You Could Be an NPC in Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto

The Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto event is bringing a pretty interesting change to the mobile augmented reality game — a handful of lucky trainers will be immortalized as in-game NPCs for other players to battle.

Pokemon Go has been around for four years now. Despite a somewhat shaky launch, the developers have continued releasing new events and new content; most recently, the developers increased the level cap and introduced Gen 6 Pokemon to the game. Now, the next big addition will be NPC trainers for you to battle — and you could become one of them.

How to Become an NPC in Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto

The Pokemon Go Tour: Kanto announcement explains that players can become an NPC in the game through a contest. You'll need to tweet the following under the #PokemonGOTourContest hashtag on Twitter:

1. A screenshot of your Trainer profile that includes your name and your outfit
2. A list of 3 Pokemon from the Kanto region that would make up your team
3. The #PokemonGOTourContest hashtag

Here are some recent examples of entries that players have already submitted:

#PokemonGOTourContest
Here is my submission! I'll be a Trio Trainer! Master of 3 types. Based on the colors you can tell they are Fire, Water, and Electric. My Pokémon include...
-Arcanine
-Electabuzz
-Lapras pic.twitter.com/7X2eW5WL5r

— Austin Farr (@Clarinet_Duck) January 4, 2021

#PokemonGOTourContest
Name: Goomylain

Team:
1. Kabutops
2. Magneton
3. Porygon

Theme:
Wissenschaft / Science pic.twitter.com/5edSccjXUU

— Goomy (@Goomylain) January 4, 2021

Of course, not everyone can win. The fine folks at Niantic will be judging entries on the general theme, the composition of your Pokemon team, and the creativity of your avatar's outfit.

You won't necessarily be in the game forever, either — these NPCs are said to be appearing as part of this event and it's unclear if they could return in the future. There are no other prizes other than your character's inclusion in the game; you can read the full rules here.

This isn't the only recent Pokemon Go news, mind — the Unova collection challenge has gone live (via Reddit) and will reward players with some neat goodies for collecting a selection of 9 Pokemon within the next week. You can play Pokemon Go for free right now via its official website on Android and iOS.

Who is your favorite Trainer in Pokemon history? What's your favorite Pokemon from the Kanto era? Let us know in the comments below!