The Ultimate Catch Mastery: Archen Guide 2025—How To Get Shiny Archeops And Maximize XP

The Catch Mastery: Archen event is one of the most anticipated single-day events for collectors and XP grinders in Pokémon GO, and it’s making a grand return this year. Scheduled for Sunday, March 16, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM local time, this event offers a golden opportunity to hunt for the elusive Shiny Archen and rack up massive amounts of experience points through focused throwing bonuses.

This comprehensive guide will break down the exact strategies you need to maximize your catches, exploit the 2x XP bonus for Nice, Great, and Excellent Throws, and secure enough Archen Candy to evolve your prized Fossil Pokémon into the powerful Archeops. The key to mastering this event lies in efficiently completing the Field Research and Timed Research tasks, as these are your primary source for guaranteed Archen encounters.

The Catch Mastery: Archen Event Details and Bonuses (March 16, 2025)

The Catch Mastery series focuses on sharpening a Trainer's throwing skills, rewarding precision with rare Pokémon encounters and high XP bonuses. The Archen edition zeroes in on Rock-type and Fossil Pokémon, making it a key event for completing your Unova Pokédex and stocking up on rare Rock-type catches.

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• Event Date & Time: Sunday, March 16, 2025, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM local time.
• Featured Pokémon: Archen (increased encounter rate).
• Shiny Release: Shiny Archen will be available, with an increased chance of encounter.
• Wild Spawns: Omanyte and Kabuto will appear more frequently in the wild.
• Primary Bonuses:
  • 2x XP for successfully catching any Pokémon with a Nice Throw, Great Throw, or Excellent Throw.
  • Increased chance of encountering Shiny Omanyte and Shiny Kabuto.
• Research Focus: Event-exclusive Field Research and Timed Research will grant guaranteed Archen encounters, usually requiring a certain number of Nice, Great, or Curveball Throws.

The synergy between the guaranteed Archen encounters from research and the 2x XP bonus is the core of this event. Every successful throw not only progresses your research but also doubles your experience gain, making this a prime opportunity to level up fast.

Mastering the Catch: The Field Research Stacking Strategy

The most crucial strategy for the Catch Mastery event is maximizing your Archen encounters through Field Research tasks. Unlike wild spawns, research encounters allow you to control the catch environment, making it easier to land Excellent Throws consistently.

Step-by-Step Catch Mastery Execution

1. Pre-Stack Research (The Day Before): On the Saturday before the event, visit as many PokéStops as possible and collect Field Research tasks that reward a Pokémon encounter, but do not complete them. This is a general preparation tip for any event, but during the Archen event, you will focus on collecting the *new* event-specific tasks.
2. The PokéStop Grind: On March 16th, spin every PokéStop you see. The event-exclusive tasks will typically be something like "Make 3 Great Throws" or "Catch 5 Rock-type Pokémon" and will reward an Archen encounter.
3. The "Set & Throw" Excellent Trick: To ensure you hit the Excellent Throw for the massive XP bonus, use the "Set & Throw" method. Hold the Poké Ball until the colored catch circle shrinks to the Excellent size, then release the ball. Wait until the Pokémon attacks, and as the attack animation is about 75% complete, throw your Curveball. This guarantees the ring is in the desired position when your ball hits.
4. Target Larger Pokémon: While Archen is the focus, Omanyte and Kabuto will also be spawning frequently. These Pokémon often have larger catch circles and are closer to the screen, making it easier to land a consistent Great Throw or Excellent Throw. Target them to quickly complete your research tasks.
5. Use the Quick Catch Method: To save time, learn the Quick Catch Method. By dragging the Poké Ball icon to the side while throwing with the other hand, you can skip the catch animation, allowing you to cycle through encounters and research rewards much faster.

Archeops in the Pokémon GO Meta: Is the Grind Worth It?

The primary goal for many trainers is to obtain a high-IV Shiny Archen and evolve it into Archeops. Archen requires 50 Archen Candy to evolve. Archeops is a powerful Rock/Flying-type Pokémon from the Unova region (Gen 5), known for having one of the highest base Attack stats of any non-legendary Pokémon.

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Archeops Moveset and Battle Utility

While Archeops boasts an impressive Attack stat (292), its utility in the PvE (Raid/Gym) and PvP (Trainer Battle) meta is often hampered by a mediocre movepool. The grind is absolutely worth it for a collector and for a niche attacker, but it won't replace top-tier attackers like Rampardos or Rayquaza.

Recommended Movesets:

• Best PvE (Gym/Raid) Moveset: Steel Wing (Fast) and Ancient Power (Charged). This combination offers the highest overall DPS (Damage Per Second) and TDO (Total Damage Output) among its current moves.
• Alternative PvE Moveset: Wing Attack (Fast) and Dragon Claw (Charged) can be used for a Flying-type focus, especially if you want a quicker charge move.
• PvP (Great/Ultra League) Moveset: Wing Attack (Fast), Dragon Claw (Charged), and Crunch (Charged). This set is preferred for its fast energy generation and coverage moves, though Archeops is generally considered a "fun" option rather than a top-tier competitor in the GO Battle League due to its fragility.

The Catch Mastery event is your best chance to stock up on Archen Candy and Candy XL, which are essential for powering up Archeops to a competitive level. Use Pinap Berries on every Archen you encounter to maximize your candy gains.

Topical Authority: Archen and the Fossil Pokémon Lineup

Archen, the First Bird Pokémon, is revived from the Plume Fossil. It belongs to a long line of unique Fossil Pokémon in the Pokémon GO universe, which are often difficult to obtain outside of specific events or 7km Eggs. The focus on Archen, Omanyte (from the Helix Fossil), and Kabuto (from the Dome Fossil) highlights the Rock-type theme of this Catch Mastery event.

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Other notable Fossil Pokémon that share the rarity and collection interest with Archen include Aerodactyl, Lileep, Anorith, Cranidos, Shieldon, Tirtouga, and Tyrunt. The presence of Omanyte and Kabuto in the wild serves two purposes: they are easy targets for throw-based research tasks, and they offer a chance to catch their own shiny forms, increasing the overall value of the event for collectors. Don't forget to use your Lucky Eggs when you start completing your research stacks to double the already doubled XP bonus!