Enchanted Hollow: Pokémon Go Unleashes New Spiders & Shiny Shenanigans, But What's the Catch, Mate?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Pokémon Go’s 'Enchanted Hollow' event brings new spider Pokémon, Tarountula and Spidops, to the wild from Nov. 4-9, offering boosted spawns, shiny chances, and double XP – just be gently skeptical about that 'premium' research, eh?
Right then, adventurers! Jeff here, freshly emerged from a portal that smelled vaguely of incense and Poké Balls, to spill the beans on Pokémon Go's 'Enchanted Hollow' event. Running from **November 4th to 9th**, it's basically Niantic waving a magic wand and saying, 'More spiders! More shiny chances! More... *forest* stuff!' It's like they dipped their virtual toes into an enchanted glade and decided to share the sparkly, web-slinging spoils.
And fair dinkum, the absolute stars of this little digital woodland rave are the debut of **Tarountula** and its evolution, **Spidops**. A brand-new bug-type to ensnare? Absolutely wizard! Beyond adding new pals to our Pokédex, they're doubling XP from spinning stops and those handy Lure Modules last a whole hour – perfect for those marathon catching sessions, eh? More XP for less effort? Now that's what I call a good spell!
**The Premium Path: Enchanting or Just Another Coin Sink?**
Now, about that 'premium' Timed Research, 'Woven Web' – for a couple of quid ($1.99, to be precise), you can snag an extra Tarountula encounter, a Mossy Lure, and some Lucky Eggs. Julia over at Polygon (who originally untangled this web of info, bless her cotton socks) reckons it's 'worth it' coin-wise if you're itching for these encounters. Me? I'm always a bit wary of these 'pay-for-more-stuff' paths. Is it truly enchanting, or just a digital lure to lighten your wallet? If you're a hardcore collector, desperate for every last Tarountula, maybe. For the rest of us, the free stuff might just be enchanting enough.
* **'Woven Web' Premium Research Rewards:** After catching 5, 10, 15, and 20 Pokémon, making 5 and 10 curveball throws, and using an Incense (which gets you a Drampa encounter, fancy that!), you'll walk away with a Tarountula encounter, a Mossy Lure Module, and 3 Lucky Eggs.
**Collection Challenges: Gotta Catch 'Em All (Again!)**
Then we've got the **Collection Challenges**, 'Fantastical Forest' and 'Whimsical Woods.' Classic PoGo fare, really. Catch a bunch of specific critters – Petilil, Shelmet, Paras, Skwovet for one; and Cottonee, Karrablast, Morelull, Stantler for the other. Each challenge bags you a tidy 3,000 XP and another Tarountula encounter. Handy for stocking up on those new spider-friends, eh? It's like a digital scavenger hunt with guaranteed bug-based rewards.
**Field Research: Spin for Your Spawns**
Spinning PokéStops during the event might net you tasks like:
* **Catch 10 Pokémon:** Rewards encounters with Cottonee, Petilil, Karrablast, or Shelmet. * **Catch 15 Pokémon:** Rewards a Paras or Stantler encounter. * **Win 2 raids:** Rewards a rather magnificent Drampa encounter.
Always good to have a reason to spin those stops beyond just 'because they're there!'
**Boosted Spawns: A Forest Full of Friends**
The wild is getting a bit... forest-y, according to Niantic's blog post. Expect loads of:
* **Paras*** * **Stantler*** * **Nickit** * **Tarountula**
(*Indicates increased shiny chance, ooh!)
Players are also spotting Phantump, Petilil, Cottonee, Shelmet, Karrablast, Morelull, and Skwovet in the wild. Chuck down a Mossy Lure (perhaps the one from that premium research, if you splashed out!) and you'll attract even *more* of those, including Paras*, Stantler*, Cottonee, Petilil, Karrablast, Shelmet, and our new mate Tarountula. It's like a magical woodland rave, but with less glitter and more bug-catching.
**Raid Targets: Taking Down the Big Baddies**
Raids are getting a spruce-up too. If you're feeling brave, here's what you'll find:
* **One-star raids:** Paras*, Stantler*, Tarountula * **Three-star raids:** Leavanny, Scolipede, Drampa
(*These Pokémon also have an “increased chance” of being shiny when raided, so aim for those if you're feeling lucky!)
So, there you have it, a quick dive into the 'Enchanted Hollow' event. New Pokémon, shiny chances, and double XP – seems like a pretty decent haul for a few days of digital adventuring. Just remember to question if that 'premium' path is truly for you, or if the free stuff is enchanting enough. Happy hunting, and may your Poké Balls always fly true!
*(Big thanks to Julia Lee over at Polygon (polygon.com) for initially untangling this web of event info!)*
Tags: Pokémon Go, Mobile Gaming, Gaming Event, Niantic, Collectibles
Original article: Polygon