Magikarp has yet again been chosen as the featured Pokémon for another in-game event, and this time the iconic goldfish has been chosen to be featured during the Pokémon GO Community Day in August. While this is the first time Magikarp has been chosen for a Pokémon GO Community Day, this is not the first time Magikarp has been chosen to represent the franchise during a big event.
At the beginning of 2020, Pokémon Sword and Shield hosted a shiny Magikarp event that spanned four days in which Magikarp appeared in Max Raids constantly. Along with Magikarps increased encounter rate, Magikarp's shiny odds were also increased making it incredibly easy to obtain a shiny Magikarp. The shiny encounter rate for Magikarp during the event was high enough for some trainers to obtain one or more boxes filled with shiny Magikarp. Now, players have another opportunity to catch even more shiny goldfish.
The Pokémon GO team announced via blog post that Magikarp will be the featured Pokémon during the Pokémon GO Community Day on August 8. The event will take place between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time. During which Magikarp will appear more often in the overworld and will have increased shiny rates of around 1 in 50. If Magikarp is evolved during the event it will evolve into a Gyarados that knows the special move Aqua Tail. Additionally, incenses used during the event will last for three hours, and players will earn three-times the stardust for catching Pokémon.
Magikarp is also known as the first Pokémon in Pokémon GO to receive a shiny variant. In 2017, Pokémon GO held a water festival event in which water-type Pokémon spawned more frequently. This event included Magikarp, and it gave trainers a greater opportunity to find and catch a shiny Magikarp. Pokémon GO also held an event previously that highlighted Magikarp specifically allowing players to catch a bunch of fish without increasing its shiny rate.
Once again, Pokémon is abusing shiny Magikarp, and to what end? If it weren't bad enough to give players a scripted encounter with a shiny Gyarados in Pokémon Crystal, now Magikarp is continuously used in events to further saturate the shiny Pokémon economy. Shiny Pokémon are supposed to be held in high regard due to their rarity, but Pokémon has all but stripped shiny Magikarp of his worth. With close to 900 different species of Pokémon, and hundreds available in Pokémon GO, is it really so hard for The Pokémon Company to pick a different Pokémon to highlight?
Source: Pokémon GO