Pokemon Go Form Change - the new Fashion Week mechanic explained

(Image credit: Niantic)

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How to Change Form in Pokemon Go
Every Furfrou trim in Pokemon Go and how to obtain it:
Pokemon Go Fashion Week Start and End Time

Pokemon Go Form Change arrives in Fashion Week this year, an event that debuts Pokemon wearing nifty attire. However, this year trainers will see not just some Pokemon in cool outfits but the debut of a new Pokemon, and a new Pokemon Go Form Change mechanic.

Pokemon have various abilities and gimmicks, but one of the most iconic of these is the Form Change. Niantic will now give trainers the ability to change how their Pokemon appear in Pokemon Go, and in the probable case of some, how they battle. With any new mechanic in Pokemon Go there will be some resources to gather and steps to take, but trainers can learn all about the new Form Change mechanic and the upcoming Fashion Week event below.

What is Pokemon Go Form Change?

Pokemon Go Form Change is when a Pokemon’s appearance changes because of an ability, move or through some overworld feature. Unlike Mega Evolution, which is temporary, Form Changes are often permanent until the trainer changes it again.

There are plenty of examples of Pokemon that can undergo a Form Change like Rotom and its various appliance forms, Giratina, Meloetta and more.

How to Change Form in Pokemon Go

The Change Form, or form-change, mechanic can currently only be performed on Furfrou, the Normal-type Pokemon from the Kalos region that will debut in Pokemon Go during the Fashion Week event.

Furfrou’s gimmick is that it can change the trim of its fur, giving it access to many different and elaborate looks. That makes it the perfect first Pokemon to use the Change Form mechanic on. Follow these steps to change the form of Furfrou in Pokemon Go:

Select Furfrou in your Pokemon storage.
Tap the button that reads “Change Form” to bring up a menu that lists its possible trims.
Select the preferred trim.
Confirm the change with the necessary resources.

To change Furfrou’s form, trainers will need to use 25 Furfrou Candy and 10,000 Stardust. This change is permanent until you change it again. Furfrou will be caught in its Natural Form, but its various other trims are available depending on your location.

Every Furfrou trim in Pokemon Go and how to obtain it:

Natural Form: Available in the wild globally
Matron Trim: Available as a form change globally
Dandy Trim: Available as a form change globally
Debutante Trim: Available as a form change in the Americas
Diamond Trim: Available as a form change in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
Star Trim: Available as a form change in the Asia-Pacific
La Reine Trim: Available as a form change in France
Kabuki Trim: Available as a form change in Japan
Pharaoh Trim: Available as a Form change in Egypt
Heart Trim: Unknown

It’s very likely that other Pokemon will be able to use this form-change mechanic. Rotom is currently unavailable in Pokemon Go but could make an appearance later this year along with its various appliance forms. Meloetta, who was the spotlight Mythical Pokemon during this year’s Pokemon Go Fest, will be returning later in the Pokemon GO Season of Mischief and could have its Pirouette form debut now that this mechanic has been added.

We’ll update this section once we learn more about the form-change mechanic and which Pokemon can perform the change.

Pokemon Go Fashion Week Start and End Time

The 2021 Fashion Week event in Pokemon Go will begin Tuesday, September 21 at 10 a.m. and ends Tuesday, September 28 at 8 p.m. local time.

New Pokemon Added in Pokemon Go Fashion Week Event

Furfrou is the big addition to Pokemon Go with the start of Fashion Week, but there will be some other cool Pokemon to catch during the week-long event.

Butterfree, Sneasel and Blitzle wearing costumes will be available for the first time in Pokemon Go. From the official Pokemon Go blog, Blitzle will have a nifty collar, while Sneasel can be caught wearing a beanie and sunglasses. Butterfree will be found in the wild wearing a bow on its head.

Costumed Pokemon from last year’s Fashion Week event like Smoochum, Kirlia, Shinx and Croagunk will appear in the wild as well.

The special Sneasel and Shinx will also be appearing in one-star Raids. Butterfree and Kirlia will appear in three-star Raids.

If hatching Eggs is your thing, the 7km Eggs obtained through gifts received from friends will contain the following Pokemon during the event: Alolan Meowth, Galarian Meowth, and the fashionable Smoochum and Shinx.

Shiny Hunters will have a good time searching for the rare variants of these costumed Pokemon. Shiny costumed Butterfree, Sneasel, Smoochum, Kirlia, Shinx, Croagunk and Blitzle will be available for the first time in Pokemon Go. Shiny Blitzle without a costume will be permanently added to Pokemon Go following the conclusion of this year’s Fashion Week event.

Pokemon Go Fashion Week In-Game Bonuses

The Season of Mischief continues with a new Special Research story that will begin with the start of the Fashion Week event. In this story, trainers will need to help Professor Willow study Pokemon who can change forms like Furfrou. Completing this Special Research story will result in an encounter with Meloetta who didn’t have access to Pokemon Go Fest 2021. Those who accessed the event earlier this year will instead receive Meloetta Candy that can be used to power up the Mythical Pokemon.

Trainers who travel to PokeStops during the event will meet with fashionable trainers. Battle these trainers to earn special rewards.

A Time Research will be available at the start of the Fashion Week event, which will give trainers a chance to earn event-themed Pokemon as well as an exclusive Furfrou Wig avatar item as a final reward. This item will be available in the in-game shop after the event is over if you missed out.

Speaking of avatar items, more fashionable items like Hoopa Bangles will become available in the shop starting Monday, September 20 at 4 p.m. EDT.