Pokémon GO events have been coming fast and furious as of late and Valentine’s Day is no exception. Most players can’t take their date to a restaurant right now though, so maybe this is for the best. Niantic is offering you a chance to get out and have some fun for a few days in celebration of the love themed holiday. And along with all the big bonuses and activities a new Collection Challenge has appeared. To help you out here’s our Pokémon GO Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge guide, including how to catch some of the tougher characters.
Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge Guide
If all you’re looking for is how to complete the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge in Pokémon GO then scroll down for help in how to catch all the species you need. Before that though, we wanted to answer some frequently asked questions about the event. So here’s all you need to know about the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge.
When is the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge
The Valentine’s Day event runs from Sunday, February 14th at 1pm local time until Thursday, February 18th at 8pm in Pokémon GO. The Collection Challenge should run throughout the event, starting and ending at the same time. You’ll need to complete it before the event is over not just because the spawns will change but because it is Timed Research and will expire.
What Pokémon do you have to Catch for the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge
All you need to do to complete the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge in Pokémon GO is catch all the featured Pokémon before the timer runs out. Here’s the full list with tips on some of them further down.
- Nidoran (male)
- Nidoran (female)
- Espeon
- Umbreon
- Plusle
- Minun
- Volbeat
- Illumise
- Latias
- Latios
- Alomomola
Many of these will be simple, with them spawning often in the wild. However, others will take more work. We’ve provided tips, tricks, and guides for some individuals down below.
What Rewards do you get for Completing the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge
Completing the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge will reward players with 3 Silver Pinap Berries, 3 Rocket Radars, and 2 Charged TMs. Looking at the list above those aren’t the biggest rewards for all that work. But if you’re playing regularly and catch them without putting in extra effort then it’s a nice bonus. And on top of that it should boost your Elite Collector Badge as well. This is only worth bragging rights, but that’s worth it for a lot of trainers.
How to Complete the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge
To complete the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge in Pokémon GO all you need to do is catch the eleven required species while the timed research is available. For a lot of them that’s easy. You open the game, walk around a bit and find them in the wild. Others are much tougher though. and since hatching from eggs doesn’t count, there is sometimes a trick to catching them for the Challenge. So we’ve broken down all the species with some tips for how to catch them.
How to Catch Nidoran
Nidoran will be appearing more often in the wild in both male and female forms. These should be some of the easier Pokémon to catch for the Valentine’s Collection Challenge.
How to Catch Espeon and Umbreon
Like hatching from eggs, evolving doesn’t count as a “catch” for the Pokémon GO Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge. So this makes it kind of hard to check the box for Espeon and Embreon since they’re an evolved form of Eevee. Instead you are pretty reliant on luck in finding them available in 3 star raids at local gyms. We’ll have more in our individual guide, but in short you need to locate an Espeon and/or Umbreon raid, defeat, and catch them to check those boxes.
How to Catch Plusle and Minun
Plusle and Minun were some of the toughest Pokémon to catch in the last Collection Challenge that featured them. However, they may be easier this time since they have boosted spawn rates in the wild. However, don’t rely on this if the past is any indication. So be ready to use some Incense and go exploring unless more methods are found. See more on how to catch them here.
How to Catch Illumise and Volbeat
Illumise and Volbeat might be the most confusing Pokémon to catch during the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge. We’re still waiting to see how they are available in all areas, because these are typically region exclusives (UPDATE: both are available worldwide so find them in the wild or through the other methods mentioned here). Both are said to be boosted in the wild, but the assumption is that that will be just for the one available in your region. Currently Illumise is available in the Americas and Africa while Volbeat spawns everywhere else. However, both should be available in all regions via raids and Field Research. We’ll be checking that and will update here.
How to Catch Alomomola
Alomomola will be one of the tougher Pokémon to catch for the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge. They will not be available in the wild or via raids, but will be offered as a reward for Field Research. We will give you the one to look for when we know so check for updates. (UPDATE: see how to catch Alomomola here)
How to Catch Latias and Latios
The only way to catch Latias and Latios for the Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge is to defeat them in a 5 star Legendary raid. We put together a guide for how to beat them, so check it out and watch for a raid near you. If you don’t see one you may need to reach out to friends in other areas so they can invite you to a remote raid.
And that’s our Pokémon GO Valentine’s Day Collection Challenge guide, showing you how to catch them all.
