The first Community Day event for Pokémon GO in 2026 will feature Grookey, the Chimp Pokémon and Grass-type starter from the Galar region. This month, trainers will have a great chance to evolve Thwackey into Rillaboom at the event. This will give it special charged attacks that make it much better in raids and Max Battles. This is everything you need to know to have the best time at Grookey Community Day.
Grookey Community Day Event Details
Thwackey will give you a Rillaboom that knows the powerful Charged Attack Frenzy Plant during the Community Day event and up to four hours after it ends. This move is only available on Community Day and has historically made Grass-type starters very strong.
Also, after this event, Rillaboom will have access to a new Charged Attack called Drum Beating. This will be true forever. Trainers can build their perfect Rillaboom for different battle situations because this dual move is available.
Rillaboom’s Stats and Typing Overview
Before we look at Rillaboom’s moveset, it’s helpful to know what it is and how it works:
At Level 50, the most CP you can get is 3,758.
Key Stats:
- Attack: 239 (strong offensive power)
- HP: 225 (great bulk)
- Defense: 168 (a lot lower, giving it a glass cannon profile)
This stat distribution makes Rillaboom a high-damage dealer instead of a defensive tank, which is great for aggressive raid strategies where maximizing DPS (damage per second) is the most important thing.
Type Advantages:
- Strong against bosses that are Ground, Rock, or Water-type
- Weather Boost: Sunny weather makes things better Damage from grass-type moves
- Weaknesses: Bugs, fire, flying, ice, and poison
Frenzy Plant vs. Drum Beating: Which Move Is Better?
Frenzy Plant Performance
In the past, Frenzy Plant turned Grass-type starters into top-tier raid attackers, and Rillaboom does the same thing. Before Community Day, Rillaboom usually used Razor Leaf (Fast Move) and Grass Knot (Charged Move) together. This made it a good budget Grass-type choice after Mega evolutions, legendary Pokémon, and Shadow variants.
Frenzy Plant is a big improvement over Grass Knot for Rillaboom, bringing it much closer to the best Grass-type attackers.
Drum Beating: The New Contender
New analysis shows that in PvE content, Drum Beating works like a 3-bar Charged Attack with 115 base power. This means that Drum Beating is a little better than Frenzy Plant for raid performance, which is a rare occurrence in Community Day history.
Important Point: Trainers don’t need the old Frenzy Plant move to do well in PvE. Drum Beating’s permanent availability means you can evolve Rillaboom anytime after Community Day without sacrificing performance. But a lot of players will still want Frenzy Plant as a collectible that only they can get on Community Day.
Rillaboom’s Raid Performance: Meta Analysis
Comparison with Top Grass Attackers
Rillaboom’s raid performance shows some interesting things when you use DPS (Damage Per Second) comparison tools:
Top Grass Attackers Context:
Rillaboom doesn’t make it into the top five Grass-type attackers, but its scores are still very close to those of the best ones. More importantly, a few Pokémon that are technically better than Rillaboom have some major problems:
- Shaymin and Zarude are both Mythical Pokémon that are very hard to get to, so most trainers can’t build full teams with them.
- Kartana has a high DPS output, but a very low TDO (Total Damage Output), which means it faints quickly and has trouble doing the most damage it can in real raid situations.
Fair Comparison: Grass Starter Rankings
A more accurate way to judge Rillaboom’s performance is to compare it to other Grass-type starters:
Current Standing:
- Rillaboom with Drum Beating is better than all other non-Shadow Grass starters.
- It is behind Shadow versions of Venusaur, Meganium, Sceptile, Torterra, Serperior, and Chesnaught.
- Drum Beating puts Rillaboom one place ahead of Shadow Torterra.
Future Potential: When Shadow Rillaboom comes out, it will quickly become the best non-Mega, non-Legendary Grass-type raid attacker available, ahead of other Shadow Grass starters.
This prediction makes Grookey Community Day very important for trainers who want to stock up on resources now for future Shadow battles.
Why Grookey Community Day Is Essential for XL Candy
Grookey Community Day is the best time of the year to farm Grookey XL Candy, which is an extremely important resource for two main reasons:
1. Maxing Out Regular Rillaboom
To get Rillaboom to Level 50, you need to spend a lot of XL Candy. Community Day’s higher spawn rates and event bonuses make it much easier to farm candy than at any other time.
2. Preparing for Gigantamax Rillaboom
The real long-term value of Grookey Community Day is that it gets you ready for Max Battles and Gigantamax Rillaboom.
Gigantamax Rillaboom: Max Battle Dominance
G-Max Drum Solo
Rillaboom’s Gigantamax form gives it G-Max Drum Solo, a unique Grass-type G-Max Move that makes it the best Grass-type attacker in Max Battle content.
Max Battle Performance
Simulation data from Gigantamax Blastoise Max Battles shows that Rillaboom is the best:
G-Max Rillaboom is currently the best Grass-type counter for G-Max Blastoise, and this is true for almost all Max Battles where Grass-type coverage is helpful.
Resource Requirements
To power up Gigantamax Rillaboom and unlock and level up its Max Moves, you need a lot of regular and XL Candy. Community Day won’t directly change Rillaboom’s Max Battle moveset or performance, but it’s the best time of the year to stock up on these important items.
In short, missing Grookey Community Day means that it will be much harder to get resources for what will be a permanently useful Max Battle attacker.
Optimal Grookey Community Day Strategy
Before Community Day
- Clear bag space for catching hundreds of Grookey
- Stock up on Pinap Berries to double candy yields
- Prepare Lucky Eggs if you want to maximize XP from evolution
- Identify high-IV Grookey using appraisal to prioritize evolution candidates
During Community Day
- Catch relentlessly – Prioritize quantity over perfect IVs initially
- Use Pinap Berries on every catch to maximize candy and XL Candy
- Save evolution for late in event – This gives you more time to find better IV specimens
- Transfer low-IV catches immediately to maintain bag space and earn extra candy
Evolution Window Strategy
You have four hours after Community Day ends to evolve Thwackey into Rillaboom with Frenzy Plant. Use this time wisely:
- Appraise all caught Grookey to identify the best candidates
- Evolve your top 6 specimens to build a full raid team
- Consider evolving extras for trading or future Shadow opportunities
- Don’t stress too much about Frenzy Plant – Remember that Drum Beating is actually slightly better and permanently available
Post-Community Day Priorities
Since Drum Beating remains accessible after the event, you can continue building Rillaboom teams indefinitely. However, XL Candy will be much harder to obtain, so maximize your farming during the event itself.
Building Your Rillaboom Raid Team
Optimal Moveset
Best PvE Moveset:
- Fast Move: Razor Leaf
- Charged Move: Drum Beating (or Frenzy Plant)
Recommended Team Size
Build at least 6 powered-up Rillaboom to create a full Grass-type raid team. This gives you flexibility for:
- Water-type legendary raids
- Rock-type raid bosses
- Ground-type encounters
- Any scenario requiring Grass-type coverage
Power-Up Priority
Focus resources on your highest IV specimens (ideally 90%+ IV) and prioritize powering them to at least Level 40, with Level 50 being ideal for serious raiders.
Grookey Community Day Bonuses (Typical)
While specific bonuses haven’t been detailed in the source material, Community Days typically feature:
- 3-hour event window with increased Grookey spawns
- Increased Shiny rates (approximately 1 in 25)
- Special Research storyline with rewards
- Event-exclusive field research tasks
- Bonus Stardust or XP for catches
- Reduced egg hatch distance
- Extended evolution window (4 hours post-event)
Check your in-game news for confirmed bonuses specific to this Grookey Community Day.
Should You Use an Elite TM for Frenzy Plant?
Short Answer: No.
Since Drum Beating is slightly better than Frenzy Plant and permanently available, using a precious Elite Charged TM to get Frenzy Plant on Rillaboom is unnecessary for performance purposes.
Save your Elite TMs for truly legacy moves on other Pokémon where no alternative exists.
Long-Term Investment Value
Grookey Community Day is an important way to invest in your Pokémon GO account’s long-term competitiveness. Viability:
Immediate Benefits:
- Strong Grass-type raid attacker (Top 10 overall)
- Budget-friendly alternative to legendary and Mega options
- Competitive with or superior to other starter Pokémon
Future Benefits:
- Shadow Rillaboom will likely dominate when released
- Gigantamax Rillaboom already dominates Max Battles
- XL Candy stockpile pays dividends for years
Conclusion: Don’t Miss Grookey Community Day
Grookey Community Day 2026 is a great deal for both new and experienced trainers. Rillaboom may not be the best Grass-type attacker on paper, but its real-world performance, ease of use, and potential for growth make it a must-have for any serious raider.
Drum Beating as a permanent move lowers FOMO (fear of missing out) around the event itself, but the unique chance to farm XL Candy makes it important for anyone who wants to win Max Battles to be there.
Mark your calendar and make sure you have three hours free to catch hundreds of Grookey. Your future self will be glad you spent the money, especially when you have to fight Gigantamax Blastoise.
Good luck hunting, Trainers! I hope your Grookey is shiny and your Rillaboom is strong!