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Pokemon GO offers a wide variety of activities for players, aside from being a great way to encourage going out for a walk when the weather is nice. While players can simply just roam around and do things like catch Pokemon or hatch eggs in an incubator, Special Research can give Pokemon GO players some direction if they are not sure what to do next.
Furthermore, Special Research can also provide unique rewards that cannot be obtained by other means. It also provides players with items that they would otherwise have to pay for, which makes Special Research more attractive to those looking to play entirely for free.
What is Special Research in Pokemon GO?
To put it simply, Special Research is a series of tasks that require players to go through a fixed list of actions and activities as they are playing Pokemon GO. Tasks that players will need to complete include simple things like catching Pokemon, visiting PokeStops, making "Great" or "Nice" throws, and transferring Pokemon to Professor Willow. Some more complex, difficult, and time-consuming tasks includes things like having to battle other players, accumulate walking distance in kilometers, and win raids. Special Research has a variety of stages, each with a set of tasks that players must complete.
Aside from serving as a glorified to-do list for the player, Special Research also has some story involved as well. Early on in Pokemon GO, the story of Special Research involved the player assisting Professor Willow with his efforts to find mythical Pokemon like Mew and Celebi. Special Research also helps promote new features that have recently been added to Pokemon GO. A good example of this would be the event A Mysterious Incense, which promotes the new item Daily Adventure Incense.
What rewards are available in Special Research?
As mentioned above, completing tasks in Special Research will provide players with a wide variety of rewards to pursue. As players complete sets of tasks, they can receive things like Poke Balls, Stardust, Experience points, and encounters with Pokemon that cannot be found by other means. While this mostly means mythical Pokemon, there are some non-mythical Pokemon that can be encountered and caught as well.
This includes unique versions of Pikachu in an impressive, and wide assortment of costumes ranging from silly to seasonal. Some good news about Pokemon encountered exclusively as a reward for Special Research is that they do not flee and have a 100% catch rate, which will make it easier for players to claim their reward after all the work it took to complete a series of Special Research tasks.
Does Special Research Expire?
Fortunately, Special Research does not expire once players have claimed it by playing during the period it was active. However, if players neglect Pokemon GO for the duration of time that a Special Research event is available to be claimed, they will not be able to participate in it.
This allows for players to work on Special Research they have acquired at their own pace without having to worry about missing out on any of the rewards that come from completing that particular campaign, and it allows them to feel like they aren't falling behind.
Does Special Research Cost Money?
In most cases, Special Research events do not cost players any money. The only exception to this would be ticketed events like the upcoming Pokemon GO Fest 2022 on August 27th, which costs players US$10.99 and gives them access to exclusive Special Research tasks that will not expire once they have been claimed. So whether they are paid or free, Special Research is an activity that can be done at a players own pace, making it very casual friendly.
Pokemon GO is available now on iOS and Android devices.