Pokémon GO is heating up with a pair of exciting events! First up is the Catch Mastery event, running March 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time. This event focuses on Archen, the First Bird Pokémon. Get ready for increased wild spawns of Omanyte and Kabuto, with a chance to snag their Shiny forms. Archen itself will be available as a Field Research reward, boasting a boosted Shiny rate. Maximize your XP gains with double XP for Nice Throws and better, plus Curveball Throws. A Timed Research task line will challenge you to catch Rock-type Pokémon, rewarding you with up to 40 Archen encounters if you complete all 10 sets of tasks.

Next, mark your calendars for Mega Absol Raid Day on March 23rd, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. Absol is getting a powerful upgrade: the new Charged Attack, Brutal Swing! This move will be permanently available to Absol after the event, packing a punch with 55 power in Trainer Battles and 65 power in Gyms and Raids. To help you conquer those raids, the Remote Raid Pass limit increases to 20 from March 22nd at 5:00 p.m. PDT to March 23rd at 8:00 p.m. PDT. You can also snag up to five additional free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs, giving you a total of six for the day.

Haven't joined the fun yet? Download Pokémon GO from the Google Play Store! And before you go, check out our news story on the upcoming St. Patrick's Day event, "Watcher of Realms Is Bringing the Four-Leaf Clover’s Song Event."