Pokemon GO has not exactly had a lot of Special Research tasks for players to complete lately. While some fans were able to complete Pokemon GO's Jump-Start Special Research quest for the 5th anniversary, those that already completed those steps in the past were left out. Now it's possible for Pokemon GO players to get their hands on a new set of Special Research through the Professor's Research quest, though getting the quest is an endeavor in and of itself.
To unlock the Pokemon GO Professor's Research Special Research tasks, players have to get their hands on the Professor's Research card. The Professor's Research trading card is available as part of the Pokemon Trading Card Game. It's a Trainer card with art of Professor Willow on the front that lets users discard their current hand and draw seven cards. This is currently the only way to unlock the Professor's Research quest in Pokemon GO.
Here is how to get the Professor's Research card in Pokemon GO as well as how to complete all of its associated Special Research tasks. Completing these Special Research tasks will net Pokemon GO players a variety of rewards, so it's definitely worth the hassle.
Where to Get Pokemon GO Professor Willow Code
The hardest part of the Pokemon GO Professor's Research quest is actually getting the quest in the first place. While it's possible that the Professor's Research card will one day be available through normal booster packs, at the time of this writing the only way to get the card is by purchasing a Pokemon GO-themed product on the Pokemon Center website. For all of the eligible products, please click here.
After purchasing one of the eligible products, Pokemon GO players need to wait for their purchase to arrive in the mail. Along with their purchase will be the Professor's Research card, which contains a code on the front. Redeeming the code will potentially be different depending on if Pokemon GO players are playing the game on an Android device or if they are playing on an iOS device.
All Pokemon GO players can redeem their Professor Willow code through Niantic's website. However, this method is required for those who are playing Pokemon GO on iOS devices. Pokemon GO players on Android have a slightly easier way to redeem the code.
For Pokemon GO players on Android devices, redeeming the code is a simple matter of navigating to the shop. At the bottom of Pokemon GO's Shop screen on Android is a field where players can enter a code. Enter the Pokemon GO Professor Willow code in the box and hit redeem. Afterwards, Pokemon GO players should have the Professor's Research quest available for them to complete.
Professor's Research Step 1 Tasks
- Spin 10 PokeStops or Gyms (10 PokeBalls)
- Use 10 Berries to catch Pokemon (10 Great Balls)
- Make 10 Great Throws (10 Ultra Balls)
Rewards: Klink encounter, Stardust (500), XP (500)
This is the most straight-forward step in the Pokemon GO Professor's Research quest and all of it is self-explanatory. Getting Great Throws in Pokemon GO is pretty easy, especially when trying to catch targets with large hit boxes, which shouldn't be hard to come by.
Professor's Research Step 2 Tasks
- Catch 20 Pokemon (Spheal encounter)
- Evolve 10 Pokemon (Feebas encounter)
- Purify 5 Shadow Pokemon (1 Incense)
Rewards: Lapras encounter, Stardust (1000), XP (1000)
This step is where things get a little bit more complicated. While catching and evolving Pokemon in Pokemon GO is straightforward, purifying Shadow Pokemon is a little more complicated. To purify Shadow Pokemon in Pokemon GO, players first have to acquire said Shadow Pokemon. To do this, Pokemon GO players need to defeat Team Rocket grunts in battle. Beating a Team Rocket grunt will give players the chance to catch a Shadow Pokemon, and then if they have enough of that Pokemon's candy, they will be able to purify it.
Professor's Research Step 3 Tasks
- Hatch 5 Eggs (1 Incubator)
- Trade A Pokemon (Magnemite encounter)
- Send 5 Gifts to friends (Electrike encounter)
Rewards: Electabuzz encounter, Stardust (1000), XP (1000)
This step is going to require a lot of walking and interacting with another Pokemon GO player, but it's otherwise fairly simple. Hatching eggs in Pokemon GO is a simple matter of walking with eggs in incubators, though players will need to meet up with another POGO player to trade. Sending gifts to friends is easy enough; gifts are acquired through PokeStops can be easily sent out to anyone on one's Pokemon GO friends list.
Professor's Research Step 4 Tasks
- Battle Another Trainer 5 times (3 Premium Raid Passes)
- Win 5 Raids (Houndor encounter)
- Mega Evolve 3 Pokemon (Slugma encounter)
Rewards: Rapidash encounter, Stardust (1000), XP (1000)
For the fourth step in the Pokemon GO Professor's Research quest, players will once again need to cooperate with others. They can battle the same trainer five times in a row if they want, but regardless, they will need to participate in five battles. When that's done, they'll get three Raid Passes, which will definitely come in handy as the next thing they'll need to do is win five Raids.
Any Pokemon GO Raid will do for this step. However, the game only gives players one free Raid Pass per day, meaning Pokemon GO fans may be stuck on this part of the quest for a little while if they don't have enough coins to purchase more Raid Passes. Regardless, once they've managed to win five Pokemon GO Raids, the next thing they can focus on is Mega Evolving three Pokemon, which will be one of the most difficult feats in the entire quest.
To get Mega Energy in Pokemon GO, players will have to fight and defeat Mega Pokemon in Raids. Mega Pokemon Raids can be extremely challenging, so it's best to take on this part of the quest with friends. Defeating Mega Pokemon in Pokemon GO Raids will get players Mega Energy, though they can sometimes acquire it through other means as well, like completing certain Special Research tasks. However, it's quite possible that Pokemon GO players completing the Professor's Research tasks have already done all the tasks that give them Mega Energy, so most players will need to do the Mega Raids.
Professor's Research Step 5 Tasks
- Give your Buddy 3 treats (1 Poffin)
- Earn a Heart with your Buddy (Porygon encounter)
- Earn 10 Candy walking with your Buddy (Ditto encounter)
Rewards: Meltan encounter, Stardust (5000), XP (5000)
Step 5 of the Pokemon GO Professor's Research quest is effectively the last real step that players have to complete, as Step 6 is a simple matter of collecting rewards. Step 5 is all about Buddy Pokemon in Pokemon GO and should be markedly easier than the previous step. It's all self-explanatory; feed the Buddy Pokemon food and walk with it a lot and eventually all three tasks will be complete.
Professor's Research Step 6 Tasks
- Claim Reward (5000 XP)
- Claim Reward (5000 XP)
- Claim Reward (5000 XP)
Rewards: Meltan Candy (30)
And with that, Pokemon GO players will have finished the Professor's Research quest, earned exclusively through Professor Willow codes. As far as Pokemon GO Special Research goes it's mostly self-explanatory, but there will definitely be a few steps that give Trainers trouble. The rewards are definitely worth the struggle, though.
In the meantime, Pokemon GO players may be wondering how long they have to complete the Professor's Research quest. The Professor Willow codes will expire on August 1, 2023 at 12:00am UTC, so fans have a couple of years to get their hands on a code and redeem it for the quest. The quest itself doesn't actually expire; once Pokemon GO players have redeemed their code and have the quest, they will have as much time as they need to complete all of the steps.
Pokemon GO is out now for iOS and Android mobile devices.