P.K. Sanjun is in Chicago to enjoy the weather and catch Pokémon, and it just got cloudy.

You may remember our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun as the one man keeping the faith for Pokémon GO when the app game’s popularity waned. At a time when the world had gotten its fill of augmented reality virtual critter-catching, P.K. was out in the trenches of Tokyo catching Eevees.

So of course when Niantic rolled out press releases for this year’s Pokémon GO Festivals, P.K. Sanjun was one of the first to snap up tickets. Though there is a festival announced for Asia that will take place in August (Yokohama, concurring with the ever-popular Pikachu Outbreak) and another in Dortmund, Germany for July, P.K. had his heart and wallet set on the first of these global events: Pokémon GO Fest Chicago, running from June 13 to June 16.

Tickets cost $25 for one day (and you are only permitted to purchase tickets for one day, to regulate congestion in the park). For this price you have the freedom to roam throughout Grant Park and capture a variety of wild and unusual beasties that you would ordinarily never see in the United States, let alone a small portion of Illinois.

P.K. headed into the park at 11 a.m. on June 13, when the event kicked off. The skies overhead were grey and gloomy, but that didn’t deter any of the budding Pokémon masters here — Grant Park was filled with trainers, as well as banners, stalls and decorations paying tribute to the game’s three factions: Valor (Red), Mystic (Blue) and Instinct (Yellow).

So what is P.K. expecting to do in this open 300 acres of field? Well, the absolute top goal would be to score a Jirachi. Jirachi is a legendary Pokémon from the Hoenn region, similar to Mew or Celebi, and completely unavailable during regular Pokémon GO gameplay. At the Chicago Fest, players will be able to complete a series of Special Research quests in hope of meeting this cute little star.

▼ Jirachi looks like this in-game, but P.K. has yet to spot him.

▼ Quests include “Spin 7 Pokéstops”, “Make 3 friends,” and “Send 3 gifts” to get rewards such as Pokéballs, Berries and Super Incubators.

But Jirachi isn’t the only rare delight to be found in the Windy City! An adorable electric squirrel has hopped and bounded its way into Grant Park, usually only found in Canada and Russia: Pachirisu! Rare treats like these are a firm highlight of the Fests.

▼ P.K. nabbed one right away, of course.

But wait, there’s even more benefits to the Fest area! The Grant Park area is divided into five separate areas based around the type of Pokémon that spawn there: Ghost, Ice, Fairy, Water and Ground. Over 70 types of Pokémon are said to spawn throughout the park, which is impressive enough… but there’s also apparently an increased chance to encounter shiny Pokémon (rare alternate-color versions).

▼ P.K. couldn’t confirm this rumor right away, but was glad for the helpful area map all the same

▼ Hang on… Shiny Sableye!

https://twitter.com/rocketnews24go/status/1139199680859049985

Shiny Horseas and up to five “special trades” are also offered at the event, meaning you can swap legendaries and shinies with your most trusted Pokémon pals. And even if you can’t attend Chicago or fork out 25 bucks to enjoy the festivities, you can take part in some great global challenges to join in on the fun.

▼ Shiny Mawile!

https://twitter.com/rocketnews24go/status/1139218794570821632

▼ Shiny Flower Crown Pikachu… can it get any better than this?

https://twitter.com/rocketnews24go/status/1139234046129651715

▼ Wait, wait, P.K. traded for a shiny Solrock too!

https://twitter.com/rocketnews24go/status/1139262109752221696

Despite the less-than ideal weather conditions (those grey skies stayed resolutely grey all day long), P.K. threw himself into the catch-’em-all spirit and hurled Pokéballs like his life depended on it. And at the end of the day…

▼ Look at all those shinies!

https://twitter.com/rocketnews24go/status/1139322058926673920

▼ He also caught 150 Pachirisu, many of which he promptly traded throughout his friendslist. What a stand-up guy.

https://twitter.com/rocketnews24go/status/1139384691071410179

No sight of a Jirachi… but that’s okay. That little wishing star might drift over to Japanese shores any day now. Fingers crossed.

Only time will tell how the future Fests in Dortmund and Yokohama will stack up. Until his next Fest outing, P.K. will have to console himself with telling his tales of Chicago conquest to all the friends he met at the Pokémon GO bar.

Images: ©SoraNews24
Related: Pokémon GO Fest 2019 Chicago
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