Pokemon Go Reveals Pinch Perfect Event for January 2026

Pokemon GO has revealed that Klawf is coming to the game as part of the Pinch Perfect event in January. This will be one of the first Pokemon GO events of 2026 and will also introduce shiny Dhelmise for players to try and catch if they are lucky.

2025 has been a packed year for the augmented reality mobile game. Among the biggest changes of the last 12 months was the Trainer level cap increase in October, which moved the max level in Pokemon GO from 50 to 80. Additionally, many events have been held that introduced more creatures to collect and featured bonuses for players to gain more XP. While 2025 is not over yet, Scopely has already teased fans about what to expect at the start of 2026.

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Pinch Perfect Event Adds Klawf and Shiny Dhelmise to Pokemon GO

To kick off the new year, Pokemon GO will host Pinch Perfect. This new event runs from Tuesday, January 6, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time and will add Klawf to the roster. Known as the Ambush Pokemon, it will be the latest pocket monster from Scarlet and Violet‘s Paldea region to come to Pokemon GO. However, it is not the only new debut in Pinch Perfect, as players will have the chance to encounter shiny Dhelmise in the mobile game for the first time. It is worth pointing out that wild encounters with other event-themed Pokemon will be possible, including Corphish, Dwebble, Clauncher, Tirtouga, and Archen. Some of these could even be shiny.

Pokemon GO has also revealed the Pokemon that will appear in Raids during Pinch Perfect. Specifically, One-Star Raids will feature Corphish, Dwebble, and Clauncher. Meanwhile, Three-Star Raids will star Dhelmise and Dondozo. All of these Pokemon have the chance of being shiny in Raids. Beyond this, players can take advantage of event bonuses throughout Pinch Perfect. During the event, 2x XP will be awarded for catching Pokemon, helping players increase their in-game level. Additionally, shiny Corphish, shiny Dwebble, and shiny Clauncher will be more likely to be encountered, giving shiny hunters potentially more of a reason to log on.

Pokemon Appearing in Raids

One-Star Raids

Corphish*

Dwebble*

Clauncher*

Three-Star Raids

Dhelmise*

Dondozo*

*shiny chance

For players looking to collect Klawf, Pokemon GO will feature Field Research tasks and Timed Research that will offer the chance to potentially encounter the Gen 9 critter. As far as Time Research goes, there will be three of them happening at different times during the Pinch Perfect event. In each case, players have the chance to earn an encounter with Klawf. Furthermore, there is paid Timed Research available for $1.99 that includes encounters with Corphish, Dwebble, Clauncher, Dhelmise, and Klawf, along with two premium battle passes and more.

Timed Research Schedule

Tuesday, January 6, at 10:00 a.m. to Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time

Complete the research tasks to earn encounters with the following event-themed Pokemon.

Thursday, January 8, at 10:00 a.m. to Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time

Complete the research tasks to earn encounters with the following event-themed Pokemon.

Saturday, January 10, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time

Complete the research tasks to earn encounters with the following event-themed Pokemon.

*shiny chance

While it is nice to see the developer continue to add new creatures to the mobile game, it does highlight a possible problem that is becoming more apparent. As 2025 comes to a close, Pokemon GO is starting to run out of Pokemon to add. While the reserve is not critically low, the number of unreleased main series Pokemon for the game has dropped to under 100. However, Gen 10 is expected later in 2026, so the pool of available Pokemon will increase with the release of those future games.

Fortunately, the Pinch Perfect event suggests that Scopely intends to continue to release new Pokemon in Pokemon GO on a somewhat regular basis. The game has also debuted several new Pokemon in the last few months of 2025. Time will tell what future events will look like and what type of bonuses players can look forward to.