The One With GOFEST 2026 Locations & Forever Friends

This week,

We open with a long-overdue Level 80 progress check-in, breaking down how our grind is going, what’s changed since the last update, and whether the road to Level 80 still feels achievable (or mildly terrifying).

Next up is News Part 1, featuring a full breakdown of the brand-new Forever Friend system. We explain how it works, how many points you’ll need, what rewards and unlocks are on offer, and whether this new progression layer is worth the effort for a remote trade? That leads straight into huge Pokémon GO Fest 2026 news, with live locations officially announced for Tokyo, Chicago, and Copenhagen. Naturally, we debate whether any of these cities are making our travel plans.

The fun ramps up with the Flex Game, where Gold Tier Patreon supporters choose the categories — expect big flexes & bold claims.

We then reflect on the December Community Day Weekend, sharing our best catches, how much we actually played, and what Community Days in 2025 got right (and wrong).

In News Part 2, we cover the upcoming Grookey Community Day and dive into Winter Holiday Part 1 & 2, looking at bonuses, spawns, and seasonal vibes. We round things off with a listener WhatsApp message and, of course, Shinies of the Week.

We’d like to say a massive thank you to all of our Patrons for your support, with credited Patrons from featured tiers below:

#GOLD

JB, Kerry & Zachary, Barside2, Mandy Croft, Mr Mossom, Mufti, DeanDHL, Masterlaxus42 & DamonMac08.

#SILVER

KLXVI, Dell Hazard, Spindiana, Lori Beck, Steve In Norway, CeeCeeismad, Macfloof, Saul Haberfield, Lizzie George, Sander Van Den Dreiesche, Neonnet, Ellen Rushton, James Alexander, Northern Soph, Tom Cattle, Charley Todd, Robert Wilson, MissSummerOf69, Malcolm Grinter, Jordi Castel, Thehotweasel, shinyikeamom, TonyOfPride, Joohno, Malcolm Burgess & mrj4ck4l.