“Pokemon Go” returns to Pasadena, but it arrives amid the shadow of the Los Angeles fires, which has devastated nearby Altadena. Niantic and The Pokemon Go Company have kept that in mind as Pokemon Go Tour: Unova — Los Angeles takes place at the Rose Bowl and the surrounding golf course.
The two companies are donating a combined $1 million to nonprofits, which are supporting relief efforts for those affected by conflagration. They include the California Community Foundation, Latino Community Foundation, Pasadena Community Foundation and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
CLEAR BAGS AND ONE PORTABLE BATTERY
With that in mind, the Rose Bowl has enacted stricter policies this year compared to 2024. That includes a clear bag policy and portable battery limit. If players don’t have a clear bag on them, a 1 gallon Ziploc bag will suffice. Clear backpacks, mesh bags and tinted plastic bags aren’t allowed, according to the Rose Bowl Game site. Strollers and diaper bags are permitted with a child and pets aren’t allowed though service animals are OK.
The single portable battery could be a burden for players. The battery has to be the size of a smartphone. The best advice for this is to keep an eye out for charging stations that are normally at the event. It’s also worthwhile to dim the screen and use dark mode to conserve that battery. An auto-catcher such a Poke Go Plus + will also be helpful. Players can shut off their screen and let the game catch while they stroll around. Players just have to hope that they don’t miss out on any shinies while they auto catch.
TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
If you want to get the most out of your day, get there early using public transportation or find a way to walk from a short distance away. Getting into the Rose Bowl parking lot is a nightmare, so Uber or Lyft is also a good idea because drivers can drop them off. Just be sure to tip them well because getting out will be a nightmare. It also helps to know what gate you’re set to go through. Players who have an Autumn Masquerade or Summer Vacation start should go to Gate A or G while Winter Caverns and Spring Soiree kickoffs should head to Gate K. It doesn’t impact gameplay but it could help out with the accompanying quest line.
Players should just enter the venue and the Pokemon and quests should activate. The spawns and bells and whistles are tied to the venue. They should make sure their game is up to date, and if nothing updates at the 9 a.m. start of the event, they should restart the app and it should work.
No outside food or drink is allowed, so players should bring money to buy food from concession stands there. Last year, Niantic also brought in food trucks.
WHAT TO CATCH
As for the must-have shinies for the event, it’s best to go after the regionals. That includes Pansear, Pansage and Panpour in the themed environments. Throh, Sawk, Heatmor and Durant are in 5km eggs. Maractus, Sigilyph and Bouffalant are in 10km eggs.
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The second tier of desirable shinies are ones that are seasonal or show up rarely. Those are the Unowns, which are U, N, O, V and A; the seasonal Deerlings, which are making their debut; and Tirtouga and Archen, which are more common around rock or fossil events.
One of the overlooked shinies will be Basculin. The Red and Blue versions will be available but only through routes. Unfortunately, there are no routes at the Rose Bowl event, so players will have to run routes on their own outside of the venue. Central Park in downtown Pasadena is an ideal place to do that after the event.
Beyond that, there’s more to do outside in Los Angeles, including special PokeStops at Metro stations and enigma Field Research, which are in select PokeStops scattered around Southern California.
