Pokémon Horizons: The Series and Pokémon GO are crossing over in a special worldwide event that kicks off on 16 September — and it brings Friede’s signature Charmander into the mobile game for the very first time.
The Anime Episode: Professor Willow Goes to Horizons
Episode 150 of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, titled Hirogaru Sekai, Kimi to GO! (「広がる世界、きみとGO!」 — The Expanding World, With You and GO!), airs on 18 September in Japan. In the episode, Liko and her companions head out on fieldwork alongside Professor Willow from Pokémon GO. The crossover also promises a long-awaited reveal: how Friede first met Charizard.
During the broadcast, Pokémon GO will announce a promotional code that guarantees an encounter with a Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles featuring a Special Background. Singapore fans who cannot watch the Japanese broadcast live should keep an eye on the official Pokémon GO social channels — promo codes like these are typically shared online within minutes of a broadcast.
Pokémon GO Event: Dates, Spawns and Raids (16–22 September)
The Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event runs worldwide from Wednesday 16 September at 10:00 am local time through to Tuesday 22 September at 8:00 pm local time. Singapore players are fully included — no region lock.
Featured wild spawns are split by time of day. During the day, look out for Fidough, Wattrel, and Chansey; at night, Eevee, Hatenna, and Rockruff will appear more often. Kecleon encounters at PokéStops also increase throughout the event.
Three-star raids feature Charizard wearing Friede’s goggles alongside the Paldea starters’ final forms — Meowscarada, Skeledirge, and Quaquaval. One-star raids bring back Pikachu wearing Cap’s Hat.
Friede’s Charmander — and How to Evolve It
Charmander wearing Friede’s goggles makes its Pokémon GO debut during this event. It can be found in the wild, through Field Research tasks, when using regular Lure Modules, and via the event GO Pass. Collect enough candy and the costume carries through the entire Charmander line: 25 Charmander Candy evolves it into Charmeleon wearing Friede’s goggles, and 100 candy goes all the way to a goggled Charizard.
Event bonuses include double Candy for all catches, one-hour Lure Modules, and bonus Stardust for catching Hatenna and Wattrel. A free GO Pass activates automatically when the event begins, with a paid tier also available.
The full event breakdown is on the official Pokémon GO site. For more Pokémon GO news and upcoming events, check the GameTrader.SG events tracker — and if you’re looking ahead to what’s streaming on 18 September, our Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Netflix guide has the regional details.