A Unique Pokémon Returns for Distribution After Ten Years, But There’s a Twist

Pokémon has been reliably using its Mystery Gift feature to hand out rare creatures that have been locked away for years, and now, over a year after the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, it’s back at it with a special event featuring Vivillon.

This butterfly Pokémon has been part of the game since its debut, but what makes Vivillon unique is its 20 different wing patterns, which are determined by the player’s real-world location when they catch it. Collecting all these patterns was quite the task back in the day, but The Pokémon Company has showcased each one over the years, even creating 20 different plushies in its Sitting Cuties line. One particular pattern is inspired by the classic red-and-white Poké Balls, which first appeared as a limited-time giveaway in Pokémon X and Y back in 2014. To snag one during its initial release, players had to visit a temporary Pokémon Center pop-up in Paris. Game Freak later re-released this special Vivillon throughout 2014 in Japan, Germany, and via the Nintendo Network, eventually offering it to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire players in Japan at the Hiroshima Pokémon Center in 2016.

Since then, the Poké Ball variant has been unavailable, but now you have a chance to get it in Legends: Z-A, provided enough players contribute to the effort. Game Freak has introduced a Spewpa into the game’s Mystery Gift feature, and if you evolve this Spewpa (along with any others you find in the Wild Areas) into a Vivillon, you’ll earn “Vivillon Points.” If the entire player base accumulates a total of 660,000 points, everyone will receive a Poké Ball Pattern Vivillon as a reward. Notably, the Mystery Gift Spewpa has an equal chance to evolve into any of the 16 available variants, excluding the Poké Ball pattern and the three typically found in Legends: Z-A. So, regardless of the outcome, you’ll be able to add a new version of Vivillon to your collection.

I fired up my copy of Legends: Z-A to do my part, but I noticed there’s no in-game indicator showing how many “points” I’ve contributed. Is it possible that we need 660,000 Spewpas to evolve into Vivillon before we can unlock the Poké Ball variant? Either way, player progress is being tracked through an official website. Get your Rare Candies ready, trainers!