Pokemon GO players have a lot going on this month thanks to a jam-packed July calendar of events, including a flashback to an exciting Special Research from a while back. Although Special Research is usually only available for a limited time and then players lose access to it, this month's fifth anniversary event is actually offering players who never finished the Jump-Start Research another chance at the chain of quests.
Jump-Start is a six-part chain of tasks that is loaded with high value rewards and boatloads of experience points. The Pokemon GO event is making a comeback this month to offer lower level players or players who haven't been online for a while a chance to earn a bunch of extra XP and catchup to some of the other trainers. There's a ton of value built into the chain, so it's highly recommended that players who didn't complete it the last time around get to work this week.
The tasks for this chain are a bit all over the place and don't exactly follow a theme. There will be friendship tasks, evolution tasks, general catching tasks, and even battle tasks. Most of the challenges are fairly easy to complete as long as trainers are actively playing the game throughout the week, walking around a bit, and using Incense or visiting dense areas with lots of spawns.
Step 1
- Make a new friend - 5,000 XP
- Catch 3 Pokemon with Weather Boost - 5,000 XP
- Hatch an Egg - 5,000 XP
Upon completing this step, players will get 15,000 Stardust, 2 Lucky Eggs, and a Dratini.
Step 2
- Evolve a Dratini - 10,000 XP
- Take a snapshot of Dratini - 30 Dratini candy
- Earn a candy with your buddy - 30 Dratini candy
Completing this step will net players 1 Raid Pass, 15,000 Stardust, and 2 Lucky Eggs.
Step 3
- Power Up Pokemon 10 times - 15,000 XP
- Battle a Trainer in Great League - 15,000 XP
- Battle in a raid - 15,000 XP
After this step, players will get 2 Lucky Eggs, 15,000 XP, and 2 Star Pieces.
Step 4
- Catch 5 different species of Pokemon - Chimchar
- Catch a Legendary from either Breakthrough or Raid - Piplup
- Hatch 3 Eggs - Turtwig
Players will get 2 Lucky Eggs, a shiny Eevee, and 15,000 Stardust after finishing this step.
Step 5
- Take a Snapshot of Eevee - 30,000 XP
- Send 5 Gifts to friends - 30,000 XP
- Trade 3 Pokemon - 30,000 XP
Players that manage to complete this step will get a Lapras, 30,000 XP, and 2 Lucky Eggs.
Step 6
- Make a new friend - 60 Dratini candy
- Win a level 3 or higher Raid - 60 Dratini candy
- Evolve a Dragonair - 100,000 XP
Upon completing this final step, Pokemon GO players will get 2 Lucky Eggs, 100,000 XP, and 15,000 Stardust.
As mentioned earlier, the real selling point of this particular chain is the insane amount of XP that it offers players. Those who haven't made their way to the original level cap yet can put a serious dent in the climb by taking the time to power through all six steps. Be sure to use Lucky Eggs to take the XP rewards even further!
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.