Pokemon GO introduces Apex Shadow Lugia and Ho-Oh

Yesterday, Niantic dropped a bombshell on Pokemon GO fans to announce their big attraction for this year's Pokemon GO Tour event. The reveal of Apex Shadow Lugia and Ho-oh has undoubtedly caught many players off-guard. This sudden turn of events has given many players on the fence about buying a ticket with more incentive to participate.

While the concept was around long before the release of Pokemon GO, dating back to the Gamecube era, Shadow Pokemon have been a topic of interest among Pokemon fans ever since. The sudden announcement of a different kind of Shadow Pokemon has peaked the interest of many players.

Just what are these new Apex Shadow Pokemon? What will make these Pokemon different from other Shadow Pokemon already present in the mobile game? All of these questions have been answered in Niantic's latest announcement, along with more information on the event.

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Niantic reveals new Shadow Pokemon variant for Pokemon GO

This year's GO Tour will have two different versions players can choose from: Gold or Silver (Image via Niantic)

From what we know so far, these new Apex Shadow Pokemon will be much more powerful variants than the standard Shadow Lugia and Ho-oh players have been able to capture in the past after battling Giovanni. However, the true Shadow Lugia series veterans remember from Pokemon XD: Gales of Darkness is still absent.

According to the official Pokemon GO website, the story behind these new, more powerful Shadow Pokemon revolves around the mysterious power released from the sealed door of which the Hisuian Voltorb was hiding behind. Arlo used the power sealed behind the door to create these more powerful Shadow Pokemon.

But what sets these Pokemon apart from the previous versions of Shadow Lugia and Ho-oh? While we cannot confirm if these Pokemon are superior in terms of their stats, we can guarantee that these new Shadow Pokemon will have more powerful versions of their signature attacks. Lugia will be given Aeroblast+ while Ho-oh will be given Sacred Fire+.

While most Pokemon GO players agree that it is best to keep their Legendary Pokemon in their Shadow form, these new Apex Shadows may contradict this theory. When these Apex Shadow Pokemon are purified, their signature attacks get upgraded further. Both of the Legendaries' signature attacks gained more power.

Upon purification, Apex Lugia's Aeroblast+ becomes Aeroblast++. Apex Ho-oh gets the same treatment with its Sacred Fire+ becoming Sacred Fire++. While the employee in charge of naming new attacks at Niantic will most likely not be receiving a raise, the planning department indeed will, as this year's GO Tour event is shaping up to be one to remember.

With everything about this year's main attraction of Niantic's Tour event finally released, players can start making plans with their friends to make the most out of this event that only comes around once a year. The Pokemon GO Tour: Johto event will begin on February 26, and tickets can be purchased from the in-game shop for $11.99.