachu Korea Outing | September 24, 10:00 a.m.–September 26, 8:00 p.m. KST | Hanbok Pikachu across South Korea |
For a limited schedule, the most time-sensitive entry was Mega Staraptor's September 19 raid window, 2:00–5:00 p.m. local time.
Its three-hour duration left less flexibility than the multiday events.
1. Goggle Charmander Could Evolve into Charizard
The September 16 Pokémon Horizons celebration introduced Charmander wearing Friede's goggles.
It had several encounter routes:
- Wild encounters
- Field Research
- Regular Lure Modules
- The event GO Pass
Unlike many costume Pokémon, this Charmander could evolve.
Spend 25 Charmander Candy for Charmeleon wearing Friede's goggles, followed by 100 more for Charizard wearing Friede's goggles.
Lucky encounters could be Shiny or have a Special Background.
If you wanted to keep every stage, collecting at least three before evolving your best one made the costume collection easier to organize.
2. Day and Night Had Different Encounters
Some Pokémon Horizons wild encounters changed with the time of day.
| Local time | Featured examples |
|---|---|
| 5:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | Fidough, Wattrel, and others; rarer Chansey |
| 5:00 p.m.–5:00 a.m. | Eevee, Hatenna, and others; rarer Rockruff |
Your target determined the better time to play.
Goggle Charmander appeared in the wild, with a chance to find Pikachu wearing Cap's hat as well.
The raid lineup was also useful for collectors.
One-star raids
- Pikachu wearing Cap's hat
Three-star raids
- Charizard wearing Friede's goggles
- Meowscarada
- Skeledirge
- Quaquaval
The announced raid encounters could be Shiny or have a Special Background if you were lucky.
However, a Special Background was not guaranteed. Set a Raid Pass budget rather than assuming enough raids would guarantee one.
3. Mega Staraptor Made Its Pokémon GO Debut
The week's focused raid event was Staraptor Super Mega Raid Day.
It ran September 19, 2026, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. local time, including those clock hours at North American play locations. Mega Staraptor debuted during the event.
The release also introduced a progression goal beyond the first Mega Evolution.
Mega Staraptor could reach the new Mega Level, Super Max.
You first needed to reach the third Mega Level, Max.
Further progression then required Staraptor Mega Energy, with raids offering a way to collect it.
Repeating one Mega Evolution per day alone did not take an eligible Pokémon all the way to Super Max.
4. Brave Bird+ Was the Key New Attack
Another reason to watch Mega Staraptor was its additional Charged Attack, Brave Bird+.
The announced attack values were:
Trainer Battles
70 power, lowering the user's Defense by three stages.
Raid Battles
Listed power: 150.
Brave Bird+'s power increases as Mega Staraptor's Mega Level increases.
That made developing its Mega Level relevant to its potential as a Flying-type raid attacker.
Raw Attack alone could not establish that it outperformed every other Flying-type option.
The boss's typing, Defense, and moves, as well as your Mega Level, all affect practical results.
The useful takeaway was a new Flying-type Mega option with meaningful offensive potential, rather than an unsupported universal ranking.
5. Up to Six Free Raid Passes
Staraptor Super Mega Raid Day included free participation benefits.
Spinning Gym Photo Discs could award up to six free Raid Passes
. Staraptor caught from Super Mega Raids also had Mega Level 1 unlocked.
Shiny Staraptor chances from those raids were increased.
Event Timed Research offered these rewards:
- A Premium Battle Pass
- A Gardevoir encounter
An optional paid ticket added bonuses for Trainers planning more raids.
| Option | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Base event | Up to six Raid Passes from Gym Photo Discs |
| Paid ticket | Up to 14 total Raid Passes from Gym Photo Discs |
| Paid ticket | Increased Rare Candy XL chance from raids |
| Paid ticket | Extra XP and Stardust from Super Mega Raids |
| Remote Raids | Daily participation cap raised to 20 |
The ticket raised the Gym Photo Disc Raid Pass total to 14; it did not add 14 on top of the free six.
The sensible purchase check was how many raids you could actually complete in three hours.
For a Pokédex entry and initial Mega Energy, starting with the free passes was a reasonable low-cost plan.
6. The Remote Raid Cap Had Its Own Window
The Remote Raid daily cap was raised to 20 around the event.
The official North American window was September 18, 5:00 p.m.–September 19, 8:00 p.m. PDT (September 18, 8:00 p.m.–September 19, 11:00 p.m. EDT).
This was separate from the local raid event.
Staraptor Raid Day itself ran September 19, 2:00–5:00 p.m. local time, while the cap increase covered a longer, fixed worldwide interval.
Do not treat the cap increase as an extension of the local boss event.
Free Gym Photo Disc Raid Passes and Remote Raid Passes were also separate items. A higher cap did not provide free Remote Raid Passes.
7. Hanbok Pikachu Was a South Korea Event
For Trainers visiting South Korea, Pikachu wearing an orange hanbok was another collection target. It was not a North American local event.
The costume appeared through two Korean activities.
Selected Seoul and Incheon Locations from September 18
The first was Pikachu Autumn Picnic 2026, a descriptive English rendering of the Korean event title.
It ran September 18, 10:00 a.m.–October 11, 8:00 p.m. KST.
Featured areas included:
- Selected parts of Jongno-gu, Seoul
- Selected parts of Jung-gu, Seoul
- HiKR Station at Incheon International Airport
Orange-hanbok Pikachu appeared in one-star raids and research rewards in the participating locations.
The designated costume raids did not accept Remote Raid Passes
. They required an in-person visit.
Free Timed Research Rewards
Selected designated areas also offered free event Timed Research.
Its featured rewards included:
- 2,026 XP
- Pikachu wearing an orange hanbok
- One Premium Battle Pass
- Event-themed stickers
The announcement included a chance of Shiny hanbok Pikachu and an increased Shiny chance during the event, without specifying exact odds.
South Korea-Wide Event from September 24
Trainers already in South Korea did not necessarily need to travel to Seoul or Incheon.
September 24 marked the start of Pikachu Korea Outing 2026, another descriptive English event title.
It ran across South Korea September 24, 10:00 a.m.–September 26, 8:00 p.m. KST.
Orange-hanbok Pikachu appeared in one-star raids nationwide within South Korea, alongside free Timed Research.
Featured research rewards included:
- 4,500 XP
- One Premium Battle Pass
- 5,500 Stardust
- Pikachu wearing an orange hanbok
The nationwide event also offered 2× Candy for transferring Pokémon and 2× Stardust from Raid Battles.
For players in South Korea whose main goal was the costume, the September 24 nationwide event was an alternative to a special Seoul or Incheon trip. Neither window remains open.
Choosing Priorities for September's Events
The most useful order depended on your goals.
| Goal | Priority at the time |
|---|---|
| Costume collection | Goggle Charmander and Pikachu wearing Cap's hat |
| A new Mega Evolution | Mega Staraptor on September 19 |
| Flying-type raid investment | Mega Staraptor and its Mega Energy |
| A Korean regional costume | Orange-hanbok Pikachu in South Korea |
| Shiny collecting | Staraptor, hanbok Pikachu, and other eligible targets |
| Free or low-cost play | Wild encounters, free research, and free Raid Passes first |
Clearing Pokémon Storage and Item Bag space before a session made the limited windows easier to use.
Goggle Charmander collectors needed evolution Candy; repeated Staraptor raids also required an appropriate pass budget.
Why Mega Staraptor Was the Tightest Window
Mid-September's sequence was goggle Charmander → Mega Staraptor raids → Korean hanbok Pikachu events, with overlapping dates and different regional access.
A practical plan at the time was to collect Charmander during the week, then reserve September 19's three-hour window for Staraptor.
For hanbok Pikachu, visitors could use the selected Seoul and Incheon activities from September 18 or the South Korea-wide September 24 event if that better fit their location.
Choosing a goal—new entries, costumes, or raid upgrades—kept the event calendar manageable. This recap preserves the ended schedules rather than offering currently claimable rewards.
Regional and version notes
English localization reviewed October 23, 2026. Global local-time schedules follow your play location, including North America. Korea-only schedules remain KST and Japanese airport schedules remain JST. Ended event windows do not provide new claim opportunities. Team choices and tier comparisons are editorial, not guaranteed catches, wins, or a continuously updated ranking. The Staraptor Remote Raid cap used a fixed PDT interval, unlike its local 2–5 p.m. raid window. The ticket total was 14 passes, not 14 plus six. Both hanbok Pikachu activities were South Korea-only. Some illustrations are retained from the Korean edition and may include Korean labels. Use the English article text for instructions.
Localization sources checked October 23, 2026 (Korea time):