Grookey headlines Pokémon GO’s first Community Day of 2026, bringing boosted spawns, a new Community Day move for Rillaboom, and an unusually strong Stardust bonus.
Event date, time, and basic rules
Grookey Community Day takes place on Sunday, January 18, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. During that three-hour window, Grookey appears much more frequently in the wild, with a chance to encounter its Shiny form and copies that have a Special Background.
Grookey is a pure Grass-type Pokémon, so its wild CP is boosted in Sunny weather and weather-boosted spawns can appear up to level 35 instead of the usual level 30 cap.
Grookey evolutions and Community Day moves
Grookey follows a simple, candy-only evolution line:
| Stage | Requirement | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Grookey | 25 Grookey Candy | Thwackey |
| Thwackey | 100 Grookey Candy | Rillaboom |
Evolving during and shortly after the event is what turns those catches into something more valuable.
Frenzy Plant Rillaboom window
Evolving Thwackey into Rillaboom from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time on January 18 grants the exclusive Charged Attack Frenzy Plant. This is a Grass-type move and is Rillaboom’s Community Day attack.
In Trainer Battles, Frenzy Plant is the standard high-powered Grass starter move. In Gyms and raids, both damage and energy cost are tuned for sustained damage output; Rillaboom with Frenzy Plant is the main goal for raid and PvP use during this event.
Drum Beating availability
Starting with Grookey Community Day and continuing afterwards, Rillaboom can also learn the Charged Attack Drum Beating, a Grass-type move with different behavior:
- Trainer Battles: 60 power and lowers the opposing Pokémon’s Attack by one stage.
- Gyms and raids: 115 power.
Drum Beating is not time-limited. It can be obtained on Rillaboom after the event via Charged TM or by evolving once Drum Beating is in its permanent move pool. In contrast, Frenzy Plant is only available via evolution during the specific 2:00–9:00 p.m. window.
Shiny Grookey odds and visuals
During the event, Grookey’s Shiny rate is boosted well above normal wild odds. The Community Day rate is 1 in 20 encounters (5%).
The entire line—Grookey, Thwackey, and Rillaboom—has Shiny variants. Evolving during the Frenzy Plant window lets you combine a Shiny Rillaboom with both Frenzy Plant and access to Drum Beating for long-term use.
Core January Community Day bonuses
Several bonuses apply either during the three event hours or for a longer stretch that evening.
- Increased Grookey spawns from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time.
- 3× Stardust for catching Pokémon during event hours.
- 2× Candy for catching Pokémon.
- 2× chance for Candy XL from catches (for Trainers level 31 and up).
- Incense (excluding Daily Adventure Incense) activated during the event lasts three hours.
- Lure Modules last one hour and can attract Grookey more reliably than usual.
- One extra Special Trade, for a total of three that day, from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- 50% reduced Stardust cost on trades from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The Stardust multiplier and trading discounts are the main incentives even for players who already have Grookey; they make this event efficient for resource farming and for rerolling IVs through trades.
Lure Module bonus and extended Grookey spawns
Lures behave slightly differently than usual for this Community Day. While they only last one hour instead of the more typical three-hour Community Day extension, they gain a powerful spawn bonus.
- From 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time, PokéStops with an active regular Lure Module have a very high chance to spawn Grookey.
- Grookey attracted by these Lures retains the boosted Shiny rate and can have the Special Background.
This means Grookey can remain highly available for four hours after the main three-hour window ends, but primarily around lured PokéStops.
Note: The extended Lure bonus does not apply to Golden Lure Modules; the one-hour duration bonus specifically excludes them.
Grookey max CP by level
For players chasing IVs and CP breakpoints, Grookey’s maximum CP per level is fixed. Key reference points:
| Level | Max CP | Level | Max CP | Level | Max CP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 10 | 310 | 20 | 620 |
| 25 | 775 | 30 | 931 | 35 | 1008 |
| 40 | 1086 | 45 | 1155 | 50 | 1227 |
Wild Grookey appears between levels 1 and 30 normally, and between levels 6 and 35 when weather-boosted. Perfect IV Grookey at level 30 will appear at 931 CP; anything at or near that mark is worth appraising for a high-quality Rillaboom evolution.
Best Mega Evolutions to run during the event
Keeping a Grass-type Mega evolved for the entire event boosts Grookey’s Candy and Candy XL drops and gives additional XP for Grass-type catches. Good options include:
- Mega Venusaur (Grass/Poison)
- Mega Sceptile (Grass/Dragon)
- Mega Abomasnow (Grass/Ice)
Any of these at high or max Mega level increases resource gains and is especially valuable if you aim to build multiple Rillaboom with Frenzy Plant and Drum Beating for different leagues or raid teams.
Field Research and Special Research
Grookey-themed Field Research is active during the event. Common tasks include catching Grookey or catching Pokémon in specific ways, with rewards such as:
- Grookey encounters, some with a chance at a Special Background.
- Great Balls and Ultra Balls.
- Pinap Berries.
- Stardust.
There is also a paid Special Research line dedicated to Grookey Community Day.
Grookey Community Day paid Special Research
For about US$1.99 (regional pricing varies), trainers can unlock a three-step Special Research track focused on Grookey. Completing it grants multiple Grookey encounters, Candy, Candy XL, and premium items.
The structure is as follows.
Grookey Special Research (1/3)
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Catch 3 Pokémon | Grookey |
| Catch 5 Pokémon | Grookey |
| Catch 7 Pokémon | Grookey |
| Make 7 Nice Throws | 20 Ultra Balls |
| Make 5 Great Throws | 1 Star Piece |
| Make 5 Curve Balls | 1 Incense |
Step 1 completion rewards: another Grookey encounter, 50 Grookey Candy, and 50 Grookey Candy XL.
Grookey Special Research (2/3)
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Catch 3 Pokémon | Grookey |
| Catch 5 Pokémon | Grookey |
| Catch 10 Pokémon | Grookey |
| Use 3 Berries to catch a Pokémon | 20 Ultra Balls |
| Use 5 Berries to catch a Pokémon | 1 Charge TM |
| Use 7 Berries to catch a Pokémon | 1 Silver Pinap Berry |
Step 2 completion rewards: one Grookey encounter, 7,500 Stardust, and 3 Rare Candy.
Pecking Order Special Research (3/3)
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Catch 3 Pokémon | Grookey |
| Catch 5 Pokémon | Grookey |
| Catch 10 Pokémon | Grookey |
| Spin 3 PokéStops or Gyms | 20 Ultra Balls |
| Spin 4 PokéStops or Gyms | 1 Rocket Radar |
| Explore 1 km | 1 Premium Raid Pass |
Step 3 completion rewards: an additional Grookey encounter, 10,000 XP, and 1 Rare XL Candy.
Showcases and shop offers
Grookey and Rillaboom Showcases run over the Community Day weekend, from Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. until Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. These Showcases usually ask you to submit your best specimen within set criteria, with in-game item rewards for high placements.
On the monetization side, a Community Day Ultra Ticket Box is available in the Pokémon GO Web Store during the event for about US$1.99. It includes an event ticket for the Grookey Special Research and five Ultra Balls.
How to prep and play Grookey Community Day efficiently
A bit of setup before 2:00 p.m. can make the three-hour window far more productive.
Step 1: Clear space in your Pokémon storage. Aim to free at least a few hundred slots, since spawn density will spike and you will want to keep multiple candidates for Rillaboom in different leagues and roles.
Step 2: Stock up on balls and berries. Spin PokéStops and finish any non–Community Day Field Research in your planned play area so you can pick up event-themed tasks during the window.
Step 3: Mega Evolve a Grass-type before the event begins. Keeping Mega Venusaur, Mega Sceptile, or Mega Abomasnow active throughout the event boosts Candy and Candy XL drops from every Grookey catch.
Step 4: Activate Incense right at 2:00 p.m. and restart the app once if spawns look off. Incense runs for three full hours when triggered during the event, excluding Daily Adventure Incense.
Step 5: Place Lure Modules on key PokéStops after the event starts, not before. This ensures the one-hour duration and the Grookey spawn bonus work for the maximum time from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Step 6: Focus on fast, consistent catching rather than appraising as you go. Use simple throw patterns, prioritize speed, and leave IV checks until after the Stardust bonus period ends.
Step 7: Evolve your best Thwackey into Rillaboom between 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time. This window is the only chance to secure Frenzy Plant without using an Elite Charged TM.
Step 8: Use the 2:00–9:00 p.m. trading window proactively. Take advantage of 50% reduced Stardust costs and the extra Special Trade to reroll high-potential Grookey, Thwackey, or Rillaboom, as well as other legendaries or Shinies you have queued up.
Playing with others and Community Day map
Niantic’s Community Day map highlights parks and Community Ambassador events where players commonly gather. The map is reachable from the in-game news tab and from the Pokémon GO website. These locations are not official events run by Niantic, but they mark historically popular play areas.
Community Ambassadors can also unlock Timed Research that leads to extra Grookey encounters with the Special Background and premium item rewards, so checking in at one of these events can add more structure and loot to the afternoon.
Whether you are chasing Shiny Grookey, multiple Frenzy Plant Rillaboom, or just the 3× Stardust window, this Community Day is structured to reward both short sessions and the full seven-hour block of catching, evolving, and trading.
