Pokémon GO Weekly Plan May 4–10, 2026: Lechonk Community Day, Nihilego, Shadow Cresselia, Mega Camerupt

The week of May 4–10, 2026 in Pokémon GO packs three big moments: a 21:00 JST "last call" on Tuesday for three high-value carryover raids that started the previous week, a Wednesday raid rotation change that adds an Ultra Beast (Nihilego) plus Mega Camerupt and Shadow Cresselia, and the month's biggest event — the Lechonk Community Day on Saturday with the Mud-Slap evolution bonus for Oinkologne (Male) and Oinkologne (Female). This guide ranks every event and Pokémon for the week into Highest / Mid / Low priority so you can plan around it without burning out.

All times below are shown in JST, matching the Japanese in-game event schedule. If you play outside Japan, check your in-game Today View for your local event window.

Schedule Overview (May 4–10, 2026)

This week has three key windows to remember:

Tuesday 21:00 JST — last call for Tapu Lele, Mega Banette, and Shadow Latios
Wednesday 18:00–19:00 JST — Nihilego Raid Hour
Saturday 14:00–17:00 JST — Lechonk Community Day

Date / Time (JST)	Event	Priority
—5/5 (Tue) 21:00	Carryover from previous week: Tapu Lele 5★ Raid / Mega Banette Mega Raid / Shadow Latios Shadow Raid all end together	Highest (last call)
5/4 (Mon) 6:00–21:00	Max Monday: Cottonee spawns (evolves to Whimsicott with 50 Candy + Sun Stone)	Low
5/6 (Wed) 6:00 – 5/12 (Tue) 21:00	Nihilego 5★ Legendary Raid return (Raid Hour 5/6 18:00–19:00)	Highest
5/6 (Wed) 6:00 – 5/12 (Tue) 21:00	Mega Camerupt Mega Raid	Mid
5/6 (Wed) 5:00 – 6/2 (Tue) 20:00	Shadow Cresselia Shadow Legendary Raid (4-week run)	Mid
★ 5/9 (Sat) 14:00–17:00	Lechonk Community Day (3-hour live window; Mud-Slap evolution unlocked through 21:00)	Highest

The headline pattern this week is simple: the last call for three high-value carryover raids hits on Tuesday at 21:00, the new wave of weekly bosses shows up Wednesday morning, and Saturday is the dedicated Community Day window. Plan Tuesday's last grind early if you can, then keep Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon open.

Tapu Lele (Last Call — Until 5/5 Tue 21:00)

Bottom line: Tapu Lele is one of the strongest off-type Fairy attackers in the game right now — well worth a final push if you do not already have a high-IV copy.

Tapu Lele is a Psychic / Fairy 5★ raid boss that ends with the rest of the carryover trio at 21:00 JST on Tuesday.

Type: Psychic / Fairy
Raid grade: S+ (10/10)
Psychic ranking: #27 overall (#12 ex-Mega/Shadow)
Fairy ranking with Confusion + Nature's Madness: #6 overall (#2 ex-Mega/Shadow — only Zacian beats it)
Recommended raid moveset: Confusion → Psyshock (Psychic role, Psyshock is a legacy/elite move) or Confusion → Nature's Madness (Fairy role)

The standout angle on Tapu Lele is its off-type Fairy slot. The species never learned a Fairy-typed Fast Move, but pairing the Psychic Fast Move Confusion with the Fairy Charged Move Nature's Madness still puts it second only to Zacian among Fairy attackers when you exclude Mega and Shadow species. PvP-wise it stays S-tier in Ultra and Master League, so a high-IV Tapu Lele is worth one last grind before the window closes.

Mega Banette (Last Call — Until 5/5 Tue 21:00)

Bottom line: A solid Ghost-DPS option, but Mega Gengar still owns the role — only must-grind if you do not have Mega Gengar yet.

Mega Banette is a pure-Ghost Mega Raid boss ending alongside Tapu Lele.

Type: Ghost (mono)
Raid grade: S+ (10/10)
Ghost ranking: #5 overall (#3 ex-Shadow)
Recommended moveset: Shadow Claw → Shadow Ball

Mega Banette's attack stat is high enough to push it into the Ghost-DPS top tier, but Mega Gengar already dominates the role. If you have not built Mega Gengar, Mega Banette is a totally reasonable second slot; if you have, treat this last call as a "Mega Energy top-up for Halloween candy boost" rather than a must-grind. Because Mega Banette is not a once-only opportunity, missing this window is not catastrophic.

Shadow Latios (Last Call — Until 5/5 Tue 21:00)

Bottom line: Top-tier Dragon/Psychic dual-role attacker — final chance to grind a high-IV copy before the 5/5 cutoff.

Shadow Latios is a Dragon / Psychic Shadow Legendary Raid boss closing with the carryover trio.

Type: Dragon / Psychic
Raid grade: S+ (10/10) / Gym grade: S+ (10/10)
Dragon ranking: #19 overall
Psychic ranking: #9 overall
Recommended raid moveset (Dragon role): Dragon Breath → Dragon Claw
Recommended raid moveset (Psychic role): Zen Headbutt → Psychic
Recommended PvP moveset: Dragon Breath → Luster Purge (legacy/elite move) / Aura Sphere

Shadow Latios sits among the top Dragon and Psychic attackers in the game. The overall numbers ("just" #19 / #9) might look modest for a Shadow Legendary, but a high-IV Shadow Latios still earns its slot — the dual Dragon/Psychic role plus Master League viability makes it worth one final raid window if you can join a group.

Not sure whether to purify a strong Shadow Latios (or a Shadow Cresselia later this week)? Read our Shadow Pokémon purification guide before making the call.

Dynamax Whimsicott (Cottonee on May 4 Max Monday)

Bottom line up front: Dynamax Whimsicott is a Pokédex-only catch this week. It works in Great League, but it is not viable as a Max Battle attacker or tank.

On Monday May 4 from 06:00 to 21:00 JST, Cottonee (Whimsicott's pre-evolution) spawns under Max Monday. Whimsicott unlocks via 50 Cottonee Candy plus a Sun Stone — it is not a Candy-only evolution, so check your bag before grinding.

Type: Grass / Fairy
Max CP: 2,277 / Attack 164 / Defense 176 / HP 155
Max Battle grade: B (struggles in attacker and tank roles)
Great League: S 9/10 (SCP ≈ 1,543.5)
Ultra League: A (SCP ≈ 2,273.5)
Recommended PvP moves: Fairy Wind → Seed Bomb / Moonblast

Whimsicott's stat line is mediocre across the board. Its only real home is Great League, where the high SCP and the Fairy Wind / Seed Bomb / Moonblast moveset combine into a steady mid-tier closer. As a Dynamax attacker its damage is too low; as a tank it picks up bad type matchups. For most trainers, one Pokédex-quality copy is the right answer.

Nihilego (5/6 Legendary Raid Return — Highest Priority)

Bottom line: Top Poison damage straight out of the box, with a usable Rock off-type role — the highest-priority raid target this week.

Nihilego arrives in 5★ Legendary Raids on Wednesday May 6 and runs through Tuesday May 12. The Raid Hour is set for 5/6 18:00–19:00 JST.

Type: Rock / Poison
Max CP: 4,465 / Attack 249 / Defense 210 / HP 240
Raid grade: S (10/10)
Poison ranking: #6 overall (#3 ex-Mega/Shadow)
Rock ranking (off-type setup): #32 overall using Poison Jab + Rock Slide
Recommended raid moves (Poison role): Poison Jab → Sludge Bomb
Recommended raid moves (Rock role): Poison Jab → Rock Slide (off-type)

Nihilego's stat line is excellent for an Ultra Beast — top-tier Poison damage out of the box. The catch is that Poison-type attackers do not have many marquee raid bosses to fight, so the Rock off-type role (where Poison Jab pairs with Rock Slide for a viable Rock attacker slot) is what makes Nihilego worth several raid runs, especially during Raid Hour. Shiny is in the pool, so 30–40 attempts is a reasonable target if you want to lock one in.

Mega Camerupt (5/6 Mega Raid)

Bottom line: Mid-tier Mega — overshadowed by Primal Groudon for the same Fire and Ground roles. Pokédex catch and a small Mega Energy reserve is enough.

Mega Camerupt shares the Wednesday window with Nihilego.

Type: Fire / Ground
Max CP: 3,641 / Attack 253 / Defense 183 / HP 172
Raid grade: S (9/10)
Fire ranking: #28 overall
Ground ranking (off-type): #32 overall
Recommended raid moves: Incinerate → Overheat / Earth Power

For a Mega, Camerupt's stats are middling, and both of its attacking types overlap with Primal Groudon. Primal Groudon also unlocks a Grass attacker boost on top of Fire and Ground, which makes Mega Camerupt effectively a downgrade for the same Mega slots. Super Mega Raids (Primal-form-restricted shield mechanics) are the one niche where Camerupt has a unique angle, but for most trainers a single Pokédex catch plus some Mega Energy is enough.

Shadow Cresselia (5/6 Shadow Legendary — 4-Week Run)

Bottom line: Bulky PvP Psychic — top-tier Great League and Ultra League pick if you can land a sub-1,500 CP catch. Four-week window means no rush.

Shadow Cresselia launches in Shadow Legendary Raids from 5/6 05:00 through 6/2 20:00 — almost a full month, so the schedule pressure is low.

Type: Psychic
Max CP: 3,230 / Attack 152 / Defense 258 / HP 260
Raid grade: A (8/10)
Great League: S 9/10 (SCP ≈ 1,815.2)
Ultra League: S+ 10/10 (SCP ≈ 3,033.8)
Master League: A 7/10 (SCP ≈ 3,809.8)
Recommended raid moves: Psycho Cut → Future Sight
Recommended PvP moves: Psycho Cut + Grass Knot / Moonblast

Shadow Cresselia inherits the species' top-tier defense and HP — its bulk lands among the very best in the entire dex. Raid-wise the low attack stat caps it at "good" rather than "must-build", but in Great League and Ultra League both SCP figures are S-grade or better, making it a genuine PvP heavyweight on bulk alone.

Catch CP note: to use Shadow Cresselia in Great League you need a sub-1,500 CP catch, and the catch CP from this raid sits above 1,500 by default. Based on our raid catch CP range calculation, the chance of a sub-1,500 CP Shadow Cresselia is roughly 0.6%, so it is a 1-in-167 outcome — if you pull one, treat it as a lucky win.

Lechonk Community Day (5/9 — Highest Priority)

Bottom line: The week's main event — evolve Oinkologne (Male and Female forms) by 21:00 to lock in the Mud-Slap PvP move.

The week's headliner is Lechonk Community Day on Saturday May 9, 14:00–17:00 JST. Evolving Lechonk into Oinkologne during the event window (and through 21:00 JST) unlocks the Community Day move Mud-Slap, a Ground Fast Move that has been a consistent PvP performer on every species that gets it.

Lechonk is the Normal-type early-route mon — slot it in alongside Sentret or Rattata on the Pokédex shelf — and Oinkologne (the evolution) splits into a Male form and a Female form with different stats. Both are PvP-tilted picks rather than raid attackers.

The capture window is 14:00–17:00; the evolution window is 14:00–21:00. Catch first, evolve second. As long as you finish evolving by 21:00 you are fine.

Oinkologne (Male) — Offensive Build

Oinkologne (Male) is the higher-attack form.

Type: Normal
Max CP: 2,949 / Attack 186 / Defense 153 / HP 242
Great League: A 8/10 (SCP ≈ 1,549.1)
Ultra League: S 9/10 (SCP ≈ 2,584.6)
Master League: A 7/10 (SCP ≈ 2,973.1)
Recommended PvP moves: Mud-Slap → Body Slam / Take Down

Oinkologne ♂'s stat line is unremarkable on paper, but the Mud-Slap addition is the kind of evolution move that single-handedly upgrades a borderline pick into a meta sleeper. Watch usage rates after the event — there is real upside if Mud-Slap pressure on Steel and Fire shifts the meta.

Oinkologne (Female) — Defensive Build (Stronger Pick)

Oinkologne (Female) is the bulkier form and the stronger PvP candidate.

Type: Normal
Max CP: 2,819 / Attack 169 / Defense 162 / HP 251
Great League: S 9/10 (SCP ≈ 1,627.0)
Ultra League: S+ 10/10 (SCP ≈ 2,710.3)
Master League: A 7/10 (SCP ≈ 2,973.8)
Recommended PvP moves: Mud-Slap → Body Slam / Take Down

The female form swaps a chunk of attack for defense and HP, and that one swap takes its Ultra League grade from S to S+. With SCP that high, Oinkologne ♀ can survive most super-effective hits and stick around long enough to land repeated Mud-Slap → Body Slam pairs. If you only build one Oinkologne for PvP, this is the one — but ideally build both forms (one for SL, one for UL) since their CP / stat curves split cleanly across leagues.

Priority Wrap-Up

Highest priority — get them this week (4 picks):

Confirm any missing copies of Shadow Latios / Mega Banette / Tapu Lele before 5/5 Tue 21:00
Run the 5/6 Wed 18:00–19:00 Nihilego Raid Hour (best Poison attacker access; Rock off-type slot)
Block Saturday 14:00–17:00 for Lechonk Community Day, evolve both Male and Female forms before 21:00 to lock Mud-Slap

Mid priority — fit them in (5 picks):

Mega Camerupt and Shadow Cresselia raids (Shadow Cresselia runs through 6/2, so no rush)
PvP-grade Oinkologne (Male and Female forms) — both have league niches; building both is recommended

Low priority — only if you have spare time (1 pick):

Catch one Cottonee on 5/4 for the Pokédex; Dynamax Whimsicott is rough in Max Battles

New Tool: Rare Candy Investment Ranking (Now Live in English)

+ Pokémon GO Database
Open Ranking →

Separately from this week's events, we just launched a general-purpose tool: the Rare Candy Investment Ranking. It indexes every Pokémon by their best-use category (Gym, Raid, Rocket, Max Battle, PvP) and produces a single cross-category recommendation list — useful any time you are sitting on stockpiled Rare Candy and not sure which Pokémon should actually receive it. If you are debating whether to spend candy on this week's Nihilego, Shadow Latios, or Shadow Cresselia, the ranking gives you a side-by-side comparison against the rest of your roster before you commit.

About the Author

This guide is published by Dr. Gogochi, the writer behind doctorpokegogo.com. The site builds custom Pokémon GO research tools (type DPS rankings, Rare Candy rankings, Max Battle simulators, IV evaluators) and has been publishing weekly event analyses and Pokémon-by-Pokémon breakdowns in Japanese since 2024. The English Strategy Library at /en/pokemongo-guide/ brings the same data-driven approach to global trainers — every recommendation in this article is backed by the same rankings used in the Japanese articles, recomputed on each post.