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Posted by: Zerxer Dec 7 2020, 11:36 PM

From all of the staff here, we truly hope you're all having a safe and wonderful holiday season, making the most of what is possible as the global pandemic continues to cause us to pause most of our personal yearly traditions. To those who have been hit especially hard in any way, our hearts go out to you.

Normally when I make this post, I comment how I can't believe it's already December again and that I always feel like time is moving so fast by how frequently I have to do this. This year, however, hits far different. It feels like it's been ten years since last December, back when we were reflecting on the closing of the decade. So far this decade has been off to a very bumpy start.

It hasn't been ten years, though... It's only been one! You know what was ten years ago? The release of Pokémon Black & White, bringing with it the 5th generation of Pokémon and the Unova region.

It's interesting to look back at what the Pokémon franchise, and our site, were like then. Unova was the first new region to come after GPX launched in 2009. It was also the last set of games to not have a worldwide release date, having released in Japan in September 2010 and then not in North America until March 2011!

Because of this, we were able to start adding in the new Pokémon immediately as we were getting data from the Japanese release. We were very careful about spoilers for players in other regions who didn't want to immediately be exposed to the new Pokémon, so we had a setting to hide them site-wide, and we had a new section called the Dream World for obtaining them. We even came up with new vouchers – all of the "Plus" vouchers – with them being special in that they included 5th gen, while the original vouchers would never contain them. It's kind of funny looking back at that, because we use the Plus vouchers for everything now, including new Pokémon as they come out (thanks to worldwide releases), yet we still have those old vouchers lying around that only contain generations 1 thru 4. We even held a contest where the first 5 users to unlock some new achievements won a free copy of Black/White!

Sorry for the long story, I'm a really nostalgic person and am getting old. Let's get on with the event timeline!

The Hanukkah event

• Begins: Tuesday, December 8th at 11:55pm EST (site reset), which is tonight, two nights before Hanukkah begins.
• Ends: Sunday, December 20th at 11:55pm EST (site reset), which is two nights after Hanukkah ends.

This is always a favorite, so we're of course running our Hanukkah event. In the past we've given 1 Coin for every egg hatched that met that year's theme. Previous years have included: Fire-types (lighting of candles theme), Generation 1 Pokémon (a nostalgia theme), Generation 3 Pokémon (Pokémon GO theme), and Pokémon that were left out of the Galar region (missing from Sword and Shield).

This year, given everything I said earlier, we will be using Gen 5 Pokémon from Black and White. We're going to limit it to only Uncommon and Rare eggs from Unova.



You'll receive 1 coin for every Pokémon egg you hatch from the above list. You'll also earn 20 coins for completing a daily Scavenger Hunt task, which begins at the same time, but only up until the Hanukkah event ends. These coins are completely separate from all other currencies on the site and are used to determine the prizes you win in the end (as well as for http://gpx.plus/dreidel).



Scavenger Hunt
This month's Scavenger Hunt will also begin on Tuesday, December 8th at 11:55pm EST (site reset) and will end on Friday, December 25th at 11:55pm EST (site reset), but you'll only earn 20 coins for completing a task until the Hanukkah event ends (see above end date and time). So basically it'll run through and end on Christmas night.

Explorations
The two Christmas explorations, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and "Secret of Christmas", have been activated and will run through the end of the month.

Secret Santa Exchange
Deposits will be open sometime on Tuesday the 22nd and will last thru Friday the 25th, with the exchange itself happening after reset. I will post additional information around that time, but it'll work about the same as https://forums.gpx.plus/index.php?showtopic=74512.

New Year's Raffle
This will work the same as always: you'll have a day to be as active as possible, and for every 2021 points of Activity Score earned, you'll get one entry. We'll then distribute a certain number of prizes (be it a voucher for a new Pokémon, or something else ... tbd), and you'll have a chance to get one based on the number of entries you earned (you are not guaranteed a prize, regardless of how many entries you earned). More information will come as we near the end of the month.

Quick Update

I may end up moving the Scavenger Hunt dates so that it also begins tonight and ends sooner than the 31st.

12/8: Updated the Scavenger Hunt to begin tonight, the same as the Hanukkah event, and it'll end on Christmas night (site reset) on the 25th.

Posted by: The Majestic Mr L Dec 8 2020, 01:04 PM

You and me both. I remember the days of the summer after Black and White came out were some of my favorite moments I've ever spent with my best friend. I remember we'd spend hours out on his deck playing our DSis until it got late. Hard to believe it's been more than 10 years and so much has changed since then. I remember joining the site in 2013 and when XY mons were added.
But anyway, I likewise won't get all sappy and nostalgic.

I've been away from the site for quite a while, and I'm doing my best to get back into it. I've always loved the Dreidel event and am super excited for it! Glad to hear the Secret Santa is running again, and I've got quite a few spare shinies to throw in there.

And lastly, hope everyone's doing alright. This forum seems a bit less active than I remember, but to those who've stuck around, hopefully your families are safe and doing well. If anyone here knows anyone with the virus I wish them nothing but the best and a speedy recovery. Talks of vaccines are happening now, and while the "normal" so to speak may never truly return, let's hope some semblance of it returns soon.

We're in the final stretch, let's hope next year is better.

Posted by: Eryth Violet Dec 8 2020, 02:43 PM

My memories of that time on GPX are really fuzzy, but I can vaguely remember the dream world in the shelter. I feel like Blitzle was one of the first I found? It's really cute that the event this year centers on them! (And boy am I glad Munna is included)

Posted by: Kingis Dec 8 2020, 07:47 PM

Cannot believe it's December again. Crazy. Happy to see Unova get a special mention this time around, I like how the theme is always different.

I've got really busy recently but we'll see what I can do for the event. Have fun, everyone!


(pS. You missed the bold closing tag at the end of the Scav Hunt edit, heh.)

Posted by: Rookie Roo Dec 8 2020, 09:28 PM

I'm just gonna leave this here, if somebody is interested in some more information about the Pokemon for this year's event...

If I'm wrong in something though, please let me know

Last year, I decided to play it safe with the Dreidel. This time around, I'm gonna go wild with it just to see how it works better for me, even though putting 20+ coins in one go makes me yell from nervousness, lol.
See, this is why I don't bet kids. I'm too afraid of losing to actually try to win.

But ANYWAY, I hope everyone has a nice event, and even nicer days because we deserve those too. Happy December!

Posted by: Cytosine Dec 9 2020, 12:06 AM

I love those reflections Zerxer! I also remember black and white coming out, and the dream world was really really exciting. I can't remember the first gen five pokemon I hatched, though I think I could check in the dex?

Looks like it was Woobat. Neat! I remember being super excited for Joltik since that was one of my new faves from the gen. Looks like I got that one third, after Blitzle.

The + vouchers, yes. I've been wondering why they haven't changed lol. And also the dex achievements reference the unova pokemon haha. I do remember when I was playing I wanted to get Unova pokemon, but I was avoiding spoilers on the English names. So I turned the pokemon names to Japanese. I knew all the Unova japanese names, so that's how I was recognizing them, but then I realized I didn't know any of the gen 1-3 names haha. Gen 4 I knew the japanese names because that was the first generation where I kept up with the news and leaks and stuff of a new pokemon generation online as a kid.

Anyway, fun times.

Posted by: Darky Dec 10 2020, 05:01 AM

Ohmygosh, it was so long ago. Goo luck, guys. I barely get any coins , I don't understand how some of you manage to get high numbers, but I am not a fast hatcher and gambler=)

Posted by: Amberfunk Dec 10 2020, 02:42 PM

Always fun with the events. Such nostalgia. I loved the dream world and was sad when it shut down.

Posted by: ThunderMoss Dec 10 2020, 09:10 PM

The Dream World certainly takes me back to simpler days. But... the simple joy of the site is what drew me back after an extended time away. The pokemon just make me smile as they hatch one after another.

Happy holidays fellow trainers!

Regards,
-TM

Posted by: Jade Dec 10 2020, 10:23 PM

Considering you're in lead, I think it's working pretty well for you xD

I'ma be honest, this is my favorite event of the year, and I'm going to try my damndest but I have a feeling there is no way I'm staying in the top numbers with everyone else. I'm gonna do my best though!

I can't wait for the exchange though! I need to decide what to throw in... Can't decide if I wanna do a legendary or a novelty shiny.
Do we know, will shiny summonable legendaries, header events and Ultra Beasts be in the same category?

Posted by: Rookie Roo Dec 11 2020, 01:28 AM

Not gonna lie, it's been RNGesus blessing me.
I got a lot of Gimmel when betting 30 coins and I was like ?!?!?!
BUT I also saw, in the first day, Enji go from 200 to 17 or something so when I'm in the lead I play it safe and start betting just 4-10 coins. When I'm not in the lead, I just try to not stay behind. After all, my goal is to get a top prize just to prove it to myself that I can, and for that I don't necessarily need to be first place so, yeah.

Like, for example right now I just decided to bet 20 coins to try and get closer to Thunder, and got Nun... Help.

So, my advice? Just go HAM with the Dreidel when you wanna get to a certain point, and once you get to that point, just play it safe, if that makes sense?
I mean, someone else might prefer to just go ham all the way, but again, I'm too chicken for that, lol.

Also, I went into a hatching spree too, so that DEFINITELY helped a lot. Like almost 500 eggs hatched, HELP.

Posted by: Professor Eucalyptus Dec 11 2020, 02:09 AM

Merry Holidays, GPX. Thanks to all the staff for the work they've put in, especially NOM. I've nearly forgot all the GPX traditions but the gift exchange is kind of a cool thing, I remember doing some kind of legendary trade a long time ago but that was before they were rebirthed as eggs so I was stuck without an eggdex entry. Oh well. I also only have faint recollections of B/W's release on GPX but the spoilery stuff was entertaining.

Oh, the cursed dreidel. At first I didn't want to spin it at all but I'm a sucker for these kinds of things. I'll set the modest goals of spinning every day and breaking even. I'm not the sort to go big and risk 30-something coins though if we get another big multi I'll probably be willing to try at least. We can't be lucky, but we can be grateful. Also I'm glad the dreidel still remembers me from 2012.

Also the Unova theme is cool! It's low-key one of my favorite regions, for all its faults. Who the heck decided Frillish and Golett were uncommon? Unfortunately this selection favors Munna and Venipede... generally for these kinds of events I'd prefer it if there were multiple 2ks/3ks for a bit of variety but I suppose stocking up on fetuses can't hurt. I'm not sure how the prizing system will work but I hope I can still get some cool stuff without supreme dreidel luck. Syncing the Scavenger Hunt is also a cool idea to ensure people who are into that can get a decent coin bounty.

simply having a munnaful christmastime

Posted by: Jade Dec 11 2020, 04:05 AM

I'm at a 72 coin loss today, so safe to say the dreidel is hating me today xD

I so remember last(?) year I dreideled a lot and it sometimes worked out great - other times I was struggling to just regain my losses.

Posted by: Jon Snow Dec 11 2020, 09:11 AM

Naturally there will be cold streaks and I feel reticent myself to gamble unless I have a full 30 coins to spend (so I don't hit a cold streak and prevent myself from getting to the optimal max bet). But based on Nick letting us know the expected value of each spin, it is statistically optimal to spin as often as possible.

Like I said this is a do as I say not as I do - I often hold back from spinning every 15 minutes myself even if my stats part of the brain gets mad at the rest of it.

edit: The expected value of my next spin was 0 after making this post and I won't hear otherwise

Posted by: Rookie Roo Dec 11 2020, 10:45 AM

Yeah, I also abuse the Dreidel each time I can, even if it's only 4 coins when i'm feeling like to hide myself behind my own cowardice despite me saying I was wiling to go nuts on the Dreidel.
WHELP.

It's also pretty funny how my left brain is telling me to BET A LOT since you could gain a lot out of it, but my right brain pipes in saying "Oh, but do you want to feel that small feeling of despair when you bet 30 and get Nun?" and I just go :scared hamster meme: and decide to go with 16-18.

I'm not good at bets, and the fact that I'm on the top 3 is just RNGesus loving me for a couple of days (thank you RNGesus!).

Posted by: Jade Dec 11 2020, 11:55 PM

The fact I'm somehow in 11th place shocks me. Because I absolutely am unable to dedicate any real play time I used to in years past. Hopeful goal is to use this weekend to gain some extra ground though.

I spent today dreideling and at the end of the day I broke even LOL I have to wonder if maybe I'm betting incorrectly somehow. RNG is a cruel mistress for me lol

Edit: P.S. Merry holidays everyone <3 Coming onto this site to take place in all the holiday events is one of my favorite yearly traditions and I'm so happy so many of us come together for it every year!

Posted by: Ghostium Dec 12 2020, 03:06 PM

Man, all that talk about B/W makes me really nostalgic. This site was actually what got me back into Pokemon after missing out on gen 4, and I remember being introduced to that and gen 5 through here. I have a lot of great memories of seeing new Pokemon for the first time after hatching them, and getting excited to use them in game. It's crazy to realize it's been more than 10 years already!

Anyway, best of dreidel luck to anyone who's going after coins! I'm not exactly a skilled gambler so I doubt I'm gonna climb much higher in the ranks, but I'm honestly just having fun being able to hatch a ton of random Unova eggs thanks to all the higher activity. Hope everyone has safe and happy holidays <3

Posted by: Mystickatt Dec 13 2020, 03:33 AM

Happy Holidays everyone!

Posted by: Rabies Girl Dec 17 2020, 10:58 PM

it's been 11 years for me on this site last month. and wow. it has been an amazing time. honestly what makes me most nostalgic is remembering getting that clicker achievement on the old site layout using fire fox to open tabs and starting at 1 in the morning and finished I think at like 11 that night XD I think about that sometimes and am just amazing at how the site has changed and grew and at first I was like "no change!" but now I can't think of it any other way. I remember getting my first shiny RIGHT before the shiny counter came out XD and the excitement of seeing a plain egg in the shelter that told me it was something I never had before. watching team members come and go, marry and pass. its been an adventure and I'm excited to continue it!

good luck to everyone! I myself can never keep many coins for long XD

Posted by: AkaruTheYoshi Dec 21 2020, 12:07 AM

Got as many coins as I could. Man, I remember when Gen 5 first came out on GPX, the separate shelter for new Pokemon, every Pokemon being known only by their Japanese names, seeing all the new sprites...good times.

Posted by: nickwatic Dec 21 2020, 12:41 AM

Unfortunately I had a rough past 5 days and couldn't hit 2k

Posted by: Zerxer Dec 21 2020, 02:11 AM

Hanukkah Prizes!

This year was very similar to last year, although everyone avoided the 4k range and jumped straight to the 5k range. Still, the prize tiers ended up being nearly the same, with just a couple hundred less users overall having participated.

I hope you all had a fun time the past two weeks and got yourself some shinies from the list of eligible Pokémon!

• Sh. Legend Voucher Plus - 4000+ coins - 10 users
• Sh. Novelty Voucher - 2000-3999 coins - 15 users
• Sh. Voucher Plus - 985-1999 coins - 50 users
• Legend Voucher Plus - 150-984 coins - 320 users
• Novelty Voucher - 50-149 coins - 177 users

For every 50 coins earned, you received a Frozen Fortune Scratch Card. Max 15 cards, and if you earned under 50 coins, you still received 1. Those can be redeemed here: https://gpx.plus/scratch-cards

As mentioned in the first post, the Secret Santa Exchange deposits will begin sometime on December 22nd, so decide now what Pokémon you are willing to part with for a chance to receive something of equal value that you might not yet have (not guaranteed, as it heavily depends on the number of entries and what all is submitted... and sometimes value is subjective).

Just remember it's all for fun!

Update

I am heavily considering, for Secret Santa Exchange this year, to limit the Pokémon you can submit to a much smaller group of Pokémon. Most likely anything outside of Novelty category. Every year there is disappointment and complaints and suggestions on how to better rank/group the different novelties, and there are far less users these days to supply enough Pokémon per group, that it would be a lot simpler to just exclude all that.

Posted by: Rookie Roo Dec 21 2020, 02:15 AM

I just have something quick to say...

PRAISE THE DREIDEL, FOR THEY WILL BLESS YOU IF YOU GIVE THEM THE SACRIFICE THEY ASK FOR.

That's it. That's the message.


Will edit this later too, but for now, that is the important part.

Posted by: nickwatic Dec 21 2020, 02:18 AM

97 off of a shiny Novelty voucher. Pain

Posted by: Eryth Violet Dec 21 2020, 02:21 AM

Glad to get a shiny novelty voucher! Not sure what I'll use it on yet, though. Maybe Winter Vulpix?

The dreidel wasn't always kind, but it worked out for me in the end!

Posted by: Sign Seven Dec 21 2020, 02:23 AM

This was only the second year that I've really been super active for this event and it was a lot of fun! Ended up in 3rd overall which is pretty awesome. I'll consider it my redemption for being 1 rank short of the Shiny Legendary cutoff the last time I went for it (and with more than twice as many coins this time I think!)

Posted by: Doom Hunter Dec 21 2020, 02:24 AM

At one point I was 23 off. Then the dreidel gods decided I would not get my shiny Feral Zergoose.

Signed, 26th place.

Oh well. At least I now have all 4 regular corrupted shinies.

Note: I'm not mad! I basically got 1900 coins in three days, so the only one I have to blame is myself for not being more active. Just glad I turned out this time at all!

Posted by: ThunderMoss Dec 21 2020, 02:26 AM

It was fun having a much more active site -- lots of clicking opportunities and egg hatching.

The dreidel was surely a source of pain and joy and I will not miss it wanting to play again and again and again. Starting a fresh day with 8 losses in a row hopefully built some character.

Regards,
-TM

Posted by: Zerxer Dec 21 2020, 02:39 AM

I am heavily considering, for Secret Santa Exchange this year, to limit the Pokémon you can submit to a much smaller group of Pokémon. Most likely anything outside of Novelty category. Every year there is disappointment and complaints and suggestions on how to better rank/group the different novelties, and there are far less users these days to supply enough Pokémon per group, that it would be a lot simpler to just exclude all that.

Posted by: Vaisakh Dec 21 2020, 03:13 AM

This is cool

Posted by: Larson Dec 21 2020, 03:18 AM

Aw yay, exciting to get a voucher! :D
I was hoping to toss a shiny novelty into the exchange this year but understand if it's more trouble than it's worth! I haven't entered an exchange since the very first one, so have no clue how the fanbase reacts to them lmao

Posted by: AregularFrankiefan Dec 21 2020, 03:30 AM

No shiny Voucher, but sweet, a Legend Voucher! I have....absolutely no idea what to do with it, maybe get Reshiram or Tapu Bulu since I [still, surprisingly] don't have the Dex entries for either of those.

A very fun event, as always. Also I absolutely love the scratch card design for this year. Wait never mind, it's the same. My computer just had a hiccup.

Posted by: Darky Dec 21 2020, 06:12 AM

Haven't gambled at all or be very active - still, a legendary voucher is a nice gift=) Thank you! I am happier for the shinies I've hatched during the event=) Congrats to all, who got something=)

Posted by: Amberfunk Dec 21 2020, 08:35 AM

Yes! I can finally get that shiny missingno that I have been hunting for years. All those munna eggs paid off big time. Thank you so much for the event!

I think removing novelties this exchange would be a good idea. Less headaches all around.

Posted by: Jade Dec 21 2020, 10:35 AM

I feel that - that's definitely what happened to me Saturday, I pretty much broke even that day xD

I finished lucky #7! I think... again because I'm pretty sure that was my rank last year too. I had the (un)fortunate happenstance that I ended up getting ill last Tuesday and was able to increase my playtime like whoa. Was in 2nd place for a small time even, which is the highest I think I've ever gotten.

As always, thank you Zerx for the gift <3 Always love this event

Now, time to put my thoughts in on the exchange. I have a few options I've been debating between.

Posted by: timeerkat Dec 21 2020, 11:45 AM

Hahaha, I forgot coins/dreidel ended yesterday, so when I hatched my Zorua this morning I was surprised when no coins popped out with them. Didn't get quite enough for a shiny voucher, but I'm happy with the legendary voucher! (and scratch cards!)

Also, I must remember to participate in the exchange! The last few years I've kept forgetting to go on and do it and then remember right after the cutoff. I know exactly what I'm going to throw in this year.

Posted by: Professor Eucalyptus Dec 21 2020, 03:56 PM

Oh, those are interesting ranges! I concede that I could've been more focused on Munna (got distracted by some eels) though I don't think I would've been able to break 4000 without significant gambling (I got net +15 Coins, yay!) Perhaps I'll be more ambitious with the dreidel in the future.

Posted by: ThunderMoss Dec 21 2020, 08:39 PM

I understand the intent but it might mean I don't really have inspiring options to participate. I have duplicate shiny novelties but no duplicate legendaries anymore. I could swap a shiny legendary and gain a dex entry and should be excited for this opportunity. I just usually think in terms of living shiny dex so this is no net gain (and almost certainly no net loss).

Placing novelties in subcategories... yeah. Shiny Magikarp should be its own category. And I recall that Meltans threw a wrench into the process their first year.

I will study my options and see if a shiny legendary seems anxious to get out of the PC and be with another trainer. It is always good to have a choice and I appreciate the exchange will offer a choice!

Regards,
-TM

EDIT: Perhaps a substantial consolidation of the novelty subcategories and clearly let players know which pokemon would be in each category? I know realizing "uh oh, better finish all the Magikarp dex was a thing" for me one exchange. Not knowing/remembering the possible novelty categories makes it harder to consider.

Posted by: Gym Leader Winona Dec 22 2020, 12:53 AM

I had a great time! Got some knitting done while I mad hatched for coins and used my voucher on a shiny Pidgey so I could get shiny Pudgy Pidgey! Thanks for another wonderful event and fun time on GPX!

Posted by: Plain Jane Dec 22 2020, 04:15 AM

I'm excited for the Exchange, despite not having participated much in the Hanukkah event (or GPX in general, these past few months). I entered a shiny Rayquaza last year and got a Palkia for it, and while that's technically of equal value, I regret exchanging the Rayquaza at all. I might consider just throwing in an ordinary Rare shiny this year.

Posted by: Zerxer Dec 22 2020, 04:16 AM

Secret Santa Exchange submissions are now open!

• You may only submit Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Very Rare Pokémon. No novelties, even if their base is one of the acceptable types. This is new for this year, and simplifies things for me.
• Arceus, Manaphy, Phione, Meltan, Zygarde [10%], and Black/White Kyurem are excluded.
• While Zygarde [10%] is excluded, Zygarde [50%] and Zygarde [Complete] are treated as regular Very Rare Pokémon. Cell and Core are Novelty and thus excluded.
• Pokémon which have been previously exchanged, in a past event, are excluded.
• You must either submit the Pokémon from your Party, OR if you submit from a different location, then your Party must have one free space available.
• Your available Party space will be reduced by 1 after you've submitted your Pokémon. If you can normally have 6 eggs/Pokémon in your Party, then after submitting a Pokémon to the Exchange, you will be limited to 5 eggs/Pokémon in your Party until after the Exchange. This is so your new Pokémon egg has a reserved space. You are welcome to wait until the last day to submit, although you run the risk of not submitting something in time.
• The automatic Exchange script will attempt to give you something from the same rarity pool that the Pokémon you submitted belongs to. It will attempt to give you something you do not yet have a dex entry for, if possible.
• If you submit a shiny, then "shiny" is part of your rarity pool. It will attempt to give you something you do not yet have the shiny dex entry for, if possible.
• Very Rare Pokémon which are obtained via lab summon items will be in their own "summonable" group, separate from all the Very Rare which cannot be obtained via lab summon items. Hoopa is included here, as they are obtained via header events and therefore not quite as rare.
• Pokémon of egg group "Ultra Beast" will be in their own "Ultra Beast" group. If you submit an Ultra Beast, you will get an Ultra Beast.
• To submit something, use the Options dropdown on the Pokémon and choose "Secret Santa Exchange" for the Move To option.
• Once you've submitted something, there is NO undoing your choice. No replacement option can be made.
• Submissions will close on December 25th at 11:55pm EST (server time) and the exchange script will be run at some point in the next 24 hours after that.

Update: 12/26/2020 at 01:12am EST

Submissions for the Secret Santa Exchange closed at reset, and the exchange has happened! If you entered a Pokémon, you should now have a new egg in your party.

There were 691 entries this year. I hope you all got something good.

Posted by: Doom Hunter Dec 22 2020, 04:20 AM

Nice. Looks like it's time to rev up the shiny Giratina I was gonna give last year before I forgot

Posted by: The Kraken Dec 22 2020, 08:11 AM

Does the pokemon itself stay the same as well? For example, if I gift a male pokemon, will it also hatch as male for the person receiving it?

Posted by: Amberfunk Dec 22 2020, 08:32 AM

Yes, it stays exactly the same in gender, nature and ivs. The only things that change are it's level and it will devolve. So for example if you put in a jolteon it will revert back to an eevee.

Thanks for the exchange again this year. Always look forward to it.

Posted by: PokeNOM NOM NOM Dec 22 2020, 09:09 AM

Alright! Put a 'mon into the Exchange! Hope to make someone very happy with it!
I'm always so excited for this, can't wait to see what I'll get in return!

Posted by: Eryth Violet Dec 22 2020, 10:15 AM

Very interested to see if the new rules help people be more satisfied with what they get. I can totally see how it's a bummer to put in a shiny Debit and get back a shiny Zygarde cell, or something that has been passed through the exchange several times.

I'm thinking that I'll put in a shiny Swalot. I have a spare, and maybe it can help someone get the achievement for shiny Gulpin.

Posted by: Jade Dec 22 2020, 10:32 AM

Just curious: Are Cosmog and Hoopa going to be considered in the 'summonable' Very Rares like they have in years past or are they in the excluded category like Manaphy?

Posted by: Zerxer Dec 22 2020, 11:17 AM

They're not excluded, but yes my first thought was they would be in the 'summonable' category.

If it makes more sense to people, they could be put in the Ultra Beast category, just because they're all header events (albeit not breedable like UBs).

I'm open to suggestions up until the event ends.

edit: whoops, Cosmog is already an Ultra Beast. Hoopa will remain in the summonable category.

Posted by: Tyranisaur Dec 22 2020, 11:32 AM

I thought Cosmog and Nihilego were already ultrabeasts. At least we have them in the egg group. For some reason they are the only ones that seem to come out of the wormhole header event, unlike all other other ultrabeasts that were released later. I would say that it makes more sense for Hoopa to belong in the summonable category, where I think Manaphy was also placed before it was excluded.

Posted by: Zerxer Dec 22 2020, 11:56 AM

Whoops, yes, Cosmog is an Ultra Beast. I don't know them all offhand and trusted the other post to know more than me haha

Posted by: Cytosine Dec 22 2020, 12:03 PM

I'm excited for this this year. Though last year was kind of a bust for me, but not in the way that you'd think. Last year the shiny Trapinch I put into the exchange went to someone and they have still not hatched it (I've bookmarked the page to it). So that makes me sad, since I worked so hard for that shiny. In exchange I got a shiny male Salandit, whiiiiich I technically didn't have before, but wasn't quite the most exciting thing to get. So I'm hoping for something really great this year!

Posted by: timeerkat Dec 22 2020, 12:09 PM

Doof, the one I was thinking of putting in was from a previous exchange. Luckily I had one other 'mon to put in from the same category.

I hope what I put in makes someone very happy!

Posted by: Vande Dec 22 2020, 12:10 PM

Ah nuts! There goes the thing I wanted to submit. Must admit that just took the hope away from me. Don't have any other summonable shiny to drop in.

Posted by: Jade Dec 22 2020, 01:15 PM

Color me surprised! I had had no idea Cosmog was an ultra beast!

This is what I get for never finishing Sun and Moon xDDD

Alright cool; welp I have 3 choices lined up, all in a different category. Now I just got to decide.

Posted by: Kanonno Dec 22 2020, 01:21 PM

Yeah, that's a rule I hope doesn't carry forward. I usually use my last received as a fallback if I didn't manage to get anything more suitable in the past year. I understand the rationale behind excluding things that have been passed around a lot, but if it's just for dex reasons such as a shiny I don't see what's bad about passing it around. Especially in the legendary category as in your case, it's not like there's a lot of those to go around. Some people may even like to see the history of a single mon that has survived for a long time.

Posted by: Darky Dec 22 2020, 01:53 PM

A bit sad that no novelties, but I welcome the new changes=) time to submit something rare.=3

Posted by: Vande Dec 22 2020, 02:05 PM

Yeah same
I do like seeing the history where one that has been passed around has been.

Posted by: Gym Leader Winona Dec 22 2020, 03:17 PM

I added my choice! I hope whoever gets it will be happy!

Posted by: ThunderMoss Dec 22 2020, 04:47 PM

While I miss the option for novelties I like that the new system makes things a little easier and less likely to create grumbles. I am considering a couple options and trying to decide which would be more entertaining and well received.

I had considered re-gifting a shiny legendary but that isn't an option. I was very happy to hatch it.

Posted by: Mamanator Dec 22 2020, 08:30 PM

While I totally understand these two points it does sadden me. Looks like another year of attempting the one shiny that has been eluding me for quite some time. I know my chances were slim, but I always look forward to that hope.

And when I'm not hoping for a novelty shine swap from Secret Santa, this was my other means of hoping for a shiny legend or two. Gah. Not this year for me. The only shiny I ever got on my own was traded last year so now my Dex has 2 legend shiny entries. Looks like the long road for this one, too.

But really, I do understand the reasoning behind it. I'm going to wait before submitting to make sure that nothing else pops up on my shine 'dar. It's doubtful, but not without possibility. So we'll see what, if anything else, I unearth between now and submission time.

PS: The deadline to submit indicates Christmas Day at reset, before midnight east coast time. I just wanted to be sure that you meant 12/25 and not 12/24. In the past I think it was Christmas Eve for submissions and the trades happened at some point on Christmas Day? Or am I remembering wrong?

Posted by: Mr Spaz Dec 22 2020, 09:35 PM

I feel it deserves mention that, unless it's been changed from prior years, Shiny Pokemon from the exchange do not count towards Shiny Hunts (for those of you who were hoping to cheese the "Good Luck" Achievement)

That said, I hope my Shiny Klinklang goes to someone who didn't have that achievement.

Posted by: Skins T Dec 22 2020, 09:45 PM

I submitted one of my spare shiny eevees, cause everyone needs more shiny eevees :P Hope I get something I don't have!

Posted by: Myou Dec 22 2020, 10:01 PM

I can understand the novelties being excluded this year since quite a few of them are in something of a grey area. I recalled putting in a shiny Fake Groudon a few years ago thinking it would revert back to a regular Groudon, only to be surprised and kind of miffed when I ended up with a shiny Slime Slugma egg in my party. After talking it over with people on the forum, I got over it since it was my fault for not remembering it had a novelty egg form and the one I got was still a shiny I didn't have, so I considered it a lesson learned the hard way and learned to be more careful with my choices.

I'm still confused about previous exchange pokemon not being allowed, though; were people complaining about pokemon that were part of a previous exchange? I always thought it was fun to see how long a pokemon's been around and where it's been before coming to you, plus it's not like a long history is intrusive on the interaction page since it has its own scrollbar. I'm with everyone else in hoping it doesn't carry over to the next exchange since the rule eliminates the two options I had that don't hold sentimental value... but I guess having a few days to figure out what I'm going to do makes more sense now.

Posted by: Zerxer Dec 23 2020, 12:58 AM

It was an idea I had last year, but it was late when I finalized all the details last night and eliminating novelties had already removed most of the reason for that idea... It was because a lot of garbage options kept going through the exchange, such as Zygarde Cells, as no one really wanted them, and everyone who submitted it hoped it'd net them a better novelty. (that's just one example that I recall)

It's too late to remove that rule now since submissions have been open all day and folks have already started entering things that may have also wanted to submit a repeat Pokémon, and there is no undoing their submissions.

Posted by: Kanonno Dec 23 2020, 05:01 PM

I don't believe that's correct, provided you were already hunting that egg. Eggs obtained before beginning your hunt do not count, which is why you cannot sign up for a pokemon after seeing which shiny you will receive. If you miraculously happen to get an egg already on your hunt list, it should complete your hunt the same as if you were using a shiny voucher.

Posted by: Tyranisaur Dec 23 2020, 05:18 PM

It says on the help page that shines from the exchange don't count https://gpx.plus/help/other-events/180

Also, for normal shiny hunts, eggs obtained before the shiny hunt does count. The only exceptions are shiny races, where the egg must be obtained after the race officially starts, and site wide shiny hunts, where eggs must be obtained after the SWSH itself officially starts.

Posted by: Pondo Dec 23 2020, 09:59 PM

» Ooooh someone's gonna get a shiny cactus... I honestly couldn't bear to part with most of them, but sometimes you gotta make a sacrifice for the greater good.

Posted by: SallyAnn Dec 24 2020, 08:32 AM

Kind of happy about the change to novelties to be honest. I put in a shiny Rustor I had spent ages to get and received a shiny Zygarde Cell which was disappointing. Imagine if you got a shiny coloured magikarp back, it would be so disappointing.

Posted by: Mamanator Dec 24 2020, 01:08 PM

Unless, of course, you were hunting for a shiny Gyarados.



Tyranisaur, does that mean, if I began a shiny hunt now for, say, a Pichu, and I already opened up like 100 eggs, my shiny hunt would say something like "egg 101 of Pichu"? I thought that, if you start a shiny hunt for any Pokemon, it doesn't matter how many eggs you hatched before the hunt began, the hunt would start with the next egg you hatch.

I'm going to go search my Poke Dex now and see what Pokemon to deposit. I'm actually still searching for a(nother) shiny Eevee, Skins T, so who knows? And if I do, then that will be what? 2 out of 8 completed? That would not make me unhappy.

The important thing is to remember to have fun. I never did this exchange as a way to win the "Good Luck" achievement because you never know what egg you're going to get. So how could I set up a shiny hunt when I don't know what will fall into my lap? My exchange will be with a Rare Pokemon that was a starter in one of the games. I won't say which one, but hopefully I'll get a new shine in its place. But whether it be a new Pokemon or a familiar one, I am happy to take part in the Secret Santa and hope for the best while having some fun. Fingers crossed for a new shine entry.

Posted by: Tyranisaur Dec 24 2020, 03:21 PM

Let's say you have a Murkrow egg in your party, which you do right now. You can start a Murkrow hunt, then hatch that one egg. Then your shine recorder will say you have hatched 1 egg, even though you obtained the egg before starting the hunt.

Posted by: Jade Dec 24 2020, 07:10 PM

Decision made on what I'm gonna drop in. Hope I brighten up someone's day!

Also, have a funny story:

I was summoning some of my legendaries that have built up - summoned a Giratina. Found a Giratina. Thought it was mine.

Double checked the time and realized, Nope. Not mine at all. I got someone else's and mine was picked up by Thundermoss xD It would be hilarious if we'd been summoning at the same time and got each other's.

The irony it will be if one of these two are shiny.

Edit: Oh my god, just used an enigma stone - guess what it summoned? Yep, another Giratina xD

Posted by: Mamanator Dec 24 2020, 09:13 PM

*jaw drops open in dawning comprehension* Aaaah! OK. That makes much more sense. LOL Forgive my denseness. And thank you for the follow up.

ROFL, Jade. Great catches! Hopefully one of them will be a shiny for either of you. Perhaps next year I'll make myself a pact to use up my summoning items to search for that shiny legend of my own. I can't begin a shine hunt (too many outstanding SWSHys), but sometimes I get lucky. During the Dreidel event I did unearth one shiny. Fortune isn't bright for me with shiny Pokemon, but it tries to not forget me for too long.

Posted by: Koholic Dec 25 2020, 03:19 AM

First time doing this and so excited I saw the thread!

I put in my Shiny Wooper! I felt out of my 7 shinies, him and Wynatt were most similar. Let's see what happens!

Posted by: cutefox Dec 25 2020, 05:01 AM

My first time joining this as well, I hope shiny Meganium finds a good home.

Posted by: Mr Spaz Dec 25 2020, 05:04 AM

I got a Shiny colored Magikarp (I think Blue) from the exchange in 2018. To be fair, I had put in a Shiny Zygarde Cell, so I just casually accepted it. My only disappointment was getting a Shiny from a type I already had a Plate for so no Shards

Posted by: SallyAnn Dec 25 2020, 10:08 AM

I've gone for a shiny Volcarona since fatty eggs are always a pain to hunt given the sites decreased population these days, lets hope it makes someone's day.

Posted by: Myou Dec 25 2020, 07:55 PM

So after much deliberation, I finally submitted the first shiny non-summonable legendary I ever hatched to go into the exchange and bookmarked the interaction page so I can see who gets it.

Posted by: Zerxer Dec 26 2020, 12:11 AM

Submissions for the Secret Santa Exchange closed at reset, and the exchange has happened! If you entered a Pokémon, you should now have a new egg in your party.

There were 691 entries this year. I hope you all got something good.

Posted by: cosmo Dec 26 2020, 12:20 AM

I put in a shiny Miltank in hopes that the receiving user will corrupt it for the harder-to-get chocolate novelty! Got a Popplio and I couldn't be more happy! I thought it was a little funny because last year I received a shiny Rowlet for my exchange. Perhaps next year I'll get Litten? HA! What a great event, can't wait to try and win a cool prize for the New Year's Raffle.

Posted by: Deleca7755 Dec 26 2020, 12:25 AM

I got this lol https://r.gpx.plus/edWZb

If you see a Shuppet egg that person most likely got my Bannette. Found It In the Safari Mega'd a while back. Would be awesome If I found the person who has It/they posted.

Posted by: Myou Dec 26 2020, 12:37 AM

Thank you to Alera for the Shiny Marshadow and congrats to Greggory Lee for getting my shiny Mesprit; it was my first ever shiny legend, so please take care of it.

Posted by: Jen Dec 26 2020, 12:37 AM

Put in a shiny Pidgey and received a shiny Rattata in return! Thank you, teddiursa!

https://r.gpx.plus/ZQgfa

Deleca7755, love your Amber avatar! I've been playing so much Genshin Impact the past couple of months.

Posted by: kenniky2 Dec 26 2020, 12:49 AM

hey! figured out a decently reliable way to find your egg:

Posted by: Myou Dec 26 2020, 01:00 AM

You can also bookmark the interaction page (preferably before clicking away from the page) or search your browser history for the interaction page (if the history hasn't been deleted since visiting the page).

Posted by: Kanonno Dec 26 2020, 01:03 AM

I received a shiny Illumise from Star Navigator and it seems that was also who received my shiny Corsola haha

Posted by: Eryth Violet Dec 26 2020, 01:13 AM

Got a cute little Pumpkaboo! I really like it. And it seems to have hatched with an interesting item...

https://r.gpx.plus/ddcmP

I also found out that the shiny Gulpin I entered went to someone who didn't already have one, so they'll get the achievement for that. Mission accomplished!

Posted by: Gym Leader Winona Dec 26 2020, 01:37 AM

BENREY, I want to thank you so much for the shiny Spritzee! I’m collecting all shiny bird and bird-like Pokémon and this helps immensely! I promise to take good care of him! Congrats Bears6199 for getting my shiny Unown! I hope you like it!

Posted by: Deleca7755 Dec 26 2020, 02:02 AM

Oh hey, thanks <:) US server UID 600729371 If anyone wants to add me lololollol /shot

Posted by: Hirok Dec 26 2020, 02:30 AM

In case someone missed it, observe the last image CAREFULLY.
Hatch, breed and release it fast people.

Posted by: dracoon Dec 26 2020, 03:16 AM

Sent out a shiny Floatzel and got myself a shiny Salandit, sadly a male one so no Salazzle for me but I still hope someone likes their golden Bui ^^ I tracked down the owner already so this ought to be fun.

Posted by: Lance Hunter Dec 26 2020, 05:24 AM

Aww, man, that sucks. I happened to get a shiny Spheal from the exchange, which I'm racing you for in fact. But it didn't count towards the race. I'm still happy I got my pink ball, but I don't really need a second one, so I think I might forfeit the race.

Also, I forgot to bookmark my spare shiny Klink I submitted . And kenniky's method runs into a dead end for me on a user who hatched their egg, but I can't see their activity.

Posted by: Darky Dec 26 2020, 05:49 AM

Got a lovely Mimikyu=) there is a new UB there?

Posted by: Tazii Dec 26 2020, 06:03 AM

Thank you Hizashi Yamada for the shiny Doduo~ and i hope Emeraldstar enjoys their new shiny Honedge~!!

Posted by: RifRifRif Dec 26 2020, 07:25 AM

Thanks, Shadow Darkrai, for the shiny Fennekin!
Is anyone else following the egg they sent to see what the owner does with it?
I might have found another way to find your egg (as long as the owner hasn't hatched it yet, so it might be too late now):

Posted by: Koholic Dec 26 2020, 10:59 AM

Happy with my Baltoy!

What does the voucher do?

I am! I found mine using the egg from the shiny hunt page. It takes you to your winning egg! https://gpx.plus/info/hpTWZ

Maybe we could do this every year? It would be great for dexes!

Posted by: timeerkat Dec 26 2020, 11:42 AM

I put in my shiny Regice (take care!), and got a shiny one of the Tapus (I can never tell them apart! LOL) I am HORRIBLE at battling so I have never been able to finish the exploration for them, and was missing two for my dex. My pokedex lists it as a Mystery Egg so it should be one of the two I am missing. This will help me greatly! Thank you for submitting it, Princess Greenie!

Oh, thank you for this! I forgot to mark down the code for the one I put in before I submitted and was gutted. I following this method through a chain of about six people until I found it. <3

Posted by: Mr Spaz Dec 26 2020, 11:55 AM

If it was Shiny Hunted or had ever been in the Vs Seeker, you can get to it through those pages. That's how I know my Klink went to CyberMagician

Posted by: Mamanator Dec 26 2020, 12:44 PM

I would just like to thank Raiko Uchiha for my Secret Santa Zorua egg. It wasn't on my shiny hunt list, but it is a shiny that I didn't have and will be welcoming it into the fold shortly. Only 400 more to go. I hope whomever received my shiny Chespin will be as happy as I am. I don't have luck with legendaries (or novelties for that matter) so until that changes I can only send out the "regular" Pokemons. But I am happy and pleased with this entry to my Dex and thank you again, Raiko Uchiha, for submitting it.

*EDIT*
She hatched! I'm so happy with her! I even named her after a character in a fan fiction that I was writing. So I set up her description with a short excerpt from the story. She's beautiful and will be a great inspiration to the story. Thank you, again again, Raiko Uchiha!!!

Posted by: Kazz Dec 26 2020, 01:39 PM

Tossed in a shiny Trumbeak and got a shiny Sandalit back. Thanks Pokemaster5006!

Posted by: Deleca7755 Dec 26 2020, 01:49 PM

AHAHAHAHA I FOUND IT https://gpx.plus/info/FeadA
I hope you enjoy the Shuppet Lezzie Mutt. Real shoutouts to the 3 other people who had the Banette before me but released It for some reason OMEGALUL hopefully It finds Its forever home In your hands.

Posted by: Painted Onetwo Dec 26 2020, 02:15 PM

I got Miltank egg for Tepig! And did this
https://r.gpx.plus/YHEkV

Thank u, Secret Santa!!

Posted by: PokeNOM NOM NOM Dec 26 2020, 02:38 PM

I hope the person that got my shiny Celebi is very happy with it!
I found it with the method described earlier in the thread, that was cool, so thanks for posting it!

I got an awesome shiny Landorus from DrunkenDragon, thank you very much for it!
I don't obtain Pokémon from that trio very often, so this is a great opportunity, love it!

Posted by: PanHe Dec 26 2020, 02:51 PM

I put by mistake my Sh. Crobat :/ hope the one that got it is happy with it!

I got a cute sh. Spinarak, thank you Fredmir

Posted by: Jade Dec 26 2020, 04:58 PM

Traded in my very first shiny legendary, Palkia, and got Shiny Hoopa in return. The irony that three years in a row I have gotten something yellow LOL

I mean... it is my favorite color so xD

Hope whoever got my first child takes good care of her!

Posted by: KikiRukata Dec 27 2020, 02:56 PM

I had put in a Shiny Igglybuff who went to Lollo (I had 4 so I didn't mind submitting a common this year) and got a Shiny Numel in return! Thank you StanMaxo! Here's hoping I hatch a cool Shiny this year (or a dupe Legendary. Would be awesome if I got a 3rd Shiny Dialga, the 2nd was corrupted into a Primal.) to submit for next year!

Posted by: Zimavyuga Dec 27 2020, 07:12 PM

Put in shiny Celebi which I found in a shelter one day (yeah, sometimes it just happens, being in the right place at the right time ). Was a little nervous because, you know, non summonable sh. legend without previous exchanges... And got shiny Tapu Lele! Thank you very much, lunio!

Posted by: Plain Jane Dec 28 2020, 11:45 AM

In this post, I will be explaining why filling Release+ before the 31st would be beneficial for the New Year's Raffle qualifying day on December 31st. If filled today, Release+ would run from the 29th to the 31st.

Activity Score being the qualifying stat means that you’re already encouraged to click a lot, as that’s the most efficient and readily accessible way to increase it. Adopting and releasing increases Activity Score as well. Clicking a lot gives you a lot of Shelter Grabs (providing you have Shelter Passes). Release+ provides the only real opportunity to burn all of the grabs you'd obtain from a mass clicking session, as the 12 hour window before being able to release adopted Safari Zone Pokemon and Shelter eggs is removed. This way, after you’ve been clicking for a while and have gathered up a lot of Shelter Grabs, you can adopt Pokemon from the Safari Zone using the Fill Party button, release the 6 Pokemon you pick up from your party, and then cycle through this process again and again until you’ve used your Shelter Grabs, without having to worry about filling your PC boxes at all.

Here are a few of my relevant daily records for example. Usually, a user’s best marathon clicking day lines up with their daily Activity Score, Interactions, and Proper Berries records, but this past summer, while Release+ was active, I broke my own Activity Score record, which was previously associated with the #1 marathon clicking day on the site, due to the added power of being able to obtain and release 6000 Pokemon in tandem with an almost equivalent amount of interactions (~700k, if I recall).



I include the Pokemon Evolved record because it occurred on the same day, and evolving Pokemon also counts towards Activity Score. For reference, specific numbers for what increases Activity Score that would actually be relevant to an effective strategy for the qualifying day are:

1 - Improper Berry Interactions
16 - Proper Berry Interactions
45 - Adopting from Safari Zone/Egg Shelter
45 - Releasing Pokemon
80 - Hatching an Egg
150 - Using Odd Incense
170 - Evolving (EDIT: It's actually 95)

Other numbers that are of interest, but in my opinion, less important:

5 - Individual purchase from the Backroom or Shop

To prevent easily obtaining a ridiculous activity score instantly, the formula was changed so that it goes up by 5 for each individual purchase, and not each individual item. So, I could buy 155k Magnets with the amount of points I have right now, and because it was one purchase, I would only get 5 Activity Score for it.

75 - Adopting from the Lab

When Release+ is active the 12 hour limit for releasing eggs and Pokemon still applies to what has been obtained from the Lab. It would be too easy for the lab to be completely emptied otherwise.

150 - Resurrection
500 - Summoning

Summary: Release+ would make it easy to burn all of your Shelter Grabs you get from mass clicking on the 31st. Adopting and releasing increases Activity Score. Therefore, filling Release+ before the 31st and having it active on that day would make it easier to obtain raffle entries for everyone.

Posted by: Larson Dec 29 2020, 01:35 PM

Late, but wanted to yell a thankyou to PanHe for the shiny Zubat!
Very christmassy and I looove green shinies so much!

Posted by: Jade Dec 30 2020, 10:15 PM

I just realized we have no date for when we should be the most active - is it new years eve or new years day?

Posted by: Zerxer Dec 30 2020, 11:55 PM

Hey all -- I know I said I'd post more info on the New Year's Raffle later. Sorry it's coming so late.

There's not really much to say. For every 2021 points in your Activity Score, you will earn 1 entry in to the Raffle. If your Activity Score ends up being 10,105 then you will have 5 entries, etc. There's never a cap on entries, but even having just 1 entry is enough to potentially win something.

This is for your Activity Score on New Year's Eve, meaning the event starts right now.

The Raffle itself will then run at some point on New Year's Day, so at some point after 24 hours from this moment.

The Raffle prizes will be similar to last year, in that there will be different voucher types, in various quantities. It may not be the exact same as last year (such as the voucher for a Sh. Poipole), but here's the info from last year:

Hope that clears things up for everyone! Remember, all of this is just for fun -- please don't overwork yourself or choose us over your family, if they are hoping to spend the holiday with you. Of course, that's entirely your decision.

Posted by: ThunderMoss Dec 31 2020, 01:33 AM

Click click click

Ooh! All ready to hatch again!?!

I will be happy to put this year into the past!

Regards,
-TM

Posted by: AregularFrankiefan Dec 31 2020, 01:46 AM

"10 - Sh. Voucher (this is specifically for a Sh. Poipole)" I see this and I think of Sam. All jokes aside, I am glad he obtained his.


Happy new year everyone, and may the passing of time treat us all better! I'm unsure if I'll be trying as hard as I did last year, the 1 Sh. Voucher Plus I got was pretty satisfying despite my not using it on anything too special.

Posted by: Will of Fire Dec 31 2020, 07:06 AM

Awesome!!!

Posted by: Mamanator Dec 31 2020, 12:42 PM

You say the funniest things, Zerxer!!!!

Have fun Everybody!

Posted by: Kazz Dec 31 2020, 05:20 PM

Today is probably the most active I've been on GPX all year lol. Definitely miss regularly playing on this site. Managed a Sh. Fossil Kabuto out it so far so that's nice. Fingers crossed for voucher luck.

Posted by: Jade Dec 31 2020, 06:40 PM

Seeing the shelter this empty is insanely cool. It's been a LONG time since we've had such slim pickings.

Posted by: AregularFrankiefan Dec 31 2020, 08:04 PM

In contrast, the Safari Zone is jam-packed! It's a little less full than it was the other day [42K vs. almost 80K Pokémon], but that's still a lot of 'mons floating around.

I'm not sure if the Eggs of what I'm hunting are getting snatched up very fast, or if people have decided to breed lower-maturity things because of the raffle... I was hoping to try and finish my Gible SWSH from last year, but I guess that's not happening. The Lab is emptying fairly fast too, but that only makes sense.

Posted by: Mamanator Dec 31 2020, 08:21 PM

I have contributed more than 110 Pokemonz to the Safari Zone and actually used the "Fill My Party" today. I have never done that. LOL I just figured - why not. Still, *sad sigh*, 111 eggs hatched and no shiny in the making. I'm really, really hoping I will have good voucher luck for the raffle. There is only one I want. I won't hold my breath though and just hope for the best.

It has been fun watching the Activity Score go up as much as it has for me. I don't think I have reached this number ever. Of course, the multiplier has been a huge blessing. Yay for the holidays.

Posted by: Jade Dec 31 2020, 11:58 PM

Finished 15 in rank for activity score, roughly 243 entries into the raffle! Phew I'm exhausted.

Managed to get shiny Vullaby though, who I was trying to get during the Hanukkah event, so that was nice.

Posted by: AregularFrankiefan Jan 1 2021, 12:07 AM

Did the website run horrendously slow in the latter hours of the event for anyone else? Boy oh boy did I pick a very bad day to try and complete An All Night Thing. Sure, I have like 3 hours left until midnight where I live, but if it continues to be this slow I don't think I'll ever be getting that Achievement. I might just log out for now and try to click my Pal Pad later...At least I finally got Dedicated, which was very nice.


I hope everyone had a fun time! Almost beat my 2018 highest activity score of 75K; got to about 72K before the lag became too much and I had to bow out a minute before reset.

Posted by: Mamanator Jan 1 2021, 12:12 AM

I finished in the top 100 - #73. It was a lot of fun seeing how much I could do. I did take some time away from the laptop today though. Watched 2 episodes of this show called "The Wilds". Originally I thought it was a bad rip off of "Lost", but it turns out to not be anything like that at all. LOL

Then I was also hanging with my daughter playing Pokémon Shield. How many people do you know carry a pocket of 6 Pokémon, 5 of them being Pikachus? Needless to say that leveling up to 40 is going a bit roughly.

So I did take time away and still managed to have some Click Enjoyment. I can only hope it'll yield positive results but at least I can say that a shiny did come along - Tirtogua. It was quite unexpected but happily received.

Here's wishing us all good luck in the raffle and, if you don't get what you were aiming for, may your 2021 still start off with a smile.

Happy New Year!

Posted by: Doom Hunter Jan 1 2021, 12:57 AM

I was a lunatic for the first half the day, but Eucalyptus snuck up on me and stole the 1 spot in activity score. There's a new record holder in mons obtained and released, though!

Posted by: timeerkat Jan 1 2021, 01:25 AM

Good luck all! I managed to squeak out place #135 for activity score, netting right around 35 raffle tickets.

Started my gpx+ day by hatching the shiny Bulbasaur I was hunting to get the Shedinja form, which also gave me the last Meadow Shard I needed to get my first Ancient Plate! So even if I don't win a prize from the drawing I am still very happy about how today went!

Posted by: Skins T Jan 1 2021, 02:32 AM

Got a shiny Lapras and finished in the 70's or so in ranking. Got at least 150+ entries I hope I get a great voucher

Posted by: Tazii Jan 1 2021, 03:05 AM

Ended at #39 with 123 entries~ Good luck everyone!!

Posted by: Myou Jan 1 2021, 03:32 AM

Looks like I managed 6th place with around 526 entries. I'm wondering how my luck will fare considering I hatched a shiny Xurkitree from my Christmas voucher on the 30th; only time will tell, I suppose.

Here's to hoping 2021's a better year~

Posted by: Mystickatt Jan 1 2021, 04:25 AM

Happy new year GPX+! I wasn't able to do much, but GG to all winners.

Posted by: Zerxer Jan 1 2021, 05:21 AM

New Year's Raffle:

As originally mentioned, for every 2021 activity score you had yesterday, you earned 1 entry into the raffle. There were 647 eligible users, and 355 voucher prizes went out. Given that it's a raffle, a prize is not guaranteed (nor is the rarity of the prize), you simply increase your chances by having more entries.

Here's the list of prizes that went out:

• 5 - Sh. Legend Voucher Plus
• 10 - Sh. Otherworldly Voucher (any shiny Ultra Beast)
• 15 - Sh. Pheromosa Voucher
• 25 - Sh. Novelty Voucher
• 50 - Sh. Voucher Plus (for all non-Legendary, non-Novelty Pokémon)
• 250 - Otherworldly Voucher (any Ultra Beast)

The first number is how many of that prize were distributed, and nothing to do with your number of entries. Someone with just 1 entry, and someone with 250 entries, were both eligible for up to one of the prizes. This year we bumped the top prize from 1 to 5.

As you can see, Pheromosa is now available! Thanks to LightKunai for spriting it. It, and any other Ultra Beasts, are now available in both the Otherworldly Voucher and the Legend Voucher Plus.

Bonus prize! Everyone who participated and earned at least 1 entry (a minimum of 2021 activity score) received up to 15 https://gpx.plus/scratch-cards (1 per entry, max of 15)!

Happy New Year!

Posted by: RifRifRif Jan 1 2021, 05:35 AM

Wow, yesterday was crazy... Happy new year everyone, congrats to the winners of the raffle, and thank you Nick for all the events!

Posted by: AkaruTheYoshi Jan 1 2021, 05:38 AM

Woohoo, got a Shiny Novelty Voucher! So glad I got something good even though I had to work today, so I couldn't click as much as I wanted. I'll have to think about what I want to use it on...

Posted by: ThunderMoss Jan 1 2021, 05:54 AM

Thank you for the nice prizes. I am happy I saved my Otherworldly Voucher so can use it for this new egg...

-TM

Posted by: PokeNOM NOM NOM Jan 1 2021, 06:19 AM

Got a Sh. Voucher Plus, awesome! I used it on a Pidgey, so I can finally obtain the Sh. Pudgy Pidgey line!

Posted by: Mamanator Jan 1 2021, 10:15 AM

*faints*
Oh.
My.
Shinies!!!!

Thank you!!! Thank you, GPX! I actually got the voucher I was praying for!!! I'm in such shock about that. It was funny, I told my one daughter that if I actually got one of the "top tier" prizes above the voucher I wanted I would have to ask about trading it (which I know we can't) or asking if it could be swapped for the voucher I was dying for.

But!

I got the Sh. Novelty Voucher.

Oh.
My.
Gosh.

*faints again*

I can't begin to tell you what this voucher means to me. The novelty that can't be bred. The novelty that can only be obtained once a month... I'm SO! stoked!!! In 3 days I get to try the exploration again and, if the result is the same that it has been since October 2013... I know how to put this valuable voucher to use.

Thank you, again, GPX. What a wonderful belated Christmas and timely New Year's present to receive!!

Posted by: Keruso Jan 1 2021, 10:25 AM

Got me the Sh. Voucher Plus, and used it on the only thing that i could think of thats hard to get: Ditto (also gets that hunt out of my shine recorder)

Posted by: timeerkat Jan 1 2021, 11:51 AM

Congrats to all the winners!

I of course forgot to note down how many of which type of voucher I had already, so I either won an Otherworldly voucher or nothing, LOL. But even if I didn't win in the raffle, the scratch cards are an amazing surprise bonus!

Posted by: Esc Jan 1 2021, 11:52 AM

Happy New Years everyone!!

Thanks GPX Staff and Nick for doing this, always a fun time .

Posted by: grumpish Jan 1 2021, 11:52 AM

Got a shiny Pheromose and a lot of good stuff from the scratch cards. Thanks to Nick and all the admins for running such a fun site, you guys are appreciated!

Posted by: Myou Jan 1 2021, 12:11 PM

I got myself a Sh. Voucher Plus! I'm thinking I'll use it for one of the elusive Unown, but I'm also a bit tempted to use it for Type:Null for one of the shiny Silvally forms since hatching them is the equivalent of hatching legendaries.

Posted by: Vande Jan 1 2021, 12:12 PM

Congrats to the winners, i wasn't lucky enough!

Posted by: Zotz Jan 1 2021, 01:09 PM

I honestly can't tell if I got anything haha I wasn't keeping track of the vouchers I've been hoarding xD

Posted by: Kazz Jan 1 2021, 01:55 PM

Congrats to everyone who won one of the shiny vouchers! No luck this time around but still fun being active yesterday.

Posted by: Professor Eucalyptus Jan 1 2021, 01:59 PM

As the New Year's Activity Queen sitting at 1339 (almost 1337) entries I can say without a doubt that that wasn't worth it and I ruined my left hand. I doubt I'll ever embark on something like this again. Congrats to Doom for being a cut above me in a few fields.

But I got a Sh. Legend Voucher Plus!

Posted by: Jade Jan 1 2021, 02:17 PM

I'm glad I'm not the only one who does this xD

I think this is the year I am deciding to use them all though.

Got a sh. voucher, not sure precisely what I want yet, but Unown is definitely on the table.

Posted by: Zerxer Jan 1 2021, 02:19 PM

You got an Otherworldy Voucher. Same with you, timeerkat.

Posted by: Zotz Jan 1 2021, 02:49 PM

OH, thank you so much Zerxer!

Posted by: Sike Saner Jan 1 2021, 03:12 PM

Awww yeah, we're just one ultra beast away from a complete set now! Thanks lots for the otherworldly voucher and scratch cards! Pheromosa's one of my favorite ultra beasts; I'm really happy to have one in my collection now.

Posted by: Eryth Violet Jan 1 2021, 06:32 PM

I got a Shiny Voucher Plus and 15 scratch cards! Very happy about that. Yesterday was a ton of fun, so even if I hadn't got a voucher, it would've still been workwhile.

And glad to have Pheramosa added!! Now that it and Xurkitree are in, we're only missing Kartana. (Some people might also count the Necrozma forms but I didn't play USUM so I forget about them lol)

Posted by: AregularFrankiefan Jan 1 2021, 09:33 PM

Congrats to everyone who got a Shiny Voucher of some sort! And also people who got cool things from the Scratch Cards. I was finally able to evolve my Sh. Applin, myself.

Despite my decently high activity score yesterday [ranked like #129 total?] I wasn't expecting to get anything, so popping online while house hunting and seeing an Otherworldly Voucher was a nice surprise. Thanks Zerxer. Used it on a space jellyfish because the portal RE is a pain to get for me and this particular shiny hunt has almost lasted a year already.

Posted by: Doom Hunter Jan 1 2021, 09:58 PM

Hey, you beat me there too. It was fun just fighting. Kept me alive towards the end, knowing I had a rival.

I got Sh. Pheromosa, so you beat me again xD But I won't complain one bit! After Guzzlord has driven me insane the last several months I will be ecstatic to see an ultra beast sparkle!

Posted by: cosmo Jan 1 2021, 11:31 PM

I was able to get a shiny otherwordly voucher! I thought at first it was the shiny Pheromosa and I was soooo excited and then I clicked it and realized it was any ultra beast! I decided to go with Poipole because I love the shiny version and it was the ultra beast I was going to hunt for next (...been hunting Cosmog forever but now just curious how many eggs it'll take). Thank you GPX team for these awesome events and thank you LightKunai for a lovely Pheromosa sprite!

Posted by: timeerkat Jan 2 2021, 05:07 AM

Oh, awesome! Thank you, Zerxer!

I learned my lesson though, and have used my hoarded vouchers down to one each so I will be able to tell in the future. Happened to have just enough legendary plus and otherworldy vouchers to get the rest of the legendaries/ultra beasts I needed to fill out my pokedex and still have one of each voucher type left.

Posted by: Tazii Jan 2 2021, 06:30 PM

Got a shiny voucher and used it to get myself a shiny chocolate miltank!!

Posted by: Mamanator Jan 6 2021, 02:55 PM

I've waited and held my breath for a very long, loooooooooooooooong time. This was the first time I was awarded the Shiny Novelty Voucher and there are so! many choices. But for me, it was an easy choice.

I've been on this hunt since October 9, 2013. I only hatched 50 eggs (including this mornings) so the full math doesn't add up (I guess I wasn't always exploring every month as originally planned), but I now have the egg I've dreamed of.

I remember asking Zerxer and Jenn that, if I were on my deathbed, would they then grant me a shiny Spike-Eared Pichu if it hadn't come to me by then. I believe their answer was something like "well, maybe. Just keep trying until then."

Well, now, we don't have to worry about that as this past raffle presented me with the perfect opportunity to obtain the elusive Spike-Eared Pichu in shiny form. I'm so thrilled!

Again, thanks, GPX! I am very happy!

Posted by: Zerxer Jan 10 2021, 05:08 PM

Very happy for you, Mamanator! Congrats. I remember you asking us that when we met in San Antonio.