Pokemon Go Fest Results

So, like many of you, I was super excited for Pokémon Go Fest 2025! I decided to spring for the Go Pass, hoping for an epic experience, but honestly, it ended up being just… okay. After all the hype, I found myself thinking it wasn't quite as thrilling as some past events. Let's talk about what the Go Pass should offer versus what I actually experienced. Typically, these passes are supposed to boost shiny rates, offer exclusive research, and provide more incense spawns. While I did encounter some interesting Pokémon like Unown and got the chance to catch a few Falinks and a Decidueye, I didn't feel the shiny rates were significantly boosted for me. I spent a good amount of time hunting for a shiny Pikachu or a rare Flabébé, but came up mostly empty-handed. It felt like the standard wild spawns, even with incense, weren't as compelling as I'd hoped. One of the things I always look forward to is the unique research tasks that come with the Go Pass. This year, the tasks were decent, offering some good encounters and items like Stardust and rare Candy, but nothing truly blew me away. I was hoping for more challenging Trainer Battles or unique Gym & Raid encounters tied to the event, but those felt pretty standard too. For instance, catching a CP1193 Decidueye or a CP597 Flabébé is cool, but when you're comparing it to truly game-changing catches from previous years, it felt a bit lackluster. The OCR also showed Pokémon like Numel, Skarmory, Bastiodon, Mawile, and Tentacruel. It's always fun to see variety, and I did appreciate the chance to stock up on candy for some of these, using the 'CANDY → CANDY XL' feature. However, when you're investing in a Go Pass, you're often looking for more than just common spawns, even if they have good IVs or high CP like that CP1319 Skarmory. The weather bonus in Oak Creek, WI, did help a bit with certain types, but it didn't completely salvage the overall feeling. My biggest takeaway for anyone considering a Go Pass for future festivals is to really weigh the cost against your expectations. If you're a hardcore player hoping for a massive haul of shinies and perfect IV Pokémon, you might find yourself a little disappointed, as I was. However, if you simply enjoy the community aspect and the increased variety of spawns to fill your Pokedex or power up existing Pokémon with more Stardust, then it might still be worth it for you. I spent time appraising my catches, using the 'TRANSFER' option for low IVs, and tried to make the most of the event. Moving forward, I’d hope future Go Fests, especially with a paid Go Pass, would offer more exclusive content. Perhaps guaranteed shiny encounters after a certain number of checks, or unique legendaries in raids only accessible to pass holders. The current offering felt a bit too close to a regular event, just stretched out. It’s still Pokémon Go, and I love the game, but for Go Fest 2025, the Go Pass just didn't quite hit that legendary status for me. What are your thoughts? Did you get a Go Pass this year? Let me know!