The BEST Stardust Event of ALL TIME (don’t miss) Pokemon Go 10th Anniversary
The 10th anniversary of Pokémon GO arrives with a three‑day celebration (July 4 10:00 a.m. – July 6 8:00 p.m.) packed with massive catch bonuses, a shiny‑unlocked Gimmighoul, exclusive raid bosses, and a slew of grinding opportunities. Whether you’re chasing XP, Stardust, or rare shinies, this guide breaks down everything you need to know to maximize the event.
Event Bonuses & Core Grinding Strategies
- 4× Catch XP – Every catch awards quadruple experience. Pair this with a Lucky Egg (doubles XP) and land Excellent throws for up to 8,000 XP per catch.
- 4× Catch Stardust – Base catches give 400 Stardust; Stage 1 Pokémon give 1,200; Stage 2 give 2,000.
- Weather Boost adds 1.25× Stardust.
- Star Piece adds another 1.5× Stardust (e.g., a basic catch with Star Piece = 600 Stardust).
- Boosted‑Stardust Pokémon (Paras, Kantonian Meowth, Delibird, Shroomish, Foongus, Morelull, Audino, etc.) yield 2,000 Stardust base (8,000 with Star Piece). Audino alone nets 8,000 Stardust per catch.
- Party Play Item Sharing – Team up with three friends; each shares four Lucky Eggs and four Star Pieces, giving everyone four hours of each item (double solo duration).
- Dialga’s Roar of Time Adventure Effect – Freezes timers on Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces, Incense, and Daily Incense.
- Fast Catch Trick – Skips the catch animation, dramatically speeding up Stardust grinding.
Shiny Gimmighoul & Coin Bag Mechanics
- Shiny Gimmighoul becomes available July 4 – July 31 23:59 (unshiny‑locked for the first time).
- Coin Bag = 30‑minute incense that only spawns Gimmighoul. Activate once per day by sending a postcard from Pokémon GO to Pokémon Scarlet/Violet via the Nintendo Switch.
- How to get a Coin Bag
- On Switch: update Scarlet/Violet → Poké Portal → Mystery Gift → Connect to Pokémon GO → Pair New Account.
- In GO: Settings → Connect to Nintendo Switch → Pair.
- In GO Postcard Book → Choose postcard → Send to Nintendo Switch.
- On Switch: Keep “Connect to Pokémon GO” running → Accept send prompts.
- Receive a Vivillon (or other gift) and the Coin Bag appears in GO.
- Odds – Activating a Coin Bag daily (28 possible during the event window) gives a high chance at a shiny Gimmighoul.
- Golden Lure – Send five gifts to Scarlet/Violet to receive a Golden Lure; dropping it spawns Gimmighoul and yields Gimmighoul Coins (1,000 needed to evolve to Gholdengo).
- Note – The 10th‑anniversary‑coin Gimmighoul cannot evolve; the regular shiny can.
Event‑Themed Wild Spawns & Exclusive Evolutions
| Costume Pokémon | Evolution | Exclusive Move (if evolved during event) |
|---|---|---|
| Pikachu (cake hat) | Raichu → Mega Raichu Y (coming July 18) | — |
| Eevee (party hat) | — | — |
| Wurmple (party hat) | Silcoon/Beautifly or Cascoon/Dustox | — |
| Bulbasaur (party hat) | Venusaur → Frenzy Plant | |
| Charmander (party hat) | Charizard → Blast Burn | |
| Squirtle (party hat) | Blastoise → Hydro Cannon | |
| Likely other starters & party‑hat Pokémon (Raticate, Gengar, Nidorina, Wobbuffet) | — | — |
- Shiny odds are increased for all event‑themed wild spawns.
- Research Tasks (free & $2 paid timed research) reward event‑themed encounters, a Super Incubator, a Raid Pass, and a Gimmighoul with the 10th‑anniversary coin & special background.
Raid Boss Schedule
| Period | Five‑Star Raids | Mega Raids | Shadow Raids |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 4 – July 5 | Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres | Mega Lucario | Shadow Palkia |
| July 6 (Road to Legends start) | 74 legendary bosses (all previously available) | Mega Salamence | Shadow Palkia |
- Moltres (Wing Attack / Fly) – #7 Flying attacker; easy duo for raid XP & Rare Candy.
- Shadow Altered Palkia (Dragon Tail / Draco Meteor) – #6 Dragon attacker; good for Origin Palkia candy & Spatial Rend adventure effect.
- Mega Lucario (Force Palm / Aura Sphere) – #2 Fighting, #6 Steel attacker; strong for future Mega Lucario Z.
- Mega Salamence (Dragon Tail / Draco Meteor) – #4 Dragon, #6 Dark attacker.
Community Day & Road to Legends
- Sobble Community Day – July 4, 2:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (local). Bonuses: 4× XP, 4× Stardust, ¼ hatch distance – one of the best bonus windows ever.
- Road to Legends – Begins July 6. Features: unlimited Remote Raid Passes, guaranteed Candy XL from trades, easier Premier Ball catches, 2 free Raid Passes.
- Community Ambassador Meet‑ups (via Campfire) grant timed research (Sobble encounters, Rare Candy, Raid Pass, Lucky Egg, Star Piece) and 25 % reduced Egg Incubator distance while checked in.
Candy‑Maximizing Tips
- Pinap Berries – 2× catch candy. Silver Pinap – 2.34× candy.
- Mega Evolve for type‑matching candy boosts:
- Mega Blaziken → Charmander, Moltres, Lucario candies.
- Primal Kyogre → Squirtle, Pikachu, Wurmple candies.
- Primal Groudon → Wurmple, Charmander, Moltres candies.
- Mega Gengar → Bulbasaur, Gimmighoul candies.
- Switch to a Ghost‑type Mega (e.g., Mega Gengar) when using Coin Bags for extra Gimmighoul candy.
- Trade Away caught Pokémon for extra candy (1 candy per trade; 2 candies + guaranteed Candy XL if you reached Rank 1 at June GO Fest).
- Friendship Fridays (next Friday) – 20 % less Stardust per trade, 2 extra special trades, 2 guaranteed Candy XL per trade, higher lucky‑trade chance (1/64 hundo).
Adventure Effects for Grinding Efficiency
- Palkia’s Spatial Rend – Doubles spawn radius (40 m → 80 m). Costs Stardust; weigh cost vs. extra catches.
- Kyurem’s Ice Burn – Slows catch ring, making Excellent throws far easier during the 4× XP window. Costs Kyurem candy + Stardust.
Pre‑Event Preparation
- Advanced Settings → Download all assets & enable Native Refresh Rate for smoothest gameplay.
- Learn the Fast Catch Trick (skip catch animation) to maximize Stardust per minute.
Final Thought for Maximizing the Pokemon Go Experience This Month in Pokemon Go
The 10th anniversary party is a rare convergence of massive XP/Stardust multipliers, a shiny‑unlocked Gimmighoul, exclusive raid bosses, and a Community Day stacked with bonuses. Set up your Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces, and Party Play groups now, secure daily Coin Bags via postcard exchanges, and plan your raid schedule around Moltres, Shadow Palkia, and the Mega bosses. Don’t forget to hit the Sobble Community Day and the Road to Legends kickoff for extra rewards.
Ready to grind? Grab your friends, fire up the app on July 4, and make the most of this historic event. Happy hunting, Trainers!