The Memories in Motion season in Pokemon Go is winding down, and Niantic is sending it off with one of the busier months the game has seen in a while. May packs in two Community Days, a new Paldean Pokemon making its debut, a brand-new Mega evolution dropping into Super Mega Raids, and a full rotation of Ultra Beasts cycling through five-star battles. A lot is happening, and it starts almost immediately.
Shadow Entei kicks things off on May 2
The month opens with a Shadow Entei Raid Day on May 2, running from 2 to 5 PM local time. The legendary fire dog appears as a Shadow Raid boss with boosted shiny odds, and trainers can pick up to six free Raid Passes just by spinning Gym Photo Discs. The Remote Raid limit also bumps up to 20 for May 1 and 2, so remote players aren't left out.
Here's the thing: Shadow legendaries with boosted shiny odds are genuinely rare events. If you've been waiting on a shiny Entei, this is the window.
Two Community Days in one month
May is unusual in that it hosts both a standard Community Day and a Community Day Classic within the same week.
Lechonk Community Day lands on May 9, 2 to 5 PM local time. The Paldean hog Pokemon floods wild spawns, and evolving Lechonk into Oinkologne before 9 PM that evening gets you the exclusive ground-type Fast Attack Mud Slap. Bonuses include 2x catch candy, 1/4 egg hatch distance, extended Incense (three hours) and Lure Modules (one hour), one additional Special Trade, and trades costing 50% less Stardust. Players at level 31 and above also get a 2x chance at Candy XL.
Then on May 16, Deino returns for a Community Day Classic. Same 2 to 5 PM window. Deino has historically been one of the harder Pokemon to find in the wild, so this is a solid opportunity to stock up on candy for Hydreigon. Evolve Zweilous before 9 PM local time and your Hydreigon learns Brutal Swing, the dark-type Charged Attack that's been its signature Community Day move. The bonus here is 3x XP for catches, plus the usual extended Incense and Lures.
Both Community Days fall in the same week as the Spring Marathon (May 12-18), so May 16 in particular is a busy day. Plan your Incubators and Incense accordingly.
Flittle makes its Pokemon Go debut during the Spring Marathon
The Spring Marathon runs from May 12 to May 18, and the headline is Flittle, the psychic Paldean Pokemon, appearing in Pokemon Go for the first time. You can find it hatching from 5 km eggs or through the Go Pass during the event.
The egg pool also includes flower crown variants of Pichu, Togepi, and Happiny, plus a cherry blossom Eevee and a Pikachu wearing a marathon visor available through Research encounters. Field and Timed Research tasks hand out extra XP and additional Pokemon encounters throughout the week.
Go Pass holders get tiered bonuses: Tier 1 gives 2x XP for spinning PokeStops (3x with Go Pass Deluxe), and Tier 2 cuts egg hatch distance in half when eggs are placed in Incubators during the event.
Flittle hatches for the first time
Mega Falinks debuts in Super Mega Raids on May 23
The month's biggest new addition hits on May 23 with the Super Mega Falinks Raid Day. Mega Falinks is making its Pokemon Go debut here, appearing in Super Mega Raids from 2 to 5 PM local time. Super Mega Raids are a harder tier than standard Mega Raids, but completing them earns Mega Energy and a chance to catch regular Falinks. Shiny odds are boosted, the Remote Raid Pass cap increases to 20 for May 22 and 23, and up to six free standard Raid Passes are available from Gym Photo Discs. Timed Research during the event includes encounters with Mawile.
The full raid rotation for May
Beyond the special events, the standard raid schedule keeps things moving. Ultra Beasts dominate the first half of the month in five-star raids, with regional splits during May 13-19:
Mega Raids cycle through Mega Camerupt (May 6-12), Mega Glalie (May 13-19), Mega Altaria (May 20-26), and Mega Medicham (May 27-June 2). Shadow Cresselia holds down Shadow Raids on weekends from May 6 through June 2.
Max Battles rotate weekly: Dynamax Cottonee (May 4-10), Dynamax Growlithe (May 11-17), Dynamax Registeel (May 18-24), and Dynamax Combee (May 25-31). Registeel in particular is worth targeting given its PvP relevance.
Raid Hours happen every Wednesday from 6 to 7 PM local time, featuring that week's five-star boss. If you want to maximize raid attempts without using passes, those Wednesday windows are your best bet.
With the Memories in Motion season ending soon, May is essentially the closing act before Pokemon Go rolls into its next season. For more coverage and detailed event breakdowns, browse more guides as the month progresses.
