Background (GO)
A background (Japanese: 背景 Background) is an image displayed behind a Pokémon when viewing its summary in the Pokémon Box. By default, all Pokémon display an animated background based on their primary type. Lucky Pokemon and Shadow Pokémon override the type background with a gold or dark blue background, respectively.
Certain Pokémon caught during events can also receive a Location Background[1][2] (also known as a Location Card[3][4]), to commemorate the real-life location where the event took place, or a Special Background, to commemorate an aspect of the event or the Pokémon. If a Pokémon has a Location or Special Background, when viewing the Pokémon's summary, the background will periodically fade between the type/Lucky background and the Location/Special Background.
Filters
- Main article: Pokémon Box (GO)#Search queries
Players can filter their Pokémon Box to search for Pokémon with certain backgrounds with the following filters:
luckyfor Lucky Pokémonshadowfor Shadow Pokémonbackgroundfor Pokémon with a Location Background or a Special Backgroundlocationbackgroundfor Pokémon with a Location Backgroundspecialbackgroundfor Pokémon with a Special Background
List of backgrounds
Standard
Lucky
Shadow
Locations
Except where noted, all of these backgrounds required purchasing a local event ticket.
| Background | Location | Eligible Pokémon | Guaranteed? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |  
|
No | Raid Battles: February 18–19, 2023 |
|
Jeju Island, South Korea |  
|
No | Raid Battles: July 28–30, 2023 |
|
Osaka, Japan |    
|
No | Raid Battles: August 4–6, 2023 |
|
London, England |
|
No | Raid Battles: August 4–6, 2023 |
|
New York City, New York, USA |
|
No | Raid Battles: August 18–20, 2023 |
|
Seoul, South Korea |   * * * * * * * *
|
Yes | Special & Timed Research: October 7–8, 2023 |
|
Barcelona, Spain | ********
|
Yes | Special & Timed Research: October 13–14, 2023 |
|
Mexico City, Mexico | ********
|
Yes | Special & Timed Research: November 4–5, 2023 |
|
Los Angeles, California, USA |    
|
No | Raid Battles: February 17–18, 2024 |
|
Bali, Indonesia |
|
No | Raid Battles: March 2–3, 2024 |
|
Tainan, Taiwan | ********
|
Yes | Special & Timed Research: March 9–10, 2024 |
|
Surabaya, Indonesia |
|
No | Raid Battles: May 11–12, 2024 |
|
Sendai, Japan |       * *
|
No | Raid Battles: May 30–June 2, 2024 |
 
|
Yes | Special Research: May 30–June 2, 2024 | ||
|
Madrid, Spain |  **
|
No | Raid Battles: June 14–16, 2024 |
|
|
Yes | Special Research: June 14–16, 2024 | ||
|
New York City, New York, USA |  **
|
No | Raid Battles: July 5–7, 2024 |
|
|
Yes | Special Research: July 5–7, 2024 | ||
|
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA | 
|
No | Raid Battles, Field Research, Timed Research: August 16–20, 2024 (no ticket required) |
|
Yogyakarta, Indonesia |
|
No | Raid Battles: August 24–25, 2024 |
|
loanDepot Park, Miami, Florida, USA |   *
|
Yes | Raid Battles: September 7, 2024 |
|
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, Washington, USA | *
|
Yes | Raid Battles: September 13, 2024 |
|
Jakarta, Indonesia |
|
No | Raid Battles: September 21–22, 2024 |
| ********
|
Yes | Special & Timed Research: September 21–22, 2024 | ||
|
Incheon, South Korea |   *
|
No | Field & Special Research: September 27–29, 2024 |
|
Fukuoka, Japan |  
|
No | Raid & Max Battles: November 16–17, 2024 |
Special
Except where noted, all of these backgrounds did not require purchasing an event ticket.
| Background | Eligible Pokémon | Guaranteed? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
|
 **
|
No | Raid Battles: July 8–14, 2024 |
| Yes | Timed Research: August 26, 2024–December 31, 2025[a] | ||
|
|
Yes | Special Research: July 14, 2024 (ticketed) |
|
|
Yes | |
|
|
Yes | Fusing a Necrozma with the Ultra Wormhole background and a Solgaleo with the Radiance background |
|
|
Yes | Fusing a Necrozma with the Ultra Wormhole background and a Lunala with the Umbra background |
|
  *
|
Yes | Timed Research: August 26–31, 2024 |
|
  * *
|
Yes | Timed Research: August 28–31, 2024 |
|
|
Yes | Timed Research: August 29–31, 2024 |
|
|
No | Raid & Max Battles: November 23–24, 2024 |
Trivia
- No Shadow Pokémon have been released with a Location or Special Background.
- Since the type backgrounds only display depending on a Pokémon's primary type:
- The Dark-type and Steel-type backgrounds were unused until the release of most Generation II Pokémon on February 16, 2017.
- The Flying-type background was unused until the release of Tornadus on February 4, 2020.
Notes
- ↑ Due to an issue on July 13, 2024 (Day 1 of GO Fest Global), the Ultra Wormhole Special Background was not available from remote raids.[5] Niantic compensated affected players by providing Timed Research with encounters with guaranteed Ultra Wormhole Special Backgrounds.[6] The number and type of encounters depended on the remote raids the player participated in on Day 1,[7] equal to the number of Special Backgrounds they would have received.[8]
References
- ↑ Inbound from Ultra Space—Ultra Beasts alight ahead of Pokémon GO Fest 2024: Global!
- ↑ Pokémon GO City Safari: Jakarta
- ↑ Catch Pokémon with Location Cards at Pokémon GO Tour: Hoenn – Las Vegas
- ↑ Pikachu’s Indonesia Journey: Bali – Pokémon GO
- ↑ NianticHelp on Twitter
- ↑ NianticHelp on Twitter
- ↑ NianticHelp on Twitter
- ↑ NianticHelp on Twitter