Here Are Some Pokémon Go Events You Can Enjoy Before Go Battle League Season 1 Starts

Pokémon Go is all set to start the Go Battle League Season 1 this March 13. There is a lot to prepare for before the big event officially begins on Friday at 4:00 p.m. EDT. You can read more about Season 1 of the Go Battle League here.

However, if you can't wait for Friday to come, Pokémon Go has prepared some events to enjoy before the Battle League begins. Here's what we can look forward to this week.

Chance Encounters

Before Season 1 starts, there are going to be some Pokémon that are arriving as rare reward encounters. This is only available for Trainers that are at least Rank 4. The first chance encounter already started last march 6 and is going to end tonight at 10:00 p.m. local time. That means there's still time to encounter Dakrai, or even a Shiny Dakrai.

If you didn't manage to get that one, there's also a chance to encounter Altered Forme Giratina, and for those lucky enough, a shiny version. This chance encounter starts on March 13 at 8:00 a.m. EDT and runs until March 16 at 10:00 p.m. EDT.

Special Events

Leading up to the start of Season 1 there are Go Battle League–themed events that can help Trainers catch strong Pokémon they can use in battle and gain more Stardust to power up their Pokémon.

Starting March 10 at 8:00 a.m. EDT to March 12 at 10:00 p.m. EDT, strong Pokémon are going to appear in raids. These include Skarmory, Swampert, and Shieldon. Meanwhile, Registeel and Cresselia are also set to appear in five-star raids. During this same event, Trainers can earn twice the usual Stardust from Raid Battles as well as Trainer Battles. This bonus isn't going to apply to the Go Battle League Trainer Battles.

Starting on March 13 at 8:00 a.m. EDT to March 16 at 10:00 EDT, more powerful Pokémon are going to be in raids with the Altered Forme Giratina appearing in five-star raids. Be prepared as well for fighting-type Pokémon appearing in the wild.

There are also going to be Go Battle League bonuses during the event, including:

• Premium Battle Pass when you win all five battles in a set on the premium track of the Go Battle League.
• Get a chance to complete seven sets of Go Battle League battles per day for a total of up to 35 battles a day.
• Receive bonus Stardust in the Go Battle League.

The Pokémon Go team reminded everyone that event-exclusive Pokémon appearing in raids and in the wild are not going to occur in Japan, South Korea, and Italy, though event bonuses are still going to occur.

Have fun and enjoy the events before everything gets serious when Season 1 starts.