Pokemon GO Fest 2021 has come to an end, and while many were anticipating Hoopa making an appearance, it seems it was for naught. Pokemon GO's Strange Rings Special Research tasks clearly indicate that Hoopa was the focus, but it was not catchable during the event. However, because of this, it stands to reason Hoopa will making a future experience.
It'll be interesting to see how catching Hoopa works in Pokemon GO, as well as it forms afterward. As many fans may know, Hoopa's base form is actually referred to as Hoopa Confined, with certain actions required in the mainline games to unlock Hoopa Unbound. Hoopa's overall lore, between its Confined and Unbound forms, is quite interesting.
Hoopa Confined and Hoopa Unbound
From a gameplay perspective, it's worth noting that Hoopa has only been available in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Pokemon X and Y, and Sun/Ultra Sun and Moon/Ultra Moon via events. It's available as a non-recruitable ally via the Sand Continent in Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon, accompanying the players team only for the next immediate exploration. During so, Hoopa rotates between it Confined and Unbound forms, and the Pokemon Leader may even ask Hoopa to summon a Legendary via one of its rings (which is how the Pokemon GO research justified the raids). The legendaries it summoned could be allies, but it's also possible for it to turn hostile.
Hoopa being able to summon other Pokemon to battle for it is derived from its lore. Hoopa is based on a Genie, which is no surprise when looking at its design, and that's why base games has it alternate forms based on a Prison Bottle Item, as well as storage boxes. Other potential inspirations include Nazha, a multi-armed trickster deity from Taoism that has a similar heavy emphasis on Rings, or the Shakti, a multi-armed Hindu deity made of comic energy. Either way, Hoopa Confined is a Psychic/Ghost-Type, while Hoopa Unbound is a Psychic/Dark-type. And perhaps because of its secondary typing, the "wishes" it fulfills doesn't always turn out as intended.
In the movie, Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, that's where this is really established. A hundred years prior to the movie, Hoopa Unbound appeared in a small desert village. It stole food but summoned tons of gold via its Special rings, and over a few years, it would fulfill the villagers' wishes in exchange for food. That is, until one day it was asked if it could beat other Pokemon in battle. Using its rings, it summoned Pokemon and defeated them over and over, eventually summoning legendary/mythical Pokemon and wrecking the village in the process. Thankfully, a "lone traveler" manages to seal the Pokemon in a bottle, much like various Genie myths.
The movie goes a little further, showcasing a ton of legendaries as well as Shadow, and it's clear that Hoopa isn't really so mean. Of course, that's the anime and the lore as it works in video games tend to err simpler for non-mascots. Overall, Hoopa has an interesting role in Pokemon lore, and it'll be interesting to see how Hoopa Confined/Hoopa Unbound works whenever it's added.
Pokemon GO is available now in selection regions on Android and iOS devices.