You could be the next Pokémon Go NPC

Pokemon Go Tour Kanto
Pokemon Go Tour Kanto (Image credit: Niantic)

What you need to know

  • Today, Niantic announced a new feature for the upcoming Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto event.
  • During this event, players will be able to encounter random Trainers for battles, in much the same way as players encounter random Trainers in the core Pokémon games.
  • Niantic is also holding a contest for Pokémon Trainers to be featured in the Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto event.

One of the staples of the core Pokémon games are the random Trainer enounters players face throughout their Pokémon Journey. From the very first Bug Catcher with his three Weedle to the high level end game Trainers, these NPCs provide challenges, XP, and rewards. As part of the upcoming Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto event, Niantic will be recreating that experience by adding these random encounters to the map. During the event which will be held on February 20, 2021, Players will be able to find NPC Trainers as they move about the map, battling to complete Special Timed Research and earning awesome rewards.

However, these Trainers won't just be any randomly generated Trainers. They will be based on actual Pokémon Go players and you might just be one of them! All players at or above the legal age of majority may enter by completing these easy steps:

  1. Take a screenshot of your Trainer profile that includes your Trainer name and shows off your avatar's outfit.
  2. List three Pokémon that would make your team, featuring any non-Legendary, non-Mythical, and non-Ditto Pokémon from the Kanto region.
  3. Post the screenshot and list to Twitter using the hashtag #PokémonGOTourContest.

Entries will be judged based on the creativity of the outfit, the general theme, and the composition of the Pokémon team. For the full details, make sure to read the contest rules.

Are you super hyped for the chance to be featured as a random Trainer encounter during the Pokémon Go Tour: Kanto event? What theme will you style your avatar and Pokémon Team around? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to check out our best Pokémon Go accessories, so you can be fully equipped for your Pokémon Journey!

Casian Holly

Casian Holly has been writing about gaming at iMore since 2019, but their real passion is Pokémon. From the games to the anime, cards and toys, they eat, sleep, and breathe all things Pokémon. You can check out their many Pokémon Go and Pokémon Sword and Shield guides and coverage here on iMore.