AsPokemon GOcontinues to grow a decade after its release, the second half of a Pokemon pair is finally catchable, for now at least. With the game still in the process of adding the newest Pokemon from Gen 9,Pokemon GOwill celebrate one of the most uniqueScarlet and Violetcreatures for a limited time.
The constantly evolving nature of thePokemonfranchise is one thing that fans have come to love about the games. Each one brings new regions to explore, opponents to battle, and new Pokemon to befriend. This element of the series does create extra work for many of the various spin-off titles, though. Despite being 3 years old,Scarlet and VioletPokemon are still being added toPokemon GO. Among the list of Gen 9 Pokemon who aren’t present inPokemon GOyet are the game’s signature pair of Dondozo and Tatsugiri. At least, that was the case, but now only half of the pair is missing. Tatsugiri joins the roster ofPokemon GOon July 15, leaving only one half of the powerful duo missing.
Tatsugiri Finally Arrives in Pokemon GO
Beginning on July 15,Pokemon GOcelebrates the Water Festival. The festivities of this event are, naturally, devoted to water-type Pokemon, with many standout creatures becoming more common for the duration of the festival. Some of the added incentives for participating include the ability to earn extra candy, unlock an event-themed trainer pose, and catch a limited-time Lapras wearing a scarf. Certain Pokemon even have a slightly increased chance of appearing as shiny.
As part of the Water Festival event, Tatsugiri has finally been added toPokemon GOuntil the end of the event on July 20. Tatsugiri’s partner, Dondozo, still hasn’t been added to the game, but players who want the pair might want to get a jump on catching Tatsugiri while they can.
It’s unlikely that the Pokemon’s absence will be permanent, but as this is the first time the sushi-themed mimic is available, it’s certain to be a popular target during the event. While the Water Festival is in progress,Pokemon GO’s Tatsugirican be caught in one-star raids. This means it might be difficult for new players to capture it, but seasoned trainers shouldn’t have much trouble. The three different forms of Tatsugiri will each only be available in certain regions of the world, providing an extra challenge for those who might want to collect all of them:
Tatsugiri and Dondozo Are Most Powerful Together
The decision to split up the pair of Dondozo and Tatsugiri is, admittedly, a bit of a puzzling one. InScarlet and Violet, the two became the latest two Pokemon to form a pair in the lore of the games. Duos like Zangoose / Seviper, Durant / Heatmore, and Shelmet / Karrablast that have lore or gameplay relations to one another have become a popular inclusion as thePokemonserieshas grown. The link between Tatsugiri and Dondozo is both gameplay and lore-based.
ThePokedex entriesof the two suggest that Tatsugiri acts as the brain of the pair, with Dondozo being the brawn, while they work together to hunt as a pair, mirroring real-world symbiotic relationships. This is shown in gameplay through Tatsugiri’s Commander ability, which sees it hide inside Dondozo’s mouth when the two are battling on the same field as each other. The ability also grants Dondozo stat boosts while protecting Tatsugiri from most attacks.
This ability was very powerful in competitive battles before being nerfed, but doesn’t have any use if Dondozo isn’t in the game.
Tatsugiri’s inclusion inPokemon GOmight mean that Dondozo isn’t far behind. So, even though Tatsugiri is only available for a limited time and doesn’t have any of its three different shiny forms, players still might want to make sure to find one. Whenever Dondozo finally appears, the partnership between the two could make them one of the most powerful pairs in the game.
