01 In-game prep · Time-sensitive
Bag & Storage
- Empty Pokémon storage to ≥2,000 free slots
80+ raids/day + wild catches + hatches + trade-ins · expect 1,500-2,500 total catches over the trip
- Empty item bag to ≥500 free slots (with the Golden Razz + Ultra Ball stockpile below already loaded, this is for incoming items from spinning)
- Clear all completed Special Research from inventory
- Verify 12 incubator slots are available
Egg-thusiast triples hatch returns — never let one sit idle
Buddy & Friends
- Set buddy to max-CP Mewtwo (or high-CP candidate)
- Open every friend gift daily for the next 14 days
Pushes friends toward Best Friend = 2× catch XP + remote raid damage bonus
- Push top 50 most-active remote raiders to Best Friend before Jun 4
- Verify gift-sending isn't capped (open earlier gifts first if behind)
Mewtwo Counter Team
Doctrine: Ghost-led, not Dark-led. Mega Mewtwo X is Fighting/Psychic — Fighting resists Dark, so Dark damage on X is neutral (1.6 × 0.625 = 1.0). Ghost is super-effective on all three Mewtwo forms (X, Y, and regular) and gets +30% boost from Mega Gengar's Ghost/Poison typing. Dark attackers are kept as backup for Mewtwo Y / regular Mewtwo only.
Ghost squad (primary — works on X, Y, regular)
- Confirm Mega Gengar at Mega Level 3 (Max) — unlocks the longest passive-boost duration (8 days post-mega) and the highest Candy XL catch chance. Note: the in-raid damage boost is a flat +30% same-type / +10% other-type regardless of Mega Level — leveling buys duration + Candy XL, NOT a bigger damage multiplier. Niantic added power-leveling in 2026: if you have enough Gengar Mega Energy, you can buy levels directly without the old catch-grind. Cost scales inversely with how many times you've previously Mega-evolved Gengar — more history = lower per-level cost.
- Optional: Mega Level 4 "Super Max" (added Feb 20, 2026) costs an additional 5,000 Gengar Mega Energy on top of L3. Above the typical 10,000-cap stockpile threshold; nice-to-have but L3 is sufficient for the trip.
- Note: as of May 18, 2026, Pokémon with multiple Mega Evolutions (Mewtwo X vs Y, Charizard X vs Y) track Mega Level separately per form — your Saturday Super Mega Raid catches will start each form at L1 independently.
- Mega Mewtwo X and Y energy pools are SEPARATE (datamine May 24). You cannot share energy between X and Y. First Mega-Evolution: 7,500 energy each = 15,000 total to first-evolve both forms. 50,000 cap per form. 100 energy per walking candy. If you want both X and Y at L3, plan two separate energy grinds post-catch. The Saturday Unity Raid catch (Mega L1, 2, or 3) is your way to skip the 7,500 first-evo cost — get the catch quality right.
- 🆕 Park session energy payoff REVISED (Tokyo May 29): the Unity Raid drops ~450 Mega Energy per completion (post-Tokyo live reports; Niantic only says "a large amount") — X energy for X raid, Y energy for Y raid. If both X and Y appear and you finish both = ~900 energy total from the park, plus the catch (Mega Level 1, sometimes 2 or 3). Earlier "energy at Global only" reading was wrong. The Chicago→Global gap (Jun 6 → Jul 11) gets a starter stockpile instead of zero.
- 🆕 Background-spawn rate ~20% at Tokyo (per Japanese coverage). Plan for bag-management — many GO Fest location-background catches will need transfer decisions. Don't fill your bag with random spawn backgrounds before the apex.
- 🆕 Unity Attack mechanic: Raid finishing move requires phone raised overhead. Arm fatigue is a real risk for a 5-minute Unity Raid. Practice: brace your phone against your chest or use a hand strap. Make sure the MagCooler clip doesn't interfere with the phone's orientation sensor when held overhead. Test at home.
- Verify ≥200 Gengar Mega Energy
If short, run a Mega Gengar raid this weekend. Keep Gengar up across multiple Mewtwo lobbies for the +30% Ghost boost.
- Mega Gengar moveset · Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball (vs Psystrike) · or Lick + Shadow Ball (vs Focus Blast) Top DPS, but Gengar takes Psystrike super-effectively (1.6× via its Poison side) — keep it healed
- Dawn Wings Necrozma at ≥3,000 CP · Shadow Claw + Moongeist Beam Psychic/Ghost — the best non-Mega Ghost attacker (ATK 277); RESISTS Psystrike (0.625×) and stays full SE on X/Y/regular. Your single strongest bench pick.
- Chandelure at ≥3,000 CP · Hex + Shadow Ball Ghost/Fire — takes neutral Psystrike (unlike Gengar's Poison side, which eats SE Psychic damage)
- Shadow Banette OR Mega Banette · Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball Pure Ghost — also tanks Psystrike at neutral
Dark squad (backup — only for Mewtwo Y / regular Mewtwo)
- Shadow Tyranitar at ≥3,000 CP · Bite + Crunch (Frustration cleared) Best non-Mega Dark attacker
- Hydreigon at ≥3,000 CP · Bite + Brutal Swing
- Shadow Weavile · Snarl + Avalanche (also doubles for Primal raids)
- If running Dark for Y: pair with Mega Tyranitar or Mega Houndoom for the Dark mega boost — Mega Gengar does NOT boost Dark attackers
- All counters healed and revived every morning
Items
- Stock 2,000+ Golden Razz Berries
8-10 per 5★ raid catch × 80+ raids/day × 4 days = 2,500-3,200 burn rate at the high end. 2K is the floor; if the in-game shop runs a Golden Razz bundle pre-event, buy it.
- Stock 2,000+ Ultra Balls
5-8 balls per 5★ catch attempt + wild-spawn throws. Same math as berries.
- Verify Daily Adventure Incense is unlocked
Eggs · Egg-thusiast Strategy
- Hatch all current eggs BEFORE leaving for Chicago
Empty incubators must be ready on Day 1 to immediately fill with event eggs
- Once in Chicago: don't spin stops until incubators are loaded with eggs queued at 1/4-distance
- Plan for 70-100 eggs/day hatching during event (1/4 hatch distance via Egg-thusiast + 15-25km walking + 12-slot incubator rotation = high turnover). Stockpile incubator-class items in the shop ahead of Day 1 if running low.
- 🆕 Confirmed egg pool (Tokyo, announced — 5km + 10km only, no 2km/7km):
5km: Squirtle, Caterpie (Poké Ball hat), Lapras, Anorith, Wash Rotom (★shiny debut), Larvesta · 10km: Beldum, Sandile, Larvesta, Mudbray, Comfey (⚠ shiny-locked), Sinistea
- Prioritize 10km eggs for Larvesta + Beldum + Sandile (all strong + shiny-eligible). Larvesta appears in BOTH pools — Volcarona is the prize. Wash Rotom shiny is 5km-only and a debut. Don't burn premium incubators on 5km commons (Squirtle/Lapras) unless hunting shiny.