A Pokémon Go player has found a way to travel forward in time to unlock achievements hiding in the future.
With the Pokémon Go Sinnoh Tour changing how in-game items are used, one fan has tricked the popular mobile game into sending him forward through time.
Pokémon Go currently has an in-game achievement system known as medals. As you play, you’ll earn and unlock medals which can increase your catch rate or bestow other goodies upon you. Medals record your every action such as catching Pokémon, walking distances and more.
In a post on the Pokémon Go subreddit, one user found themselves able to unlock medals from the future, despite the game’s always online nature. Due to its strong anti-cheat DRM, Niantic’s mobile game won’t launch if it detects your device in an incorrect time zone, making this discovery even more bizarre.
The user found that they were gifted the medal for the upcoming Pokémon Go Sinnoh Tour event a week before it should be activated. After buying the ticket to enter the upcoming event, the player was soon greeted by a medal.
As it turns out, this isn’t exactly uncommon. While players shouldn’t be gifted medals in advance, the medal is gifted for participating in the event. One player noted that they got their event medal early for the game’s Osaka event.
“At Osaka GO fest last year the medal was the entry ticket to the park event,” one player explained. “I got my medal about a week before the event.”
The Pokémon Go Sinnoh Tour event has a specific number of tickets that can be purchased before running out. At the time of writing, the event is already sold out. This means that if you really wanted that medal, you’re sadly out of luck.
Outside of Pokémon Go, new console Pokémon games are reportedly on the way. Alongside the next mainline entries, two spin-offs are allegedly being worked on. One of these is reportedly a Let’s Go style remake of the Gold and Silver games with a cutesy, casual return to Johto.
Pokémon Go is available to play right now for free on iOS and Android.