Next up, Marill! Pokemon Go Spotlight Hours for May 2021

David Purcell
Pokemon Go Spotlight Hours for may 2021

Niantic have revealed their Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour schedule for May 2021, with Cottonee, Dratini, Alolan Rattata, and Marill – so there’s a lot to look forward to. 

The game developers, who have experienced tremendous success with their mobile game on Android and iOS, have given fans what they want this time around. Dratini is one, for example, fans have been waiting to see what’s included for quite some time.

Alongside these limited-time opportunities, there’s also going to be a Community Day taking place mid-month on May 15, 2021. With this, players can expect to see another exclusive move, Research Breakthrough tasks, and more fresh content.

Clearly, there is plenty to look out for this month, so let’s run through the most important details and key dates to follow. You won’t want to miss these.


What is the next Pokemon Spotlight Hour? Date, time & bonus

Marill Pokemon Go May 25 Spotlight Hour details

Marill Pokemon Go Event
Marill is the next Spotlight Hour in Pokemon Go!

Niantic have confirmed the next Pokemon Spotlight Hour is Marill, which goes live on May 25, 2021. 

The Pokemon will be handed increased spawn rate for a short period of time, between 6PM-7PM local time. That means no matter where you are in the world playing, finding it will be easier at that time. So good luck!

How to prepare: Marill Pokemon Go Spotlight

  1. Bring as many Pokecoins as you can!
  2. Spend your Pokecoins to get at least two Incenses for each event!
  3. Bring a lot of Pokeballs!
  4. Collect Pokemon Candy for the Spotlight Hour Pokemon, if you want to catch and evolve it!

The Spotlight Bonus for this is a Double XP bonus!

How to get Marill in Pokemon Go

To complete the first Spotlight Hour event successfully, you’ll need to follow a few steps to grab yourself a Marill in-game.

  1. Load up Pokemon Go on your Android or iOS device.
  2. Buy a few Incenses for the Marill Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour.
  3. Run around in-game until you find one, which should be quite easy due to the increased spawn rate.

Is there a Shiny Marill?

Yes – Shiny Marill is available in Pokemon Go. To catch one is a rare occurrence, but they are green in color instead of blue.

To catch one, use Incenses and Lure Modules to be able to increase your chances during the Spotlight Hours.


Alolan Rattata Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour details – Recap

alolan rattata pokemon go
The Alolan Rattata Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour starts up in May.

Is there a Shiny Alolan Rattata?

Good news, there is a Shiny Alolan Rattata in-game and during the Spotlight Hour event, the spawn rate for both the normal and shiny variant will be boosted.


Dratini May 11 Spotlight Hour details – Recap

Pokemon Go Dratini
Dratini is next up in the Spotlight hour schedule for May 2021.

Is Shiny Dratini in Pokemon Go?

The simple answer here is yes, Shiny Dratini can be caught in Pokemon Go.

The best time to get one is during the Spotlight Hour event too, as increased spawn rate for the normal version and Shiny variant means for a limited time you have a boosted chance. Good luck!


Cottonee May 4 Spotlight Hour details – Recap

Cottonee Pokemon Go
Cottonee features in the next Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour event.

The Spotlight Bonus for this was Double Catch Candy!

Can you get Shiny Cottonee in Pokemon Go?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Cottonee does not spawn with a Shiny Pokemon variant in Pokemon Go.

That means just the normal version of this cute Pokemon will be spawning during the event.


Pokemon Go Spotlight Hour schedule for May 2021

What time is Spotlight Hour Pokemon Go?

Spotlight Pokemon
Spotlight Hour DateSpotlight Hour Time

Cottonee May 4, 2021 6PM – 7PM local time
Dratini    May 11, 2021 6PM – 7PM local time
Alolan Rattata May 18, 2021 6PM – 7PM local time
Marill May 25, 2021 6PM – 7PM local time

Spawn Rate & Shiny Rate

The spawn rate of each Spotlight Hour Pokemon is boosted for a period of 60 minutes, and as a result, so too is the Shiny Rate of that species.

If you’re looking to get more Shinies, now might be your chance!

Double XP bonus

In May’s schedule, only one Pokemon will have a reward of Double XP – and that’s Alolan Rattata. 


That’s everything we know about the Pokemon Go Spotlight Hours for May 2021. Keep checking back to this page for regular updates, as different Pokemon will spawn more frequently than others during the month. Watch this space.

About The Author

David is the former US Managing Editor at Dexerto.com. You can contact him via email: david.purcell@dexerto.com.