Spotlight Hour Focus: Catching Makuhita in Pokémon Go
This week, the focus of the Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour shines on the Guts Pokémon, making it an excellent opportunity to catch a Makuhita!
While Makuhita can evolve into Hariyama, which was once a competent contender in both the Great League and Ultra League, it has since fallen behind more popular options like Medicham and Machamp. Today, it primarily serves as a Pokédex entry rather than a reliable battle choice.
Double Candy Bonus
As part of this week’s Spotlight Hour, players can benefit from a double catch candy bonus. This means Trainers can collect more Makuhita Candy than they might typically acquire, which is great news for those wanting to enhance their team’s strength. Remember, this bonus also applies to any Pokémon you’ve stored from Research tasks, so make sure to utilize those saved rewards during the event!
Perfect IV Stats for Makuhita
The current Spotlight Hour presents an ideal moment to search for a Makuhita with perfect individual values (IVs). In Pokémon Go, “perfect” can refer to two scenarios based on how you intend to use your Pokémon: the maxed-out version, which has an IV distribution of 15/15/15, is what you’d want for your 4-star Pokédex, raids, and conventions in the Master League. However, it’s important to note that due to the way combat power (CP) is calculated, a perfect IV Pokémon typically excels only in the Master League.
Since players can’t assess IVs until they catch a Pokémon, doing some preliminary research here will help you identify promising Makuhita based solely on their CP. For those at Level 30 or higher, look for these CP values to find the perfect Makuhita:
- Level 30 (wild CP max): 700 CP
- Level 35 (weather boosted CP max): 759 CP
Evaluating Hariyama in PVP
Previously recognized as a reasonable option in the Great League and Ultra League, Hariyama has long since been surpassed by more powerful Pokémon. As a mono-fighting type, it struggles against Psychic-types like Medicham in the Great League and faces stiff competition from Machamp in the Ultra League. If you don’t have a Machamp, Hariyama may serve as a lesser alternative, but many Trainers likely have excess Machamps already, rendering Hariyama less desirable.
In terms of its moveset, Hariyama features Counter, Close Combat, and Heavy Slam, providing it with versatility and decent shield pressure. However, this Pokémon can be challenging to wield effectively due to its self-debuffing mechanics.
In the Great League, Hariyama can triumph over Pokémon such as Skarmory, Galarian Stunfisk, and Whiscash, while it struggles against powerhouses like Talonflame and Azumarill. In the Ultra League, look for victories against Registeel and Greninja, yet be prepared to face challenging battles against superior contenders such as Giratina and Cresselia. Although its CP in the Master League is appealing at 3198 at level 50, it’s worth noting that players will likely lose more fights than they win.
Shiny Makuhita Availability
Yes! Shiny variations of both Makuhita and its evolution, Hariyama, were introduced during the Battle Showdown event back in 2018. If fortune favors you, you might spot a shiny Makuhita in the wild. However, keep in mind that because this is not a Community Day event, shiny rates remain normal, making it unlikely to catch one, especially a high-IV specimen. Nevertheless, each Makuhita you encounter has the potential to be shiny, so it’s worthwhile to engage with every one you see!
Appearance of Shiny Makuhita and Hariyama
Shiny Makuhita retains its yellow color but swaps its usual slate gray for a pinkish-orange hue, as seen below. On the other hand, shiny Hariyama features dramatic changes, especially with its striking purple hands. The contrast in shiny forms can feel a bit odd, but they are generally well-received among players!
Additional Tips for Spotlight Hour
In addition to the thrill of finding a shiny Makuhita, there are several reasons to participate in this week’s Spotlight Hour:
- The double catch candy bonus enables Trainers to gather candy twice as fast. With each Makuhita caught, players can earn up to 13 candies if they use a Pinap or Silver Berry alongside a Mega-Evolved Pokémon of the same type, as opposed to the usual three.
- The candy bonus also applies to Research rewards. You don’t need to catch the Pokémon in the task; any Pokémon you catch afterward will contribute to your candy collection, allowing you to maximize benefit from your rewards.
- New players may find this Spotlight Hour to be a perfect opportunity to accumulate enough Makuhita Candy for evolution and expand their Pokédex entries.
- As Makuhita is a Fighting-type Pokémon, catching them during this hour will also contribute to milestones on your catch bonus medal.
The Spotlight Hour lasts for just one hour, from 6 PM to 7 PM local time. Be sure to join again next week when Wingull will be in the spotlight, offering its own incentives!
Good luck on your journey to find the ultimate Makuhita!