A debut in Pokémon GO is always an exciting time, giving Trainers something new to hunt down and grow their Pokédex, but Morpeko's arrival is even more exciting because it introduces mid-battle form changes to the mobile game. You'll be able to use both Full Belly Mode and Hangry Mode, with its Charged Attack type changing depending on the form it's currently in.

The adorable Electric/Dark-type rodent first appeared in Pokémon Sword & Shield's Galar region, where it had the surprising ability to switch form in the middle of a battle. Thanks to the Halloween 2024 celebrations, you'll now be able to add Morpeko to your Pokémon GO collection for the first time, but it's not as simple as catching one in the wild while you're out exploring.

How To Catch Morpeko In Pokémon GO

Time To Brush Up On Your GO Battle League Skills

Morpeko will not spawn in the wild in Pokémon GO, but fortunately, there are a few ways you can encounter one during the Halloween 2024: Part 1 event. Morpeko can appear as a reward for completing event-exclusive Field Research tasks, as a reward for completing event-exclusive Timed Research tasks, and as a reward for competing in the GO Battle League.

The Halloween 2024: Part 1 event runs from October 22 to October 28, 2024. I'd advise catching as many Morpeko as possible during this event, as it will be quite difficult and time-consuming to obtain one after this point.

If you want a guaranteed method for catching Morpeko, make sure you complete the free event-exclusive Timed Research by October 28, 2024. This will reward encounters with Halloween-themed Pokémon, including Morpeko. There's also a paid-for Timed Research (costing $5) that will lead to Morpeko encounters as well as a cute Morpeko Onesie for your Avatar to wear.

The event-exclusive Field Research tasks are your next best option. You can obtain these by spinning PokéStops or Gym Discs during the event. Not all of these tasks will lead to a Morpeko encounter, but once you figure out which tasks do, you can keep looking for those ones. , you can delete any Field Research tasks you don't want to make room for more.

Finally, you'll be able to encounter Morpeko as a reward in the GO Battle League. During the Halloween 2024: Part 1 event, Morpeko will appear more frequently in the track. Once the event is over, you'll be able to encounter Morpeko in both tracks as a reward from Rank 16 onwards. However, Morpeko will still be more likely to appear in the track.

Morpeko's Form Changes Explained

You Won't Like Morpeko When It's Hangry

Although Morpeko has no evolution, it does have two distinct forms that can be switched mid-battle. The standard form is Full Belly Mode, where Morpeko has a brown, cream, and black color scheme. In this form, Morpeko will have access to the Electric-type version of the Charged Attack, Aura Wheel. This has 100 Power and increases the 's Attack by one stage.

Once a Charged Attack has been used, Morpeko will switch to Hangry Mode, where it changes appearance with a purple and black color scheme. In this form, Morpeko will have access to the Dark-type version of the Charged Attack, Aura Wheel. Just like its other form, this attack has 100 Power and increases the 's Attack by one stage. The only difference is its typing.

Morpeko will change form every time you use a Charged Attack, which could lead to some interesting plays in the GO Battle League. It will make it hard for your opponent to prepare for what's to come, but it could also leave you at a disadvantage if one form's Charged Attack is super-effective against your opponent, but the other form's Charged Attack isn't super-effective against them.

At the time of its Pokémon GO debut, Morpeko will only be able to change forms when competing in the GO Battle League or battling of Team GO Rocket. Its form-changing effect will be unavailable in Raid Battles, although it likely wouldn't be very effective there anyway, as Raid Battles are typically reliant on you choosing one or two types of Pokémon to target a specific weakness.

Interestingly, the official blog post from the Pokémon GO website states that Morpeko's form changes will only be available in the GO Battle League and while battling Team GO Rocket "initially," which suggests that this could change in the future. Whether this means Morpeko will eventually be able to change forms in Raid Battles – or something else entirely – remains to be seen.

Can Morpeko Be Shiny In Pokémon GO?

It's Bad News For Shiny Hunters

Right now, Shiny Morpeko is unavailable in Pokémon GO. It's very uncommon for a new Pokémon to debut in the game alongside its Shiny variation, as Niantic usually saves these rare versions for future events to build up hype. My best guess is that Shiny Morpeko will probably arrive during a future Halloween event or a Galar region-themed event.

There are sometimes years between a regular Pokémon debut and its Shiny debut in Pokémon GO, so for now, you'll have to make do with regular Morpeko. In the meantime, you can get a sneak peek at what Morpeko's Shiny version will look like in the image above, for both Full Belly Mode and Hangry Mode. Which one do you prefer?

Full Belly Mode's Shiny variant is very noticeable, as the cream color on its body becomes pure white. On the other hand, Hangry Mode's Shiny variant is a lot more subtle, with the deep purple color on its body becoming slightly lighter, appearing to be more of a lavender color.

As mentioned before, you'll have a much easier time catching Morpeko during the Halloween 2024: Part 1 event, but if you do miss out on that event, you can still encounter Morpeko as a reward for competing in the GO Battle League. It will be interesting to see if Morpeko and its form changes have any place in the Great League meta or beyond in Pokémon GO.