Pokemon GO Dark Skies overview: Best tips and tricks, hunt-worthy shinies, and more

Pokemon GO Dark Skies is the lead-up event for GO Fest: Max Finale. It kicked off at 10 am local time on Monday, August 18, 2025, and will end at 10 am local time on Saturday, August 23, 2025. Eternatus makes its debut in the game during this period. No other new Dynamax Pocket Monsters will enter the arena, but every creature that has already been introduced will return.

This article covers all the features and bonuses of the Pokemon GO Dark Skies event and tells you how to make the most out of it.

Pokemon GO Dark Skies features and bonuses

Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game

Features

Eternatus debut

Eternatus enters the Pokemon GO arena during this event. It will be available through the GO Pass: Max Finale.

Wild spawns

Grookey
Scorbunny
Sobble
Skwovet*
Wooloo*

Raids

1-star raids

Sinistea

3-star raids

Galarian Farfetch'd*
Galarian Weezing*

5-star raids

August 18-20, 2025

Zacian*
Zamazenta*

August 21, 2025

Zacian*

August 22, 2025

Zamazenta*

Special raid hours

Thursday, August 21, 2025, 6 pm - 7 pm

Zacian (Crowned Sword)

Friday, August 22, 2025, 6 pm - 7 pm

Zamazenta (Crowned Shield)

Dynamax battles

Monday, August 18, 2025

Squirtle*
Caterpie*
Gastly*
Krabby*
Shuckle*
Sableye*
Beldum*
Latias*
Latios*
Trubbish*
Sobble
Hatenna

Tuesday-Wednesday, August 19-20, 2025

Charmander*
Omanyte*
Kabuto*
Articuno*
Zapdos*
Moltres*
Pidove*
Drilbur*
Cryogonal*
Scorbunny
Rookidee*
Toxtricity (Amped Form)*
Toxtricity (Low Key Form)*

Thursday-Friday, August 21-22, 2025

Bulbasaur*
Machop*
Chansey*
Raikou*
Entei*
Suicune*
Wailmer*
Darumaka*
Passimian*
Grookey
Skwovet*
Wooloo*
Falinks*

* - shiny available

Bonuses

More Power Spots than usual will be active.
Power Spots will refresh daily.
Max Particle collection limit will increase to 1,600.
The Remote Raid Pass limit will be increased to 30.

Other than this, there is also a Pokemon GO Dark Skies Timed Research available during the event.

Best tips and tricks for Pokemon GO Dark Skies

To make the most of this event, do the following things:

Participate extensively in Max Battles: Take advantage of the denser distribution of Power Spots.
Collect all the Dynamax Pokemon you don't have: Some of the Max Battles have only been available on specific occasions for limited times (case in point: all the Legendaries). Try to catch them now if you missed the previous events.
Invest in the GO Pass Deluxe: Max Finale: This is the best way to earn Eternatus Candy and Candy XL.

Best shinies to look for during Pokemon GO Dark Days

Shiny Dynamax Passimian
Shiny Dynamax Latios and Latias
Shiny Dynamax Rookidee
Shiny Dynamax Raikou
Shiny Dynamax Charmander

In other news, Beelzeboy won the 2025 Pokemon GO World Championships.

Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

About the author

Abhipsito is an Esports and Gaming Journalist at Sportskeeda. A self-identified pop culture enthusiast, he spends his time thinking, reading, doing theatre, watching films, or trying to wiggle his way out of Valorant elo-hell.

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Edited by Abhipsito Das