CHARIZARD SHINES IN NEXT COMMUNITY DAY

Graphic by Amy Welch // The Advocate

If you were to break open one of the original Pokémon games for the first time, you would be given a choice to start off with one of three little creatures: a green, four-legged critter with a seed on its back; a tiny, blue turtle; or a red lizard with a flame at the end of its tail.

All of these starters are adorable in their own right, but fire-type Charmander seemed to be the popular choice for all the young players back in the early 2000s.

For a period of time on Saturday, May 19, Pokémon Go players will have the chance to catch loads of Charmander and also play alongside other enthusiasts in the community.

As in previous Community Days, the event will last from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and there will be some additional incentives to venture out to your local parks for May’s version.

This includes bonus stardust to make your Pokémon stronger plus lures that will last for three hours. But what has almost become the main attraction of every Community Day so far is the frenzied search for shiny Pokémon.

In the main series games, every individual species of Pokémon have an alternate coloration, different than how it would normally look. For each Pokémon you encountered, there was about a 1/8000 chance of discovering a ‘shiny’ variant of that Pokémon. This same idea was brought to Pokémon Go with a handful of species possessing an extremely rare color pattern.

Every month since January there has been a new featured Pokémon for Community Day, complete with a shiny version of that select Pokémon. Charmander has been a fan favorite since early on in the history of the whole franchise, mainly because it eventually evolves into Charizard: a fire-breathing beast with wings like a dragon. It was, and remains one of the most recognizable faces of Pokémon, behind Pikachu.

Now if you happen to see crowds of people roaming around popular outdoor areas with phones in hand, chances are it’s Pokémon Go Community Day and many of those players are on the hunt for a rare addition to their growing collection.

Anyone walking away from this event with a slick, black Charizard with red wings will have had a very successful day. Some may snag three or four; some may not see any at all; but the real enjoyment comes from searching with other players.

To find information on events and meet-ups in your area, you can find dedicated groups on Facebook plus other websites such as Discord and The Silph Road.

Advocate Staff