Pokemon GO January 9-15 (2023): Twinkling Fantasy, Mega Salamence debut, Swirlix Spotlight Hour, and more

What does this week hold for Pokemon GO fans? (Image via Niantic)
What does this week hold for Pokemon GO fans? (Image via Niantic)

The second week of January 2023 brings many new items for Pokemon GO players. The Twinkling Fantasy event sees the first appearance of a mega-evolved version of Salamence and the shiny variant of Dedenne. The Spotlight Hour event will see Swirlix in the limelight. Zekrom will also arrive as the Five-Star Raid boss.

The developers at Niantic released the January 2023 content roadmap for Pokemon GO in December 2022. The events scheduled beyond the ongoing week are as follows:

  • Lunar New Year 2023, which will take place from January 19 to 23
  • January Community Day Classic, which will take place on January 21
  • Crackling Voltage Event, which will take place from January 27 to February 5

Everything that Pokemon GO trainers need to know about this week in Niantic's popular AR title

1) Twinkling Fantasy

The Twinkling Fantasy event is slowly coming online worldwide for Pokemon GO players. It begins on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 8:00 am local time and will conclude on Monday, January 16, 2023, at 10:00 pm local time. The occasion will celebrate Fairy and Dragon-type pocket monsters in-game.

The crown jewel of the event will be the debuts of Mega Salamence and Shiny Dedenne. The Twinkling Fantasy event features its event-themed Collection Challenge and Field Research tasks. Interested readers can check out more details about the event in this article.


2) GO Battle Weekend: Steven Stone

The GO Battle Weekend: Steven Stone event will begin on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at midnight local time and run until Sunday, January 15, 2023, at 11:59 pm local time. The Great League, Ultra League, and Master League will be active during that period.

Timed Research tasks and rewards will be in place for the event. Furthermore, there will be event bonuses, including 4x Stardust win rewards and an increase in the maximum number of sets from five to 20 for up to 100 battles.


3) Spotlight and Raid Hour

This week's Spotlight Hour event will feature Swirlix, the Cotton Candy Pokemon, with an increased spawn rate on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, from 6-7:00 pm local time. Players will have the opportunity to encounter a shiny variant of the pocket monster and an added event bonus of 2x Catch Stardust.

This week's Raid Hour event will feature Zekrom, who will frequently appear in Five-Star raids on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, from 6 - 7:00 pm local time.


4) GO Battle League

This week's GO Battle League schedule for Pokemon GO is as follows:

January 5 - 12

  • Master League (3x Stardust win rewards)
  • Master Premier Classic (3x Stardust win rewards)

January 12 - 19

  • Great League
  • Ultra League
  • Master League

5) Five-star and Mega Raid schedule

The ongoing Five-Star and Mega Raid bosses for Pokemon GO players to encounter are as follows:

  • Zekrom (Five-star Raid Boss from January 10 to 18)
  • Mega Salamence (Mega Raid Boss from January 10 to 18)

Interested Pokemon GO players can check out this month's Field Research tasks, rewards, and Research Breakthrough encounters in this article.

Quick Links

App download animated image Get the free App now