New Pokemon Go event celebrates Hoenn region

Published January 15, 2019 8:15 AM, by Charles Singletary Jr

Niantic Labs' hit mobile game is officially expanding. The Pokemon Go developers are striking up a new celebration where Pokemon discovered in the Hoenn region will appear more frequently in the wild. The event starts today, January 15, at 1 pm PT and runs until January 29, 2019, at 1 pm PT.

The Hoenn region in the Pokemon world is the setting of Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire. The starter creatures for trainers in this area, offered up by Professor Birch, are Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip. You can take a look at the full Hoenn Pokedex on the Bulbapedia website, but here are a few highlights of the Pokemon you'll be able to find in Pokemon Go during this event:

• Poochyena
• Linoone
• Beautifly
• Lombre
• Seedot
• Taillow
• Wingull
• Masquerain
• Vigoroth
• Exploud

Here's a list of the new features going live during this event, taken from PokemonGoLive:

• Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region will appear more frequently in the wild.
• Field Research will highlight Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region.
• Raid Battles will include Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region, such as the Legendary Pokémon Kyogre and Groudon.
• Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region will have an increased chance of hatching from 7 km Eggs.
• If you evolve Shroomish into Breloom, it will know the exclusive move Grass Knot!
• You’ll have a chance of encountering Shiny Zigzagoon and Shiny Taillow!
• New avatar items inspired by Team Magma and Team Aqua—the original villains of the Hoenn region in Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire—will be available in the Style Shop.

If you've got a few favorite creatures from the Hoenn Region, the Pokemon Go event runs until January 29, 2019. It closes out at 1 pm PT on that day, so hit the streets and get capturing. Stay tuned to Shacknews for additional updates.