Prelude to the Final Chapter of the Villain Arc launches in Pokémon Masters EX, alongside new Neo Champion event and new Red Master Sync Pair

As previewed in the recent monthly update from the game's developers, a whole host of new events and scouts will be launching over the coming week with the conclusion of the Villain Arc and the continuing 4th Anniversary celebrations. Debuting alongside the Prelude to the Final Chapter today is the Neo Champions: Three Trainers, Three Minds event, as well as Red (Champion) & Articuno, the first of three new Neo Champion Master Sync Pairs.

Villain Arc: Prelude to the Final Chapter
The Villain Arc is finally reaching its cresendo, with the launch today of the Prelude to the Final Chapter. Having taken over Team Break, Paulo now leads them in an infiltration of Team Rocket's hideout, continuing his campaign of open conflict with the various Villainous teams who've taken up residence on Pasio.

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This chapter is a permanent addition to the main story. Players will need to have completed Main Story Chapter 1: The More the Merrier (Normal) in single-player in order to unlock this and other chapters of the Main Story Villain Arc.

Neo Champions: Three Trainers, Three Minds
The first three sync pairs with an EX role are featuring in a new event. This story sees Professor Oak, after having observed beginning trainers being depressed following losses in trainer battles, proposing that the next Neo Champions be judged on their leadership and coaching of new trainers. The three veteran trainers from Kanto each participate in this new Neo Champion Stadium to prove themselves as mentors. This event is available in-game now, and will continue until October 1st, at 10:59pm (PDT). By completing battles during this event, players can earn Event Voucher I items, which can be exchanged for a variety of valuable items, including 5★ Power-Ups, 5★ Scout Tickets, a Strike Move Candy Coin, and custom Sync Orbs for all of the new Neo Champion Master Sync Pairs making their debut this week alongside this event. Players can also take on event missions to earn Event Medals, as well as additional Gems, Battle Points, and other rewards.

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As usual for events of this type, players will have an increased chance of receiving bonus rewards if they take on event battles using teams that feature specific sync pairs. The more of these sync pairs that players place in their lineup, the greater the bonus received. The applicable Sync Pairs and reward rates are as follows:

• Red (Champion) & Articuno: +60% (x1.6) bonus rewards
• Lance & Dragonite, Bede & Hatterene: +40% (x1.4) bonus rewards
• Calem & Espurr/Meowstic, Hop & Zamazanta: +20% (x1.2) bonus rewards
• All other sync pairs with the Kanto theme skill: +20% (x1.2) bonus rewards

These bonuses stack additively, so having a team consisting of Red (Champion) & Articuno, Lance & Dragonite, and Bede & Hatterene would grant a combined +140% (x2.4) rewards.

Players should also note the following when playing this event:

• The number of plays available for Daily Extreme Battle 1 are reset every day at 11:00pm (PDT).
• To participate, players must have completed Main Story Chapter 1: The More the Merrier (Normal) in single-player.
• The sync pairs that appear as opponents in battle have different capabilities than those players can actually obtain.
• All mission completion rewards must be claimed within three days of the mission period ending.
• Leftover Event Voucher I items will be automatically converted to coins at a rate of 10 coins per item at the end of the event, and sent to players' Present Boxes.

Power-Ups for Sygna Suit Red & Sygna Suit Blue
In conjunction with this event, Sygna Suit Red & Charizard and Sygna Suit Blue & Blastoise are receiving new Fair-Exclusive Sync Pair Tiles on their Sync Grids. These tiles are unlocked when their move levels are increased to 2, 4, or 5.

First of three new Master Sync Pairs
Red (Champion) & Articuno, who have a starring rule in Neo Champions: Three Trainers, Three Minds, are making their Pokémon Masters EX Debut in a limited-time Master Fair Scout. This scout is available in-game now, and will continue through to October 6th at 10:59pm (PDT). As usual for Master Fair Scouts, there is a 12% chance for 5★ Sync Pairs to appear in this scout.

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This Master Fair-exclusive Sync Pair is being released with an expanded sync grid, as well as the ability to be raised to 6★ EX with an EX Role. Raising the pair to 6★ EX also unlocks a new outfit for Red, swapping the Black and Gold Neo Champion outfit for a White and Blue one based on Articuno's palette.

The Red Master Fair Scout includes a daily discount, where players can perform a single scout for x100 paid gems. This daily discount can be used 1 time per day during the entire length of the scout. Additionally, the first five times players perform a Sync Pair Scout x11 for this scout, they will also receive the following bonus presents:

• 1st Scout: Strike Move Candy Coin x1
• 2nd Scout: 5★ Power-Up x2
• 3rd Scout: Strike Move Candy Coin x1, Tech Move Candy Coin x1
• 4th Scout: 5★ Power-Up x4
• 5th Scout: Strike Move Candy Coin x1, Tech Move Candy Coin x1, Support Move Candy Coin x1

In addition, a Special Present! Red Master Fair Scout is also available, requiring paid gems. This scout gives the same rewards as the regular Red Master Fair Scout for the first five times players perform a Sync Pair Scout x11 for this scout. In addition, players who team up with Red (Champion) & Articuno in this scout will also receive a Tech Roll Cake item, which is required to unlock their EX Role.

Red (Champion) & Articuno are an Ice-type Special Strike Sync Pair, whose chilling attacks and skills weaken their opponent's resistance to Ice-type moves. The pair's Passive Skills give them the ability to reduce their opponent's Ice Type Rebuff by one rank the first time each attack is successful, while also increasing their Special Moves ↑ Next effect by one rank for each opponent they hit. In combination with their Blizzard move which hits all opponents, this allows them to increase Special Moves ↑ Next by 3 full ranks, enabling truly shocking amounts of damage to be done. This can then be followed up with their Sync Move, which will attack all opponents with 50% increased damage after the pair is raised to 6★ EX and has their Tech EX Role unlocked. More information about this sync pair can be found in the preview video posted to the official Pokémon Masters EX YouTube channel, and on Bulbapedia.

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4 Year Anniversary Celebrations
A variety of scouts, bonuses, and specials are now running in Pokémon Masters EX in celebration of the game's 4 year anniversary.

5★ Poké Fair Scouts for the 4th Anniversary
A set of two 5★-Select Poké Fair Scouts requiring paid gems, a x15 scout and a x25 scout, are also available today as part of the anniversary celebrations. These scouts, which will be available until September 27th at 10:59pm (PDT), allow players to select a single Sync Pair to team up with in addition to the other Sync Pairs scouted, from a last of past anniversary and Poké Fair-exclusive Sync Pairs. Each of these special Sync Pair Scouts can only be used once during the scout period.

The pairs featured in the Scout x15 include:

• Skyla (Anniversary 2022) & Tornadus
• May (Anniversary 2022) & Latias
• Rhyhan (Anniversary 2022) & Flygon)

The pairs featured in the Scout x25 meanwhile include:

• Ingo & Excadrill
• Sygna Suit Leon & Eternatus
• Sygna Suit Brendan & Latios
• Victor & Rillaboom
• Sygna Suit DIantha & Diancie
• Emma & Crobat

Additionally, a x11 Scout guarenteeing players one 5★ Sync Pair is also available. The Daily 5★-Guarenteed Scout x11 requires a mere 10 Paid Gems, and like the name suggests, can be used once a day. This scout will remain available until September 6th, at 10:59pm (PDT).

Four-Year Anniversary Celebration Missions
A set of 10 special missions are being made available in-game as part of the 4th anniversary celebrations. Completing these missions, which thusfar require players to complete various Main Story stages as well as stages from the new Neo Champions: Three Trainers, Three Minds event, will allow players to earn a Fair-Exclusive 5★-Select Ticket, which can be used in a special Ticket Scout to pair up with one of following three Fair-Exclusive Sync Pairs.

• N & Zekrom
• Marnie & Morpeko
• Raihan & Duraludon

5 of these missions are available for players to complete in-game now, with the remaining missions unlocking at 11:00pm (PDT)
on the following days:

• Mission 6: August 28th
• Mission 7: August 30th
• Mission 8: September 1st
• Mission 9: September 2nd
• MIssion 10: September 4th

Four-Year Anniversary Log-In Bonus
A special log-in bonus for the 4 year anniversary is available in game now, continuing through until September 6th, at 10:59pm (PDT). The rewards being offered each day are as follows:

• Day 1: Gems x1000
• Day 2: Gems x500
• Day 3: Gems x500
• Day 4: Gems x500
• Day 5: Gems x500
• Day 6: Gems x500

Gem Specials
A selection of Gem Specials are now available via the in-game shop, offering discounted prices on paid gems. All of these Gem Specials will be available in the purchase gems tab of the in-game shop until October 1st, at 10:59pm (PDT), while

• Four-Year Anniversary Gem Special (Limit 1)
  • 4-Year gem special 1 (lim.1): Gems x1,000
  • 4-Year gem special 2 (lim.1): Gems x10,000
• Four-Year Anniversary Gem Specials
  • 4-Year Anniv. gem special 1: Gems x300
  • 4-Year Anniv. gem special 2: Gems x1,300
  • 4-Year Anniv. gem special 3: Gems x4,000
  • 4-Year Anniv. gem special 4: Gems x14,000

Additional Upcoming 4th Anniversary Events
The following events for the 4th anniversary will be launching in the near future

• Special Event: Pasio Special Stadium - August 29th at 11:00pm (PDT) through to September 14th at 10:59pm (PDT)
• Throwback Challenge: Rental Battle - August 31st at 11:00pm (PDT) through to September 14th at 10:59pm (PDT)
• Extreme Battle Event: Fight through Kanto's Best - August 31st at 11:00pm (PDT) through to September 17th at 10:59pm (PDT)
• Special Event: Stop the Evil Mastermind! - September 5th at 11:00pm (PDT) through to September 15th at 10:59pm (PDT)

Other Game Updates and Changes
The various changes to Pokémon Masters EX announced with the update to Version 2.36.0 are now also live. For more detail on additional updates not mentioned below, please see our earlier summary.

Updates to Ticket Scouts
The majority of regular ticket scouts are being expanded, with additional Sync Pairs being added to their pools. Players will continue to be able to use previously acquired tickets for these scouts. The specific scouts receiving an update are as follows.

• 5★-Guaranteed Ticket Scout
• 5★-Guaranteed Unova Ticket Scout
• 5★-Guaranteed Sinnoh Ticket Scout
• 5★-Guaranteed Hoenn Ticket Scout
• 5★-Guaranteed Kalos Ticket Scout
• 5★-Guaranteed Galar Ticket Scout

Updates to BP Sync Pair Vouchers plus Bonus Vouchers for all!
Two new 5★ Sync Pairs are being added today to the list of pairs available using BP Sync Pair Super Vouchers:

• Dana & Regice
• Main Character & Registeel

An additional four 4★ Sync Pairs are also being added today to the list of pairs available using BP Sync Pair Vouchers:

• Falkner & Pidgeot
• Barry & Roserade
• Valerie & Mawile
• Olivia & Carbink

More information on these pairs will be available shortly via the Bulbapedia Links above. In celebration of the launch of these new sync pairs, all players will receive a free BP Sync Pair Super Voucher and a free BP Sync Pair Voucher. These gifts are available in-game now, and must be claimed before September 29th, at 10:59pm (PDT). To claim these presents, players must have completed Main Story Chapter 1: The More the Merrier (Normal) in single-player.