Pokemon GO's latest Special Research storyline is now available and it's a very long one. The "A Seven-Colored Shadow" chain opened up to all players on June 17 and the whole community will have until September 1, 2021 to get to the end and claim the final prizes. As it turns out, players may actually need that long due to one of the particularly tricky tasks.
Step 3 of the A Seven-Colored Shadow storyline requires players to "Battle another trainer in the Great League" in order to earn one Charge TM and progress to the next step of the storyline. Players who are closely following the PvP schedule will likely notice right away that the Great League actually isn't available in Pokemon GO right now and it won't rotate back for nearly a month (July 12).
This is where things get interesting in terms of the A Seven-Colored Shadow Great League requirement. Some early reports from players who are already powering through the requirements indicate that completing a PvP battle in any league right now will satisfy the task requirements. At this point, Niantic Support hasn't confirmed whether that is supposed to be happening or if it will be changed. Considering the long time frame players have to complete A Seven-Colored Shadow, it seems likely that they really were supposed to have to wait until July 12 to get passed Step 3.
How to Complete the Battle A Trainer In The Great League Task
For players who are unable to cross the task off the list by completing a PvP battle in any of the currently available leagues, we'll detail the process for finishing this item in the near future.
After reaching Step 3 and unlocking this task, head to the PvP section and complete any League battle to see if it satisfies the requirements.
If that doesn't work, wait until July 12, when the Great League returns, and then come back to the PvP section and complete another trainer versus trainer battle.
It's a pretty simple task once the Great League is actually around, so players may just need to be patient and work through some other goals while counting down the days to July 12 to progress beyond this stage. Otherwise, there's nothing else to it. The task doesn't require winning the battle, so players don't even need to worry about putting together a formidable lineup if PvP isn't their usual area of expertise.
In the coming weeks, we should learn more about what other events will be arriving during the rest of the Season of Discovery. Be sure to check back in the near future for more Pokemon GO strategy guides, news, and updates. Until then, good luck out there, trainers!
Pokemon GO is available on Android and iOS.