Spend your Incense after the October 16 switchover: the second Incense list (Hisuian Growlithe, Nincada, Electrike, Helioptile and Bramblin) is the only one that carries the boosted Shiny Hisuian Growlithe chance, and it runs until the event ends on Monday, October 19 at 8:00 p.m. local time. Bramblin spawns on both lists, and the first list (Galarian Ponyta, Hoppip, Electrike, Dwebble, Bramblin) had no shiny boost except Electrike’s, so if you’re reading this on Sunday the 18th, you’re already in the better window with about a day left in it.
The rest of the verdict: Pokémon GO’s official Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek post makes the Timed Research free, so finish it if you’re already walking. Leek Duck, Serebii and Pokémon GO Hub all list Bramblin as a GO Pass reward at Rank 30 and Rank 60 on both tracks, so you don’t need to pay for the debut. Deluxe is worth $4.99 only if you’re building a Mega Manectric.
Which Incense List Is Worth Burning?
The second list is. It’s the only window that stacks a second boosted shiny on top of Electrike’s, and the table below shows what changed on Friday.
| Window (local time) | Incense spawns | Boosted shiny | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 10:00 a.m. to Oct 16, 10:00 a.m. (ended) | Galarian Ponyta, Hoppip, Electrike, Dwebble, Bramblin | Electrike | Fine for Bramblin; nothing exclusive |
| Oct 16, 10:00 a.m. to Oct 19, 8:00 p.m. (live) | Hisuian Growlithe, Nincada, Electrike, Helioptile, Bramblin | Electrike and Hisuian Growlithe | The one to plan around |
Shiny versions are possible for every spawn on both lists except Bramblin. Daily Adventure Incense is excluded from both lists, so use a regular Incense. Niantic has published no shiny rates for either boost, so “boosted” means better than normal, not a guarantee. Our shiny guide covers how to judge your odds without a published number.
What to do, by player type
- Shiny hunter: Use every Incense you have on the second list and keep walking. The Shiny Hisuian Growlithe boost only exists in this last stretch and ends with the event on Monday evening.
- Bramblin-only or completionist: Any list works, because Bramblin is on both. The Field Research task “earn a candy with your buddy” also offers a Bramblin encounter, per Leek Duck’s event page.
- Casual player: Skip the Incense maths. Do the free Timed Research and the Field Research, and let the GO Pass fill in the rest.
The 42 km Marathon Visor Pikachu Task
The Timed Research is free, pays 16,800 XP in total and ends with an encounter with a Pikachu wearing a marathon visor, and it has to be finished and claimed by Monday, October 19 at 8:00 p.m. local time. Leek Duck lists it as four explore tasks worth 4,200 XP each.
| Task | XP |
|---|---|
| Explore 5 km | 4,200 |
| Explore 10 km | 4,200 |
| Explore 21 km | 4,200 |
| Explore 42 km | 4,200 |
The tasks add up to 16,800 XP, which matches the official figure. One thing to check in-game: Leek Duck puts the Pikachu encounter at the end of the research, while Serebii’s event page lists it on the 5 km step. The official post doesn’t give the task distances, so open the research and see which step shows the Pikachu before you decide how far to walk. If you want the full list of what research rewards are worth chasing, see our research tasks guide.
GO Pass: Rank 10, Rank 20 and Whether Deluxe Pays Off
For most players the free pass is enough, because the official post doesn’t tie the two milestone bonuses to the paid tier, and Bramblin is on both tracks. Rank 10 makes every Incense you activate during the event last two hours (Daily Adventure Incense excluded), which is the bonus that matters for the second spawn list. Rank 20 gives 5× Mega Energy for walking with Electrike or Manectric as your buddy, but only after you’ve Mega Evolved Manectric at least once.
| Option | Price | What you get | Worth it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free GO Pass | $0 | Event encounters, Incense, Rare Candy, Ultra Balls; Bramblin at Rank 30 and 60 | You mainly want Bramblin |
| GO Pass Deluxe | $4.99 | Extra encounters, Manectric Mega Energy, Rare Candy XL; web store gift of 10 Ultra Balls, 5 Max Revives, 1 Premium Battle Pass, 5 Max Potions | You’re building Mega Manectric |
| Deluxe + 6 Ranks | $6.99 | Same as Deluxe plus enough GO Points for Rank 7 at once | You’re short on time and want the Deluxe track |
Per Leek Duck, each rank costs 100 GO Points. Serebii and Pokémon GO Hub both place 500 Manectric Mega Energy on the paid track at Ranks 15 and 24, and that is where the $4.99 pays off. With about a day left, the +6 Ranks bundle is the only paid option that changes how far you get. Unclaimed GO Pass rewards expire on Wednesday, October 21 at 8:00 p.m. local time, two days after the event ends.
Mega Manectric also gets a new Charged Attack, Discharge+, and can now be raised to Super Max Level once it hits Max Mega Level. Our Mega Level guide explains how the levels work.
What We Know About Bramblin
Bramblin is not listed as shiny-capable on any event page. The official post gives no stats or type, and it says nothing about Brambleghast. Leek Duck lists 50 Bramblin Candy plus a 20 km buddy walk for the evolution, but the official post doesn’t confirm that, so treat it as unconfirmed. A buddy walk would need Bramblin set as your buddy, and our buddy guide covers how that works.
Verified against the official Pokémon GO post on October 18, 2026. Event details can change, so check the in-game news before you commit a walk to a task.
Sources
- Niantic. Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek. Pokémon GO news (pokemongo.com)
- Leek Duck. Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek. Leek Duck
- Serebii.net. Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek. Serebii.net Pokémon GO events
- Pokémon GO Hub. Fall Marathon: Buddy Trek. Pokémon GO Hub
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.