Pokémon Go's Mewtwo celebration - "I know people who have created at least 25 new accounts for it"
- My Mewtwos are so cool
- I love the moon background
- Did you get the Shiny?!
As you have probably seen, Pokémon Go has given out a massive reward for their 10th anniversary. It may, to some, seem like a response to the New York City event where invited trainers got a hundo Mewtwo with a very special background. Those who attended that event did not get the hundo Mewtwo given out globally, with the moon background, and instead got random stats. They also did not get the option to keep their Master Ball, which was required for their catch, and this global event did not give them a Master Ball either. It's interesting to see that Pokémon Go picked Mewtwo, as there have been so many different Mewtwo raids, make-up days, and other Mewtwo events lately. But this is one of the most iconic Pokémon, and before these events, players have been begging to see more of it.
Catching this guaranteed perfect Mewtwo, with a background and a chance to be Shiny, is done very easily after doing a few Pokémon catches and powering up a Pokémon of your choice. It's so simple that new players will have no issue completing the tasks, especially with the large number of days they have to do it in. We will likely see a lot of older players, who have not touched their accounts, diving back in just to do these quick tasks and catch this sought-after, special Pokémon.
With it being so easy, when I went out for the most recent Community Day, I wasn't surprised when I heard someone say that they had a friend who made over 25 new accounts to do these tasks, as an attempt to reroll their award to get the Shiny Mewtwo with the moon background. Although transferring the Pokémon will not keep its perfect stats, for many, having a shiny with a background is more important than having a hundo. Although multi-accounting isn't allowed according to Pokémon Go's TOS, it's very hard for them to actually distinguish a users second account from their child logging on on their device. It's not a widely ban-able offence, essentially.
It's interesting to think that Pokémon Go might see not only a peak in returning players, who have seen the news of an easy-to-obtain perfect Pokémon, but also in new accounts being created to re-roll the chances of getting that green version of Mewtwo.
Do I think that Pokémon Go should have made the quests more challenging? Not necessarily. There will be people mad no matter what they do. (I've already seen so many people complain about the Mewtwo being a hundo or that it's a Mewtwo or creating clearly new accounts based on the Pokémon number shown on the screen to then performatively transfer their hundo Mewtwo as a way of taking the stand. It's wild.) I think having the easier-to-complete quests gives everyone a chance to trigger Mewtwo exactly when they want to.
I am grateful not only to have a special Mewtwo with a background from Times Square, but also to have one I caught on the day of the eclipse, with a matching moon background, on a beach with my family during our annual summer holiday. Some members of the community have travelled or made a big effort to claim this special Pokémon at a special place, building a memory around it. This is where Pokémon, to me, very much thrives and what I would much rather see. I have a Shiny Mewtwo from Copenhagen, with a background, that I currently bottle-capped (before Times Square) to become a hundo. I have another that I can silver Bottle Cap, from Go Fest Global weekend, with a different background. This moon Mewtwo will probably be my next Bottle Cap, and I will have a collection of hundo Mewtwos from special moments and events. Mewtwos that all very much bring meaning to me.
