Pokémon Go's yearly "Harvest Festival" event has commenced for 2026, running from September 29 to October 5. This iteration prominently features the debut of shiny Applin, encouraging players to seek out the verdant Pokémon. The event will also transition into a Team Go Rocket Takeover starting on October 2.
You can discover apples scattered on the ground by employing Mossy Lure Modules at PokéStops. Interacting with these apples may yield the item itself or trigger a Pokémon encounter. This guide details the event's bonuses, including branching Timed Research choices.
Event Pass and Bonuses
The event includes a Go Pass with 30 standard ranks and an additional 30 bonus ranks. A significant reward is the Super Rocket Radar, necessary for locating Giovanni and obtaining Shadow Zekrom at rank 30. An upgrade to a deluxe pass for $4.99 unlocks the Super Rocket Radar as an early reward at rank 1. The pass also offers specific bonuses unlocked at certain ranks:
- Rank 1: Increased chance for wild Applin to be holding Tart Apples, Sweet Apples, or Syrupy Apples.
- Rank 10: Mossy Lure duration extended to one hour.
- Rank 20: Increased Stardust rewards from defeating Team Go Rocket.
Timed Research and Choices
Completing the "Applin Picking" Timed Research before the event concludes will grant a special reward. The research progresses through three steps, with the first step requiring players to catch 5 Pokémon, use 3 berries to assist in catches, and explore 1 km, rewarding an Applin encounter, XP, and Stardust.
Upon finishing the first step, players must choose between evolving Applin into Flapple, Appletun, or Dipplin. This decision dictates the type of apples received as rewards in the second step: Tart Apples for Flapple, Sweet Apples for Appletun, and Syrupy Apples for Dipplin. The game suggests choosing based on Pokédex completion or personal preference, as none of these forms are currently meta-relevant. Flapple and Appletun are noted to eventually receive Gigantamax forms, and Dipplin evolves further into Hydrapple.
The second step involves catching 10 Pokémon, using 5 berries for catches, and exploring 2 km, with rewards including specific apples and another Applin encounter. The final step requires catching 5 Pokémon, using 3 berries for catches, and exploring 1 km, offering an Applin encounter, XP, and Stardust, along with additional apples.
Field Research and Spawns
Spinning PokéStops during the event may offer Field Research tasks. These include catching Grass-type Pokémon for encounters with Foongus, Skwovet, or Smoliv, or catching 15 Grass-type Pokémon for an Applin encounter. Using berries for catches can yield encounters with Smoliv or specific apple items.
Several Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild during the event: Skwovet, Applin, Lechonk, and Smoliv, with Smoliv having an increased chance of being shiny. Encounters from apples found on the ground may include Cottonee with a flower crown or Applin. The event also notes an increased chance to find Smoliv shiny in the wild.