Pokémon Go is dedicating its next Community Day event to the tricky fox Pokémon, Zorua, on Saturday, October 10, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time. This event will exclusively feature the original Unovan Zorua, not its Hisuian counterpart.
As a reminder of Zorua's unique mechanic, it will initially appear in the game disguised as the player's current buddy Pokémon. Upon catching it, Zorua will reveal its true form. This mimicry is similar to how Ditto transforms in Pokémon Go.
Players can expect Zorua to spawn in significantly higher numbers during the event, with a greatly increased chance of encountering a shiny variant. Historical data from The Silph Road suggests that shiny rates during Community Days average around 1 in 24, offering a good opportunity to find a glittering Zorua within the three-hour window.
To maximize shiny encounters, players can use an Incense and quickly tap on each spawning Zorua, running from any that are not shiny. A visual cue for checked Pokémon is that they will face the player's avatar, which can help streamline the process. Identifying shiny Zorua is aided by its palette swap, featuring a more brown coloration with blue accents, while shiny Zoroark gains purple accents.
Evolving Zorua into Zoroark between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time during the event will grant it the exclusive fast move Sucker Punch. For those who miss this window, Sucker Punch can likely be acquired during a December Community Day weekend event, or by using an Elite TM. However, Zoroark with this move set is not considered optimal for either PvE raids or PvP battles.
Several in-game bonuses will be active throughout the event: triple XP for catching Pokémon, double candy for catches, and a doubled chance for trainers level 31 and above to receive XL candy. Incense and Lure Modules will be extended to three hours and one hour, respectively. Additionally, players can expect special Zorua photobombs when taking snapshots, one additional special trade, and a halved Stardust cost for trading.
To further boost candy acquisition, players are encouraged to use a Lucky Egg and an Incense. Mega Evolving specific Pokémon, including Gyarados, Houndoom, Tyranitar, Sableye, Sharpedo, Absol, Greninja, or Malamar, will provide bonus Zorua Candy per catch.
For players focused on achieving excellent throws for research tasks, selecting a buddy Pokémon with a large catch ring, such as Snorlax, Wailmer, or Gourgeist, may prove beneficial. Employing the quick catch technique will also bypass Zorua's "Oh?" animation, speeding up encounters.
The event also continues a year-long bonus where Lure Modules will draw a high number of Zorua spawns between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. Importantly, even after the main event concludes at 5 p.m., lures activated during this period will retain the boosted Community Day shiny rate for Zorua.
