Pokémon Go's Water Festival is full of summer fun, but the most exciting feature is the addition of Tatsugiri, Paldea's sushi-like fish, to the game for the first time. However, as with many other Pokémon with forms that have come before it, there's an annoying obstacle in the way of collecting them all.
As a location-based mobile game, Pokémon Go loves to use real-world regions as a way to add exclusivity to certain creatures, much like the version exclusives in the mainline games. The gen 9 Pokémon Tatsugiri has three distinct forms that mimic different types of nigiri sushi, which is where it gets the label of the Mimicry Pokémon from. All three forms are coming to Pokémon Go, but they're region-locked - Curly Form lives in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Droopy Form inhabits the Americas, and you can find Stretchy Form in the Asia-Pacific region.
Of course, one of Pokémon Go's key features is trading with your friends, so if you've got some Poképals scattered around the world, you should be just fine, but it's still a little annoying for those of us who prefer to play alone, especially as they're limited to one-star raids rather than wild encounters. These fish Pokémon are some of the coolest designs to come out of the series in years, so I want to get my hands on them as soon as possible.
As well as Tatsugiri's debut, Pokémon Go's Water Festival offers increased chances to find shiny Staryu and Tirtouga, boosted activity for Rainy Lure Modules, and special raids featuring a Lapras wearing a scarf. There's also a chance for this gen 1 Pokémon to be shiny and come with an exclusive seasonal background.
When does Tatsugiri come to Pokémon Go?
Tatsugiri makes its Pokémon Go debut during the Water Festival, which runs from 10am local time on July 15 to 8pm local time on July 20. For just $4.99, you can buy themed Paid Timed Research to encounter even more event Pokémon and get an ice cream-themed avatar pose.
There are plenty of awesome Pokémon Go events to fill your summer days, including the Pokémon Go Road Trip, which kicks off in Manchester tomorrow before touring around Europe. Check out our Pokémon Go codes page to stock up on items and currency before heading out into the wild.