Niantic kicks off December with the Precious Paths season, unveiling a dense slate of events that blend new Pokemon, regional twists, and festive collaborations. The mobile game is laying out a packed calendar that runs through New Year’s week, including the first appearance of Clobbopus in Well Armed, a two-day Community Day that revisits past favorites, and a two-part Winter Holiday celebration designed to keep players logging in through the month.
December’s raid calendar anchors the month with a rotation of Five-Star Raids featuring Unova legendaries, alongside a recurring slate of Mega Raids and Shadow Raids. Five-Star Raids rotate through Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion from late November into December, followed by Kyurem (Dec 4–13), then Reshiram (Dec 13–22) and Zekrom (Dec 22–31). Mega Raids bring back Mega Aerodactyl, Mega Medicham and Mega Garchomp (Nov 25–Dec 4), then Mega Gyarados (Dec 4–13), Mega Abomasnow (Dec 13–22), and Mega Glalie (Dec 22–31). Shadow Raids return on weekends with Shadow Heatran appearing in encounters across those Saturdays. The Max Battle lineup runs a familiar cadence: Dynamax Darumaka (Dec 1–7), Cryogonal (Dec 8–14), Kabuto (Dec 15–21), Spheal (Dec 22–28), and Omanyte (Dec 29–Jan 4).
Spotlight Hour events return every Tuesday from 6–7 PM local time, spotlighting a different Pokemon with a bonus to help players rack up extra rewards. December’s schedule features Cranidos on December 2 with 2x transfer candy, Shieldon on December 9 with 2x catch XP, Mienfoo on December 16 with 2x catch candy, Spheal on December 23 with 2x evolution XP, and Delibird on December 30 with 2x catch. These focused windows keep players returning week to week as the year winds down.
Journey To Paldea runs December 2–9, headlined by the Paldea region’s Nacli, which will appear in the wild for the event. Paldean Tauros also returns as a three-star raid boss, with breed forms available by region: Blaze Breed in the Eastern Hemisphere, Aqua Breed in the Western Hemisphere, and Combat Breed exclusive to the Iberian Peninsula. The event grants double XP for winning Raid battles and double XP for evolving Pokemon, along with increased odds of encountering shiny Larvitar and shiny Bagon. In addition, specific wild encounters appear across the event window: Larvitar, Drifloon, and Skrelp on December 2, 4, 6, and 8; Misdreavus, Bagon, Clauncher on December 3, 5, 7, and 9. In raids, three-star Paldean Tauros (Combat Breed) appears in the Iberian Peninsula while Paldean Tauros (Blaze Breed) and Paldean Tauros (Aqua Breed) appear in the Eastern and Western hemispheres respectively, and Bombirdier and Dondozo also appear in raids during the event.
The December Community Day runs across two days, December 6–7, offering a second chance to encounter featured Pokemon from the past year in the wild and with boosted shiny odds. The event introduces a broad suite of bonuses: evolution requirements for Eevee and Floette are temporarily reduced, and players earn double Stardust, XP, and candy for catching Pokemon. Incense and Lure Modules last longer during the event, with Incense lasting three hours (Daily Adventure Incense excluded) and Lure Modules lasting one hour. The two-day window spotlights a rotating lineup: on December 6, Karrablast, Shelmet, Vanillite, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Pawmi; on December 7, Solosis, Flabebe (with regional variants), Pikipek, Jangmo-o, Rookidee, and Quaxly. Bonuses include 2x XP for catching Pokemon, 2x Stardust for catching, 1/2 hatch distance, 2x candy for catching, 2x candy XL for players level 31 and up, and the possibility of one additional Special Trade at half Stardust cost. Limited-time Evolution requirements return: Eevee can evolve to Espeon or Umbreon after 1 km with Eevee as buddy, Eevee can evolve to Sylveon after seven hearts with Eevee as buddy, Floette can evolve to Florges after seven hearts with Floette as buddy, and Pawmo can evolve to Pawmot after 1 km with Pawmo as buddy. The event also introduces Well Armed content featuring Clobbopus and other fighting-type encounters in the wild and in Field Research, with Dynamax Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan as Max Battle bosses and a 2x candy bonus for catching.
Well Armed runs December 11–16, marking the first chance to add Clobbopus to the roster alongside Makuhita and Machop in the wild. The Max Battle rotation again features Dynamax Leekmon and Dynamax Chan as part of the combat-focused content, with 2x candy for catching Pokemon and an increased chance to encounter shiny Dynamax Hitmonlee and shiny Dynamax Hitmonchan.
Gigantamax Snorlax returns for a Max Battle Day on December 14 from 2–5 PM local time. Gigantamax Snorlax will appear as a six-star Max Battle boss at Power Spots, with the event also enhancing the daily assortment of Max Particles: the collection cap rises to 1,600 for the day, and players can perform two additional Special Trades. Power Spots will refresh more frequently, distributing eight times the usual amount of Max Particles.
Winter Holiday Pt. 1 runs December 18–24 and brings festive flavor to the wild and raids. Sudowoodo appears wearing a Christmas tree look in three-star Raids and in the wild, while Charjabug sports a present motif. The event also increases the odds of hatching shiny festive Pichu and Cubchoo from 7 km eggs. Other featured encounters include Swinub, Snorunt, Spheal in the wild and Sudowoodo wearing holiday attire, Hisuian Avalugg, and Charjabug wearing holiday attire in three-star Raids, with 7 km eggs housing Cryogonal and Snom. Milestones in the Go Pass add new rewards, with Go Pass and Go Pass Deluxe tiers delivering XP, Stardust, item rewards, and encounter bonuses as players accumulate gifts. Go Pass: Winter Holiday 2025 Milestone tiers emphasize faster progression and more items, with Deluxe variants offering additional perks.
Celestial Research Day takes place December 20 from 2–5 PM local time, offering a concentrated window to chase Lunatone and Solrock after completing event-themed Field Research tasks. The event adds a paid Timed Research that grants extra rewards, including increased chances to capture Lunatone and Solrock, while expanding the overall rewards pool for those who invest in the Timed Research.
Winter Holiday Pt. 2 runs December 24–29 and adds another new Pokemon to the mix: Rolycoly appears in the wild and in one-star Raids. Dedenne and Cubchoo don festive attire in the wild and hatch from 7 km eggs. As with Part 1, players can encounter shiny festive variants of Stantler and Dedenne, with additional Go Pass milestones unlocking more items and XP as players progress. One-star Raids include Alolan Sandshrew and Galarian Darumaka, while three-star Raids feature Galarian Mr. Mime and Sudowoodo wearing holiday attire, along with Charjabug wearing holiday attire. The two-part celebration also expands Go Pass milestones and rewards for gift-giving activity during this period.
Winter Weekend takes place December 27–28, with a special boost: the daily limit on Go Points is lifted for the duration of the weekend. Players receive bonus daily quests for the Go Pass: Winter Holiday 2025 and an increased chance to encounter a shiny Eevee wearing a holiday hat as Timed Research wraps up.
New Year’s 2026 celebrations run December 31–January 4, offering festively dressed variants of Bulbasaur, Jigglypuff, Hoothoot, Pikachu, and other Pokemon in the wild and as Raid bosses. The event also doubles XP and Stardust from Raid battles, providing a strong capstone to the year’s end. Wild encounters and raid lineups mirror the holiday spirit, with the usual festive bonuses stacking through the first days of 2026.
Overall, December 2025 cements Pokemon Go’s status as a season-driven live service that leans into cross-regional content, Paldea crossover events, and a dense calendar of raids, evolutions, and community moments. For players, the month rewards experimentation and the chance to reunite with familiar Pokemon while chasing new forms and festive variants. The Precious Paths season continues to evolve, inviting both long-time participants and newer players to engage with a continuously refreshed slate of challenges and opportunities as 2026 approaches.