Three years in, and Pokémon Sleep is still finding new ways to keep you glued to the app. This time, it’s big: the Sinnoh first-partner Pokémon — Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup — are arriving in Pokémon Sleep for the very first time, kicking off the Third Anniversary Fest on 13 July 2026. If you’ve been holding out for a Piplup, your wait is almost over.

Third Anniversary Prelude: Running Now Until 13 July

Before the main event, the Third Anniversary Prelude is already live and runs until 13 July. This warm-up phase brings increased spawn rates for the Hoenn first-partner Pokémon — Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, and all their evolutions — alongside boosted Dream Shards and Research EXP from sleep sessions. It’s a good window to stock up resources before the bigger celebration kicks in.

Pokémon Sleep 3rd Anniversary Fest Week 1 — 13 to 19 July

The headline is straightforward: Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup appear in Pokémon Sleep for the first time ever during Week 1, with greater encounter rates across all areas. Alongside the Sinnoh starter debuts, Week 1 rolls out a solid set of helper-focused bonuses:

• Main skill trigger chance ×1.5 for all helper Pokémon
• Helper Pokémon Sleep EXP ×1.5
• Candy from sleep research ×1.5 (once per day)
• A limited-time Dream Gift from Snorlax each day

Limited-time missions also go live during Week 1, rewarding Pokémon Incense for all three Sinnoh starters. If Turtwig or Chimchar aren’t spawning in your current research area, the incense is your best route to guaranteed encounters.

Pokémon Sleep 3rd Anniversary Fest Week 2 — 20 to 26 July

Week 2 expands the Sinnoh roster significantly: the full evolution lines join the game, so Grotle, Torterra, Monferno, Infernape, Prinplup, and Empoleon all appear with greater rates. It’s the week to build out your Sinnoh team beyond the base forms. The bonuses shift to powering up your helpers:

• Dish Final Strength ×1.5 (up to ×3 for Extra Tasty dishes, and ×4.5 on Extra Tasty dishes on Sundays)
• Limited-time Mini Candy Boost and Festive Flowers
• Neutralising Mints, plus a new feature that will stay available permanently after the event ends

On 20 July — the actual third anniversary of Pokémon Sleep’s global launch — the developers are sending a special gift to every player as a thank-you for three years of sleeping together with Snorlax.

Generation IV Finally Comes to Pokémon Sleep

The arrival of the Sinnoh starters is a milestone for collectors who have been waiting since the game launched in July 2023. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remain beloved games for Singapore’s 20-something and 30-something Pokémon fans — a generation that grew up with the Sinnoh region — and Turtwig in particular has been a long-requested favourite. The Pokémon Asia ENG official channel has been hyping the anniversary directly at its Southeast Asian audience, which tells you where a big chunk of the app’s engagement is coming from.

The Third Anniversary Fest runs from 13 to 27 July 2026 in two weeks of distinct bonuses, with the Sinnoh starter evolutions unlocking fully in Week 2. Check the Pokémon Sleep official site for any schedule updates, and catch up on more Pokémon and Nintendo news at Game News.