Get ready to dive into the splashy excitement of Pokémon GO’s Popplio Community Day on August 31, 2024! From 2 to 5 p.m. local time, Popplio will flood the wild with increased shiny odds, exclusive moves like Hydro Cannon for evolved Primarina, and a treasure trove of bonuses including triple XP, double candy, extended lure and incense durations, plus special trades and snapshot surprises. Whether you’re a seasoned trainer or a newcomer, this event promises waves of fun and rewards you won’t want to miss.
How do I catch a shiny Popplio?
To catch a shiny Popplio in Pokémon GO, the best opportunity is during the Popplio Community Day event, which features significantly increased spawn rates and a boosted shiny encounter chance of about 1 in 24, compared to the usual much lower odds. This event typically lasts three hours, during which Popplio will appear frequently in the wild, making it easier to find a shiny variant. Using Incense and Lure Modules during the event can further increase spawn rates, and playing in rainy weather also boosts Water-type spawns like Popplio. Outside of Community Day, shiny Popplio can also be found in the wild, through Field Research tasks, egg hatches, and 1-Star Raids, though these methods have lower shiny odds. When shiny, Popplio’s collar changes to a light pink color, and its body blue shade darkens slightly, making it visually distinct. Patience and maximizing encounters during the event are key to securing a shiny Popplio.
As per old research by the now-defunct website The Silph Road (via Wayback Machine), Shiny rates on Community Days are about 1 in 24, which means that if you keep playing throughout the three-hour window, you should find quite a few shiny Pokémon.
If you’re short on time or Poké Balls, you can pop an Incense, then quickly tap each Popplio to check for shiny ones, running from any that aren’t shiny. Notably, any Popplio you’ve already tapped will face where your player is standing, so that should help identify which ones you may have already checked.
What Community Day move does Popplio’s evolution learn?
During Pokémon Go’s Popplio Community Day, evolving Brionne into Primarina between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time grants Primarina the exclusive charged move Hydro Cannon. This powerful Water-type move is highly valued in both PvP and PvE settings. Additionally, starting with the event and continuing afterward, Primarina can also learn the charged attack Sparkling Aria. This special Community Day move makes Primarina a strong contender for battles and a desirable addition to any trainer’s lineup.
If you evolve Brionne into Primarina from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. in your local time, it will learn the charged move Hydro Cannon.
If you miss out on evolving it during this period, you will likely be able to evolve it during a Community Day weekend event in December to get Hydro Cannon. If you don’t want to wait, you can use an Elite TM to get the move.
How does Primarina do in the meta?
Primarina holds a strong position in the current Pokémon Go meta, especially in PvP and raids. In the Great and Ultra Leagues, it ranks well due to its versatile Water/Fairy typing, solid bulk, and powerful moves like Hydro Cannon and Charm, making it a top contender across multiple roles. In raids, Primarina with Hydro Cannon is one of the best non-legendary Water-type attackers, comparable to Greninja and even rivaling some Kyogre forms, offering a reliable and effective option for many players. In the Master League, Primarina excels as a Charmer and a counter to many meta-relevant Dragon, Ice, and Water types, including Kyogre and Gyarados, thanks to its excellent resistances and super-effective coverage, making it a valuable asset in higher-level PvP battles. Overall, Primarina’s Community Day moveset significantly boosts its viability, helping it stand out as a versatile and powerful choice in the meta.
Primarina is a great PvP pick, according to Silph Road researcher and PvP expert JRE47. It does great with its Community Day move (Hydro Cannon), so you’re definitely going to want to grab one of these seals for PvP, if that’s your thing.
Primarina is also a pretty powerful water-type attacker when set up with Waterfall and Hydro Cannon. Of course, a regular Primarina is outshined by Megas, Legendaries, and Shadow Pokémon, but it’s still very powerful and worth grabbing.
How do I make the most of Popplio Community Day?
To make the most of Popplio Community Day in Pokémon GO, focus on maximizing your catch efficiency and taking advantage of all event bonuses. The event runs from 2 to 5 p.m. local time, featuring increased Popplio spawns and a higher chance to find shiny Popplio. Use Incense and Lure Modules, which last for three hours during the event, to boost spawns. Activate a Lucky Egg to triple your catch XP, and aim to catch as many Popplio as possible to benefit from double catch candy and increased chances for XL candy if you are level 31 or higher. Quickly tap each Popplio to check for shinies and flee from non-shiny ones to conserve Poké Balls. Evolving Popplio into Primarina during the event grants it the exclusive move Hydro Cannon, making it valuable for PvP and raids. Additionally, participate in special Brionne raids from 5 to 10 p.m. for more shiny opportunities and Popplio spawns. Don’t forget to take snapshots during the event for special surprises and enjoy reduced Stardust costs for trades and an extra special trade slot.
The following bonuses will be active during Popplio Community Day:
- Tripled XP for catching Pokémon
- Doubled candy for catching Pokémon
- Doubled chance for level 31 trainers to get XL candy from catching Pokémon
- Incense lasts three hours
- Lure Modules lasts three hours
- Popplio special photobombs when taking snapshots
- One additional special trade
- Stardust cost halved for trading
That said, you should definitely pop a Lucky Egg and an Incense and try to nab some powerful Popplio.
If you can Mega Evolve Blastoise, Slowbro, Gyarados, Swampert, or Kyogre, you’ll score additional Popplio Candy per catch.
In addition to all this, Niantic is still running special four-star raids from 5-10 p.m., where if you clear the Brionne raid, Popplio will spawn in a 300-meter radius around the gym for 30 minutes. These raids cannot be done remotely. If the usual 2-5 p.m. spawn increase doesn’t get you the Popplio you wanted, you can try raiding for another chance.
What makes Popplio the standout Pokémon for this Community Day
Popplio stands out as the featured Pokémon for this Community Day primarily because it offers trainers a rare chance to catch it in large numbers with boosted shiny odds and to evolve its final form, Primarina, which gains the exclusive and powerful Charged Attack Hydro Cannon during the event. This move significantly enhances Primarina’s viability in PvP battles and raid scenarios, making it a valuable addition for competitive players. Additionally, the event includes extended bonuses like triple XP, double candy, longer-lasting Incense and Lure Modules, and special research, all designed to maximize the rewards for catching and evolving Popplio. Despite being the least chosen starter from its generation, this Community Day aims to elevate Popplio’s popularity by spotlighting its unique moveset and battle potential.
Why is Hydro Cannon considered a key move for Primarina in battles
Hydro Cannon is considered a key move for Primarina in battles because it is a low-energy, high-damage Charged Attack that provides much-needed consistency and power, especially in PvP formats like the Master League. This move allows Primarina to better counter its usual threats and effectively pressure popular Pokémon such as Ho-Oh, Therian Landorus, Excadrill, Groudon, and Rhyperior. Hydro Cannon outperforms older moves like Hydro Pump by being faster and more reliable, making Primarina a stronger and more viable Water-type attacker. Its synergy with fast moves like Charm further enhances its damage output and energy efficiency, allowing it to shine in both PvP and PvE scenarios. Overall, Hydro Cannon elevates Primarina’s battle potential by enabling it to deal significant damage quickly while maintaining flexibility against a variety of opponents.
