Pokémon Go is back with a bang this summer, bringing a giant red truck on a European tour. Kicking off in Manchester, UK next month, the truck will be making stops at seven major cities, including London, Paris, Valencia, Berlin, Den Haag, and finally Cologne, where it will coincide with the famous Gamescom event. 
Fans who visit the truck in any of these cities will be treated to a range of exciting bonuses, including boosted Shiny rates for Phanpy, Venipede, and Wooloo, as well as special raids featuring a summer-themed Pikachu in costume. Players also have the chance to encounter a Location Background for these Pikachu raids.
For those who want more, Timed Research tasks will offer a chance to catch the engine-like Pokémon Varoom. Plus, expect citywide bonuses like 3-hour lures and the ability to complete up to five Special Trades per day. As a bonus for Pokémon Go fans everywhere, nationwide Timed Research will give out the summer costumed Pikachu in anticipation of the Road Trip event.
In addition to these exciting events, Pokémon Go has recently introduced a special $20 event pass, which unlocks the game’s first Golden Bottle Cap. This item can be used to max out a Pokémon’s stats, pushing it to the rare 100% perfection level. While this feature has sparked some debate about whether the game is leaning too much into the pay-to-win model, Pokémon Go’s director, Michael Steranka, addressed these concerns in an exclusive interview. The introduction of this new feature coincides with another major development: Pokémon Go is now officially owned by Scopely, the creators of Monopoly Go!, a move that raises questions about what this ownership change will mean for the game’s future.