Community Days are a staple for Pokémon Go, and what better way to start 2020 than with one! Niantic announced the date back after 2019's last community day (Jan. 19, for those who missed out), but details as to what special things the Community Day would bring was unknown. Now, we finally have an idea of who this day's special community is, and it's no other than the adorable Piplup, the Water-type penguin known for being the Water starter for Diamond and Pearl.
Piplups for everyone!
Since Piplup is January's Community Day's Pokémon, the species will appear much more commonly out in the wild. For those who are just starting out and still have no Piplup of their own, this is a great opportunity to grab and collect one. For those who already have the little penguin in their lineup, the increased appearance rate can be a great way to farm and stock up on Piplup candy. And for shiny Pokémon collectors, this will be the first chance a Shiny Piplup can appear in the wild.
Pokémon go veterans know that Pokémon Go Community Day if evolved to their final form, have a special move that its normal variant doesn't have. Trainers will have up to two hours after the end of the event to raise their Piplups into Empoloeons. If they do, the Empoleon will have a move that can't be found in other normal Empoleons. While we're not sure yet what the move will be, the previous water-type Pokémon (Squirtle, Totodile, Mudkip) all gained Hydro canon as a move.
Bonuses for Community Day
Like every other Community Day (except for the special one held last December), trainers will be able to enjoy some other great perks. Eggs will only require 1/4th of the distance to hatch, making it a great time to go out and hatch those eggs that have been waiting on the side. Lure modules will also be active for three hours, making it a great way to help fellow trainers easily catch Pokémon during the Community Day event.
The event itself runs for three hours, but the exact time depends on where you live. For those living in the Northern Hemisphere, the event will be held on Sunday, Jan. 19, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For those on the Southern Hemisphere, the Community Day will be from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time on the same day.
Waiting for Buddy Adventure
While the Community Day event is one anticipated by fans of Pokémon Go, the one feature most players are waiting for is one that was revealed fairly recently. Niantic announced Buddy Adventures last December, allowing Pokémon trainers to explore the world with their chosen buddy with the use of AR technology. According to the Pokémon website, buddies will have up to four levels with them. A Good Buddy is visible on your map view. Once that Pokémon becomes a great buddy, it can help you out during Pokémon encounters and even give you items. Ultra Buddies will help you by telling you interesting places nearby and also bring you some souvenirs. Finally, Best Buddies will give you a CP boost in combat as long as they're your Buddy Pokémon.
As of right now, we're unsure when Niantic is planning to roll out this feature. But hopefully, it comes out sooner than later.
