5 major Pokemon GO highlights from April 2024

April 2024 in Pokemon GO was an up-and-down month by many players' accounts, but there was plenty of good to be found when all's said and done. From new Pokemon form arrivals to the return of long-overlooked game mechanics to the confirmation of an immensely powerful Pocket Monster arriving in the future, April 2024 had plenty of highlights for GO when players take a step back.

The most buzz-worthy conversation among Pokemon GO fans may have concerned the backlash surrounding Niantic's rollout of the avatar graphics update, but this negativity shouldn't obscure the good things that happened in April 2024. For this reason, it doesn't hurt to examine some of the highlights of the month now that it's effectively in the rearview.

NOTE: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.

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Five of the best highlights for Pokemon GO in April 2024

1) Rediscover Kanto and the Return of Biomes

Pokemon GO's Rediscover Kanto event brought back biomes in a substantial way. (Image via Niantic)

Pokemon GO Rediscover Kanto event brought back many beloved Generation I creatures and the opportunity for trainers to snag powerful Mega Evolutions like Mega Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard X/Y, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. Rediscover Kanto also brought back an emphasis on biomes, allowing players to catch certain Pokemon more often based on their habitat.

While biomes have still technically existed in GO over the years, they haven't been as prominent since the game's early days. Rediscover Kanto brought back biomes in a big way alongside the world map's graphical updates, and many players hope that they're here to stay.

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2) The Announcement of Necrozma for Pokemon GO Fest 2024

Necrozma's release date in Pokemon GO was confirmed on April 10, 2024. (Image via Niantic)

Ever since the Ultra Beasts first appeared in Pokemon GO, trainers had wondered when the sinister legendary Pokemon Necrozma would arrive from Ultra Space as well. They finally got their answer on April 10, as Niantic shared a short trailer and an official post confirming that Necrozma would be making its debut during GO Fest 2024, during the real-world portions and the global portion of the event.

However, the creature known in Alolan legends as the "Pillager of Light" won't simply sit around and let players catch it. Instead, trainers taking part in GO Fest 2024 will have to defeat Necrozma in raids to add its power (and likely its ability to assimilate Solgaleo/Lunala) to their collection.

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3) The Debut of Mega Heracross

Mega Heracross gave hope to Bug-type fans in Pokemon GO. (Image via Niantic)

Compared to other elemental types, Bug-type in Pokemon Go doesn't usually get much use in combat. However, their viability improved quite a bit with the arrival of Mega Heracross on April 13, 2024. While Heracross was already considered one of the few viable part-Bug-type monsters in PvE and PvP, its Mega Evolution is an absolute powerhouse of a fighter.

With an Attack stat of 334 and a potent Bug/Fighting type combination, trainers should enjoy using Mega Heracross in high-level raids for the foreseeable future, and it might end up performing well in PvP if Mega Evolution-friendly formats like the Mega Master League ever return.

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4) Bagon Community Day Classic

Salamence fans were likely thrilled with this Pokemon GO Community Day. (Image via Niantic)

It's no secret that Salamence is one of the most effective Dragon-type attackers in Pokemon GO PvE, making it a Pocket Monster that's in high demand. Since this is the case, fans were quite happy with April's Community Day Classic being featured on Bagon, the Dragon-type Pokemon that ultimately evolves into Salamence.

Even better, trainers who evolved Bagon into Shelgon and then Salemence during or two hours after the event could acquire a Salamence with knowledge of the Charged Move Outrage. Considering Outrage is Salamence's best Charged Move by a wide margin, it's hard to be mad at the Community Day Classic for April 2024.

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5) The Arrival of Shiny Kartana and Celesteela

Two more shiny Ultra Beasts made their way to the game this April. (Image via The Pokemon Company)

While some trainers were chasing other creatures in April 2024, shiny hunters were hoping that Niantic would do them a solid as well. Fortunately, that's exactly what happened, and Niantic introduced both shiny Kartana and shiny Celesteela during the Sizeable Surprises event. For many trainers, snagging these shinies was another step in collecting all the available shiny Ultra Beasts.

Some Ultra Beasts have yet to be released in GO thus far, but when they do, shiny hunters will be glad they had the opportunity to snag shiny Kartana/Celesteela beforehand. Who knows? Maybe the arrival of Necrozma during GO Fest will allow a few more Ultra Beasts to slip into our world from Ultra Space as they did when Necrozma escaped imprisonment during the Pokemon Sun and Moon series.