DEXERTOThe Spotlight Hour in Pokemon Go is a regularly rotating event that shines a… spotlight on a different creature each week, and their turn in the limelight offers highly boosted spawn rates and a special double bonus.
Lasting only one hour, trainers will get the chance to catch as many of that specific ‘mon as they can, offering the perfect opportunity to fill out their Pokedex and earn enough Candy to evolve it.
So here’s everything you need to know about December’s schedule of Spotlight Hours, and which remaining Pokemon are set to appear more frequently this month in Pokemon Go.
December 2025 Spotlight Hour schedule in Pokemon Go
SPOTLIGHT POKEMON | DATE | TIME | SPOTLIGHT BONUS | CAN IT BE SHINY? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cranidos  | December 2 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Local Time) | x2 Transfer Candy | Yes |
Shieldon  | December 9 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Local Time) | x2 Catch XP | Yes |
Mienfoo  | December 16 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Local Time) | x2 Catch Candy | Yes |
Spheal  | December 23 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Local Time) | x2 Evolution XP | Yes |
Delibird  | December 30 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Local Time) | x2 Catch Stardust | Yes |
Next Spotlight Hour – Mienfoo
The next Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour is scheduled for Tuesday, December 16, 2025. Between the hours of 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM local time, Mienfoo will appear in the wild much more frequently.
This means you’ll be able to take part and catch it wherever you are in the world. On top of that, the Mienfoo Spotlight Hour bonus will reward players with double Candy when catching Pokemon.
Can Mienfoo be Shiny?
Yes, Mienfoo can be encountered as Shiny during its Spotlight Hour. You’ll have a very easy time spotting it – its entire body takes on a paler tone. Plus, the red details on its arms, legs, and tail change from red to a bluish purple!
DEXERTOIt’s worth noting that Shiny odds are not boosted during the Spotlight Hour. However, because the spawn rates of the featured Pokemon increase during the event, the chances of finding a random Shiny among the crowd increase too.
This means the Shiny rate stays at 1/500, but the chance of encountering one increases.
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Tips to prepare for the next Spotlight Hour
With Spotlight Hours only lasting for 60 minutes, there are several things you can do to prepare to make sure you don’t waste any precious time:
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- Make sure you have enough Poke Balls, Great Balls, or – if needed – Ultra Balls to catch multiple Spotlight Hour Pokemon.
- Make sure you have enough Nanab or Razz/Golden Razz Berries to make catching easier.
- Clear out your Pokemon Storage Box to make room for all the spawns you’ll catch.
- Save up your PokeCoins and purchase Incense for the event.
- Use Pinap/Silver Pinap Berries to get double Candy for each catch. That way, you’ll gather the 50 Candy required to evolve Mienfoo into Mienshao.
We’d also recommend using any of your spare items, like Lucky Eggs or Star Pieces, during this week’s event, as they can help to increase the XP and Stardust you’ll earn during it.
Niantic / The Pokemon CompanyThe spawn rate of each Spotlight Hour Pokemon is boosted for 60 minutes during these events, meaning you’ll have plenty of opportunities to catch each species, especially if you’re using Incense and Lures.
While Spotlight Hours won’t increase a Pokemon’s individual Shiny rate, the fact that you’re encountering so many of them means you’re more likely to find one than during regular hours. If you plan on using Spotlight Hours to Shiny hunt, the best approach is to use Incense and explore.
Tap on every ‘mon you see, and if they aren’t Shiny, don’t bother catching them – just leave and keep searching. Remember that you can now use Pokedex classifications to single out your Shiny Pokemon collection, which is helpful if you’re trying to catch ’em all.
That’s everything you need to know about the Pokemon Go Spotlight Hours for December 2025. Every week will feature a different headliner and event bonus, so come back later in the month for more details!
Don’t forget to check out our guides on Field Research tasks, how to catch Ditto, and some of our rankings like the best Eeveelutions, the best Attackers and Defenders, or the best Mega Evolutions.