Pokémon Go Community Day Guide for May 2018

Pokémon Go's fifth monthly Community Day kicks off on May 19, 2018, at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET with... Charmander!

Pokémon Go Community Days are exactly what the name implies — a way to get trainers out catching and raiding together. As an incentive, Pokémon Go is throwing in bonuses like extra XP, Stardust, faster egg hatching, lure modules that last three hours, and a special Pokémon with an exclusive move. All once a month, for three hours. Here's how it works!

What's the May 19, 2018, Pokémon Go Community Day?

Charmander, the Generation 1 Fire-starter is the featured Pokémon for the next Community Day, scheduled for Saturday, May 19, 2018.

The bonuses are the usual 3-hour Lures, as well as 3x Stardust for catches. And the special move...?

Trainers, don't miss the opportunity to catch or evolve a Charizard that knows the Fire-type move Blast Burn! Only available on May 19 during Community Day! #PokemonGOCommunityDay https://t.co/d9NW6x5gaF pic.twitter.com/wjguo4l3bq

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) May 14, 2018

That's right. Blast Burn! And it'll make Charizard a much more potent Fire-type Pokémon. Right up there with Moltres and Entei.

Charmander evolves into Charmeleon which evolves into Charizard. And, if Pokémon Go keeps up it's Shiny tradition for May, that means Black Charizard. Oh. My.

What is Pokémon Go Community Day?

It's all part of Pokémon Go's ongoing efforts to encourage players to get out, discover new places, and meet new people.

From Pokémon Go:

Pokémon GO Community Day is an opportunity for Trainers around the world to meet up at their local parks to make new friends and experience what it means to be a part of this special community.

Once a month, we'll host a Pokémon GO Community Day event starring a special Pokémon, which will appear frequently around the world for just a few hours. When caught during the event, this special Pokémon will know an exclusive move. Other bonuses will be in effect during the event, such as increased XP or Stardust, and Lure Modules activated during the event will last for three hours.

We're constantly blown away by the passion of Pokémon GO players around the world, and we hope that each Pokémon GO Community Day will help add to the excitement of local events and meetups. Remember always to be alert and stay safe while playing and to be respectful of public spaces when exploring your community. Stay tuned to our social media channels and check out the Pokémon GO Community Day event page each month to learn about that month's featured Pokémon, special bonuses, and event times.

What were the previous Pokémon Go Community Days?

Starting with the most recent one and working our way back, here's what Pokémon Go has offered for the previous Community Days.

• April 15, 2018, Pokémon Go Community Day featured Gen 2's Mareep, which you could evolve into Ampharos with Dragon Pulse, the Shiny Mareep family, 1/4 walking distance for Eggs.

• March 15, 2018, Pokémon Go Community Day featured the Gen 1 starter, Bulbasaur. It also offered 3x XP bonuses for catches, 3-hour lures, the Shiny Bulbasaur family, and the ability to evolve a Venusaur with Frenzy Plant.

• February 24, 2018, Pokémon Go Community Day featured everyone's favorite — and only! — base-level Gen 1 dragon-type: Dratini. It'll also offered 3x Stardust on any Pokémon you caught in the wild, 3-hour lures, Shiny Dratini family, and the ability to evolve a Dragonite with Draco Meteor.

• January 20, 2018, Pokémon Go Community Day featured Pikachu with the unique Surf move. It also offered double XP on anything and everything, three hour lures, and increased odds to catch Shiny Pikachu.

What time does Pokémon Go Community Day start and end?

While the servers might start up or shut down a few minutes early or late, here are the official start times for the major geographies. You'll need to adjust for your local time accordingly.

• Asia-Pacific: 12:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. JST (GMT +9)
• Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India: 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. UTC (GMT +0)
• Americas and Greenland: 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. PST (GMT -8) / 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. EST (GMT -5)

Are Shiny Pokémon Go part of Community Day?

The first Pokémon Go Community Day had Shiny Pikachu. The second Pokémon Go Community Day had Shiny Dratini. The third, Shiny Bulbasaur. The fourth, Shiny Mareep. So, it's safe to assume Shiny Pokémon will often be part of Community Day.

And the odds of catching a Shiny Pokémon on Community Day is higher?

It was for Shiny Pikachu during the first Community Day — some think as high as 1/25! We'll have to see how it works out for subsequent Community Day Shiny, when and if available.

What will be the 3x Stardust awards work out to?

Like so!

• 300 Stardust per base-level Pokémon caught in the wild.
• 900 Stardust per base-level Pokémon caught in the wild.
• 1500 Stardust per base-level Pokémon caught in the wild.

Can you double dip with a Super Incubator?

So far, both Lucky Eggs and Star Pieces have done their usual magic even during Community Day bonus windows, so the odds are good!

Any Pokémon Go Community Day questions?

If you have any comments, questions, or tips to share about Pokémon Go Community Day, drop them below!