Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek 2026 runs from Tuesday, October 13, at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, October 19, at 8:00 p.m. local time. It brings Bramblin to Pokémon GO for the first time and makes Mega Manectric the latest Pokémon able to reach Super Max Level.
The event is short, and its best parts are split across time windows. The Incense spawns change halfway through, the Shiny Hisuian Growlithe boost only covers the second half, and the event ends at 8:00 p.m. rather than the usual 10:00 a.m.
This guide covers what the announcement confirms, what it leaves unanswered, and how to time your Incense and buddy walking.
Confirmed Event Details
Everything in this section comes from the official Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek announcement.
Dates and deadlines
- October 13, 10:00 a.m.: event and GO Pass start.
- October 16, 10:00 a.m.: Incense spawns switch to the second list.
- October 19, 8:00 p.m.: event ends. Timed Research must be completed and claimed by this time.
- October 21, 8:00 p.m.: unclaimed GO Pass rewards expire.
All times are local.
Bramblin’s debut
Bramblin can be encountered by completing GO Pass tasks, using Incense, and through event Field Research. The announcement describes it as a lucky encounter, so expect it to be uncommon.
Bramblin is the only Pokémon in the Incense lists without a Shiny marker. Based on the announcement, Shiny Bramblin is not part of this event.
Wild spawns
Event-themed wild spawns include Ponyta, Doduo, Electrike, and Blitzle, with Skarmory as a rarer encounter. All of these can be Shiny.
Incense spawns by day
Regular Incense only. Daily Adventure Incense is excluded.
October 13, 10:00 a.m. to October 16, 10:00 a.m.: Galarian Ponyta, Hoppip, Electrike, Dwebble, Bramblin.
October 16, 10:00 a.m. to October 19, 8:00 p.m.: Hisuian Growlithe, Nincada, Electrike, Helioptile, Bramblin.
Every Pokémon on both lists except Bramblin can be Shiny.
Event bonuses
- Increased Shiny chance for Electrike for the whole event.
- Increased Shiny chance for Hisuian Growlithe from Incense, from October 16 at 10:00 a.m. to the end of the event.
Two more bonuses unlock through the event GO Pass:
- Rank 10: regular Incense activated during the event lasts two hours.
- Rank 20: earn 5× Mega Energy while exploring with Electrike or Manectric as your buddy, but only after you’ve Mega Evolved Manectric at least once.
Mega Manectric and Super Max
Starting with this event, Mega Manectric can reach Super Max Level. When Mega Evolved, Manectric can also use a new Charged Attack, Discharge+:
- Trainer Battles: 50 power
- Raid Battles: 150 power
The announcement says this power increases with Mega Level.
From the Mega Evolution update post, Super Max works like this:
- Manectric must already be at Max, the third Mega Level.
- Mega Evolving alone won’t get it there. You have to spend Manectric Mega Energy to power it up.
- At Super Max, it gains greatly enhanced CP and greatly increased Candy, XP, and Candy XL chance when catching Pokémon that share a type with it.
- Its rest period before it can Mega Evolve again without Mega Energy drops to 24 hours.
If you need more Manectric Mega Energy than buddy walking gives you, Mega Raids are the other main source.
Research
Field Research rewards include encounters with Doduo, Electrike, Bramblin, and more. Some tasks award Manectric Mega Energy or Rare Candy.
Timed Research is free and awards 16,800 XP and an encounter with Pikachu wearing a marathon visor.
GO Pass: Fall Marathon
The free GO Pass is added automatically. Its listed rewards include event encounters, Incense, Rare Candy, and Ultra Balls.
GO Pass Deluxe costs US$4.99, or US$6.99 for Deluxe + 6 Ranks, which awards enough GO Points to reach Rank 7. Deluxe adds more event encounters, Incense, Manectric Mega Energy, and Rare Candy XL. Prices follow your local currency tier, and availability may vary by region.
You can upgrade at any time and still claim Deluxe rewards from ranks you’ve already unlocked.
Web Store gifts with purchase:
- Deluxe: 10 Ultra Balls, 5 Max Revives, 1 Premium Battle Pass, 5 Max Potions.
- Deluxe + 6 Ranks: the same, but with 2 Premium Battle Passes.
- Deluxe + 6 Ranks Ultra Box (web-exclusive): 20 Ultra Balls, 10 Max Revives, 10 Max Potions, 5 Premium Battle Passes, 1 Incubator, and 1 Super Incubator.
A Web Store purchase activates when the pass begins.
What the announcement doesn’t say
- How Bramblin evolves in Pokémon GO, or whether its evolution is available yet.
- How much Mega Energy Super Max costs for Manectric.
- Discharge+ power at Super Max. Only the base values are listed.
- The normal buddy Mega Energy rate, so the real size of the 5× bonus isn’t stated.
- Whether an Incense lit before you reach Rank 10 gets extended, or only ones lit afterward.
- How this pass interacts with the October GO Pass, which runs at the same time. The announcement doesn’t say whether tasks count toward both.
- How many ranks the pass has, or which ranks hold Bramblin.
Check in-game on October 13 before planning around any of these.
What the Community Has Documented
These points come from community sources (Bulbapedia and GO Hub), not the announcement.
- Bramblin’s evolution: in the main series games, Bramblin evolves into Brambleghast after the player walks a set distance with it. Nothing confirms Pokémon GO will use a similar method, so hold your Bramblin until the evolution is announced.
- Incense and movement: community research reports that Incense produces more encounters while you’re moving than while standing still. That matters more when Rank 10 doubles each Incense to two hours.
Practical Application: Timing Your Incense and Buddy Walks
Example: you want a Shiny Hisuian Growlithe. You have three Incense and reach Rank 10 on October 14. If you use them on October 15, you get the first list, which has no Hisuian Growlithe at all. If you wait until the evening of October 16, each Incense runs for two hours, pulls from the second list, and has the boosted Shiny rate for Hisuian Growlithe. Same items, much better odds.
A few rules follow from this:
- Reach Rank 10 before lighting Incense. The announcement doesn’t confirm that an already-active Incense gets extended, so don’t count on it.
- Split your Incense by target. Want Shiny Galarian Ponyta or Dwebble? Use Incense before October 16 at 10:00 a.m. Want Shiny Hisuian Growlithe, Nincada, or Helioptile? Use it after.
- Walk while it’s active. Two hours of Incense combined with a walk is also buddy distance for the Rank 20 bonus.
- Mega Evolve Manectric once, early. The 5× buddy Mega Energy bonus only turns on after you’ve done it. If you don’t have a Manectric, this is the event to evolve an Electrike.
- Keep Mega Manectric active while catching Electric-types. Electrike, Blitzle, and Helioptile all share Manectric’s Electric type, so you get the Mega catch bonus on them.
- Don’t forget the 8:00 p.m. end. Most events end at 10:00 a.m. This one ends in the evening on October 19, and Timed Research disappears at the same moment.
If you’re working through the GO Pass October 2026 guide at the same time, remember both passes run in parallel this week.
Tracking Your Event Catches
This event mixes regional forms, a costumed Pikachu, and Shiny chances across eight or more species. After a few Incense sessions, it’s easy to lose track of which Hisuian Growlithe was the good one, or whether you already have a Shiny Electrike.
A tracker like GoDex keeps that organized. You can scan a catch screenshot to read CP and IVs automatically, tag Shiny, regional form, or costume variants with custom tags, and add notes to your Bramblin so you remember which one to evolve once the method is known. Before spending Stardust, you can also check how a catch’s IVs rank for Great, Ultra, or Little Cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Bramblin be Shiny during Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek? The announcement marks every other Incense Pokémon as Shiny-eligible, but not Bramblin. Don’t expect a Shiny Bramblin at this event.
Does Daily Adventure Incense spawn Bramblin? No. The event Incense spawns and the two-hour bonus both exclude Daily Adventure Incense.
Do I need GO Pass Deluxe to get Bramblin? No. Bramblin appears from GO Pass tasks, regular Incense, and Field Research, none of which require Deluxe.
Can I get Mega Manectric to Super Max during the event? Only if it’s already at Max Mega Level and you have enough Manectric Mega Energy. The announcement doesn’t state the energy cost.
When does the event end? Monday, October 19, at 8:00 p.m. local time. GO Pass rewards can be claimed until October 21 at 8:00 p.m.
Key Takeaways
- Save your Incense until after Rank 10, so each one lasts two hours.
- Use Incense after October 16 at 10:00 a.m. if Shiny Hisuian Growlithe is your goal.
- Mega Evolve Manectric once to unlock the Rank 20 buddy bonus.
- Finish Timed Research before 8:00 p.m. on October 19, not the usual 10:00 a.m.
- Hold Bramblin until its evolution method in Pokémon GO is confirmed.
We do our best to keep these guides accurate, but Pokémon GO mechanics change often. If you spot a mistake or something that's out of date, please send us feedback — we'll fix it.
About GoDex
A free companion app for tracking your collection, scanning IVs from screenshots, and checking PVP rankings. Available on iOS and Android.
