Pokémon GO is gearing up for a busy couple of weeks with two exciting events on the horizon: the Catch Mastery event and Mega Absol Raid Day. These events build upon the already active Festival of Colors and Might and Mastery events, with Catch Mastery being a key component of the latter.

Catch Mastery: Archen Takes Flight!

The Catch Mastery event takes place on March 16th, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time. This event spotlights Archen, the First Bird Pokémon! Prepare for increased wild spawns of Omanyte and Kabuto, with a chance to encounter their Shiny forms.

Archen itself will be available as a Field Research reward, boasting an increased Shiny rate. Trainers can also look forward to boosted XP—double XP for Nice Throws or better, and for Curveball Throws.

A Timed Research task focusing on catching Rock-type Pokémon will also run concurrently. Complete up to 10 sets of tasks for a grand total of 40 Archen encounters.

Mega Absol Raid Day: Brutal Swing Arrives!

Get ready 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 attack will permanently be added to Absol's moveset, dealing 55 power in Trainer Battles and 65 power in Gyms and Raids.

To aid in the Raid Day festivities, the Remote Raid Pass limit will be temporarily increased to 20 from March 22nd at 5:00 p.m. PDT to March 23rd at 8:00 p.m. PDT. You can also collect up to five additional free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs, for a total of six for the day.

Haven't joined the fun yet? Download Pokémon GO from the Google Play Store!

And while you're here, don't miss our coverage of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day event, "Watcher of Realms: The Four-Leaf Clover's Song."