Tapu Lele, Fomantis, & Shiny Cottonee Set To Arrive in Pokémon GO

Shiny Cottonee is coming to Pokémon Go with the Lush Jungle event. (It seems. You’ll see what we mean.) In addition to that, we’re getting Tapu Lele, Fomantis, and more. Let’s get into the details.

Here are the full details for the Lush Jungle event in Pokémon GO:

• Date and time: Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022, at 10:00 AM until Tuesday, March 29th, 2022, at 8:00 PM local time.
• New species release: Fomantis (the Sickle Grass Pokémon) and its evolution, Lurantis (the Bloom Sickle Pokémon).
• New Legendary release: Absolutely called it. Tapu Lele in Tier Five raids.
• Event within an event: Okay, this one is a little strange. This event does have a Shiny release, but if we are to judge the blog’s info as accurate as this Shiny release information is listed under this part of the event and not the main event (though, unfortunately, trusting the text didn’t serve us well with the release of Jangmo-o), so it seems that the Shiny won’t be released until this part of the event. (Ope! Updating here, as later information in the blog openly contradicts this. People say “Hear Us Niantic,” but I more think “Make this make sense, Niantic.”) This event within an event is called the “Lush Jungle park spotlight.” Here are the details:
  • Lush Jungle park spotlight hours: Saturday, March 26th, 2022, and Sunday, March 27th, 2022,
  • Shiny release: Cottonee
  • Details: Cottonee will be appearing more frequently in parks. This is a new style of event and certainly is an example of Niantic pushing Pokémon GO back to being an outdoor game. However, I will say that as an advocate for Niantic adding to the game rather than taking away bonuses, I see this as a perfect example of a good way to reintroduce real-world elements to the game.
• Special Research: A Tapu Lele-focused Special Research will be released.
• Timed Research: Niantic writes, “Trainers who complete certain Timed Research tasks during the event will earn items and encounters with various event-themed Pokémon, like Fomantis.” Details remain to be seen.
• Wild Spawns:
  • Metapod, Paras, Exeggcute, Hoothoot, Sudowoodo, Ferroseed, and Fomantis.
  • Rare spawns: Pinsir and Cottonee (Welp! This part of the blog marks Cottonee as Shiny during the full event, which of course contradicts the text quoted earlier.)
  • Raids:
    • Tier One: Bellsprout, Tangela, Sewaddle, and Cottonee
    • Tier Three: Butterfree, Vileplume, Parasect, and Exeggutor
    • Tier Five: Tapu Lele
    • Mega Raids: Mega Charizard