Arrokuda, Barraskewda and Cramorant are diving into Pokémon GO for the first time later this month — and Mega Starmie makes its debut the same week. If you are in Singapore, you also get an exclusive Tatsugiri form that players in Europe and the Americas cannot encounter without trading.
What Is Ultra Unlock: Water Festival?
The Ultra Unlock: Water Festival is a bonus event earned by Trainers who participated in Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Global. It runs from Tuesday, 18 August at 10:00 a.m. local time through Monday, 24 August at 8:00 p.m. local time — for Singapore that is 10:00 SGT to 20:00 SGT. No ticket is required to join in: anyone can catch the wild spawns and progress through the free GO Pass track. Check out our upcoming events guide for more Pokémon GO event coverage.
Three Galarian Pokémon Make Their Pokémon GO Debut
All three newcomers are from the Galar region (Pokémon Sword and Shield) and none were in the game before this event. Collect 50 Arrokuda Candy to evolve it into Barraskewda — Barraskewda does not spawn on its own.
- Arrokuda (Water) — appears in the wild, via Field Research task rewards, and through Rainy Lure Modules. This is your main candy source for the Barraskewda evolution.
- Barraskewda (Water) — evolve from Arrokuda; does not appear in the wild.
- Cramorant (Flying/Water) — hatches from Eggs, available through GO Pass rewards, and can appear as a GO Battle League encounter at Rank 16 and above. Note: Cramorant is not eligible for the Competitors Cup.
What Is Spawning in the Wild
Wild encounters during the event include Psyduck in a Swim Ring costume (shiny available), Goldeen, Mareanie, Wimpod and Ducklett — with Ducklett and Dewpider both enjoying a boosted shiny rate. Rarer encounters include Feebas and Clamperl (both shiny-eligible). Wiglett appears more often near coastal and beach biomes.
Singapore Gets Tatsugiri Stretchy Form — Europe and the Americas Do Not
Tatsugiri appears in 1-Star Raids throughout the Water Festival, but its form is region-locked:
- Asia-Pacific (including Singapore): Tatsugiri Stretchy Form
- Europe / Middle East / Africa: Tatsugiri Curly Form
- Americas: Tatsugiri Droopy Form
All three are the same species and share the same move pool, but the forms are cosmetically distinct and region-locked — the only way to get all three on one account is via trading. If the Stretchy Form matters to your collection, grind those 1-Star Raids while you can.
The GO Pass: Free Rewards and Paid Upgrades
Every Trainer automatically receives the GO Pass: Water Festival on 18 August at 10:00 a.m. local time — no purchase required. Earn GO Points to level up through ranks: Rank 10 unlocks 2× Catch Candy, and Rank 20 unlocks half Egg Hatch Distance. Free rewards along the track include Arrokuda encounters, a Rainy Lure Module, Golden Razz Berries and Rare Candy. All GO Pass rewards expire on 26 August at 8:00 p.m. local time, so use them before then.
Two paid tiers are available: GO Pass Deluxe at US$4.99 for upgraded rewards and faster rank progression, or GO Pass Deluxe + 6 Bonus Ranks at US$6.99 for an immediate head start. Deluxe holders get extra Arrokuda and Cramorant encounters, Silver Pinap Berries, Rare Candy XL and an event-exclusive avatar cosmetic.
Mega Starmie Raid Day on 22 August — Make It Count
Overlapping with the Water Festival is the Ultra Unlock: Starmie Super Mega Raid Day on Saturday, 22 August, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. This is Mega Starmie’s first-ever appearance in Pokémon GO. Free bonuses available to everyone include:
- +5,000 XP from all raids
- Up to 6 free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs
- Increased Shiny Starmie encounter rate after raids
- Increased Rare Candy XL drop rate
- All caught Starmie auto-unlock Mega Level 1
- Remote Raid Pass limit raised to 20 (from Friday 21 August 2:00 p.m. PDT through Saturday 22 August 8:00 p.m. PDT)
A premium event ticket (US$4.99) upgrades that to 14 Raid Passes from gyms, stacks an additional +5,000 XP, and grants guaranteed Rare Candy XL with each Starmie caught post-raid. A Timed Research track rewards a Scizor encounter plus a Premium Battle Pass.
Best Days to Play: The Bonuses Escalate
Catch XP and Stardust bonuses increase as the event progresses, making the final two days the most valuable farming window:
| Window (local time) | Catch XP | Catch Stardust |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Aug 10 a.m. – 20 Aug | 2× | 3× |
| 20 Aug – 22 Aug | 3× | 4× |
| 22 Aug – 24 Aug 8 p.m. | 4× | 5× |
22 August is your single best day to play: the final tier of 4× Catch XP and 5× Catch Stardust runs simultaneously with Mega Starmie’s debut Raid Day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you can only clear your schedule for one day this week, make it that Saturday. Full event details are on the official Pokémon GO website.