Pokemon Go Reveals Pinch Perfect Event for January 2026

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Pokémon GO announced that Klawf will be added to the game during the Pinch Perfect event in January. This will be one of the first events of 2026, and players will also have a chance to catch a shiny Dhelmise.

The augmented reality game has had a busy 2025! One of the biggest updates this year was in October, when the maximum Trainer level increased from 50 to 80. Numerous events were also held, adding new creatures to collect and offering players extra XP. Even though 2025 isn’t finished yet, Scopely has already given fans a sneak peek at what’s coming in 2026.

Pinch Perfect Event Adds Klawf and Shiny Dhelmise to Pokemon GO

To start the new year, Pokémon GO is hosting the Pinch Perfect event! Running from January 6th at 10:00 a.m. to January 11th, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time, this event introduces Klawf, the Ambush Pokémon, from the Paldea region (featured in Scarlet and Violet). But that’s not all – players can also find shiny Dhelmise in the game for the very first time! Keep an eye out for other event Pokémon appearing in the wild, like Corphish, Dwebble, Clauncher, Tirtouga, and Archen – some of which might even be shiny!

Image via The Pokemon Company

I’m so excited for the Pinch Perfect event in Pokemon GO! They’ve announced which Pokemon will be appearing in Raids. We’ll see Corphish, Dwebble, and Clauncher in One-Star Raids, and Dhelmise and Dondozo in Three-Star Raids. The best part? All of them can be shiny! Plus, throughout the event, we’ll get double XP for every catch, which is awesome for leveling up. And if you’re a shiny hunter like me, you’ll be happy to know that shiny Corphish, Dwebble, and Clauncher will be more common – definitely giving me a reason to play a lot!

Pokemon Appearing in Raids

One-Star Raids

Corphish*

Dwebble*

Clauncher*

Three-Star Raids

Dhelmise*

Dondozo*

*shiny chance

Trainers eager to catch Klawf in Pokémon GO will have several opportunities during the Pinch Perfect event. They can complete Field Research tasks and Timed Research to potentially encounter this new Pokémon from Generation 9. There will be three different Timed Research quests available throughout the event, each offering a chance to find Klawf. For a fee of $1.99, players can also purchase a special Timed Research line that guarantees encounters with Klawf, Corphish, Dwebble, Clauncher, and Dhelmise, plus two premium Battle Passes and other rewards.

Timed Research Schedule

Tuesday, January 6, at 10:00 a.m. to Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time

Complete the research tasks to earn encounters with the following event-themed Pokemon.

  • Dwebble*
  • Klawf

Thursday, January 8, at 10:00 a.m. to Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time

Complete the research tasks to earn encounters with the following event-themed Pokemon.

  • Corphish*
  • Klawf

Saturday, January 10, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time

Complete the research tasks to earn encounters with the following event-themed Pokemon.

  • Clauncher*
  • Klawf

*shiny chance

It’s great that the developers are still adding new creatures to the mobile game, but it’s also becoming clear that they may eventually run out of Pokémon. As of late 2025, there are fewer than 100 Pokémon from the main series games that haven’t been added to Pokémon GO. Fortunately, the next generation of Pokémon (Gen 10) is expected in late 2026, which will significantly expand the number of Pokémon available in the game.

The recent Pinch Perfect event indicates that Scopely plans to keep adding new Pokémon to Pokémon GO consistently. The game has already introduced several new Pokémon in the last few months of 2025, and we’ll have to wait and see what future events bring and what rewards players can expect.

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2025-12-18 05:34