Pokémon GO Throwback Challenge: Everything you need to know about the event

Celebrate the entirety of the Pokémon series throughout May
Celebrate all things Pokémon through the entirety of May
Niantic
Jack Webb @JackWebb9229 April 2020

There is a special place in all our hearts for the three starter Pokémon each game has you choose and a new Pokémon Go event lets you honour them in the right way.

Whether its Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle, every Pokémon game since the original in 1996 asks you to select one before you begin your journey through the Kanto region.

Now with the new Pokémon GO event, the Throwback Challenge is the perfect time to celebrate all our Pokémon journeys together.

From Friday, May 1, to Friday, May 29, you’ll unlock Throwback Challenge Timed Research lines, with each line having eight sets of three tasks.

These Timed Research lines will appear in the Today View and will feature a sequence of limited-time tasks that you will have access to until a certain date.

An example list of challenges coming in the first week of May
Niantic

There will be new tasks themed around different regions of the Pokémon world each week, inspired by the adventure that some of you might remember from previous games.

Different Pokémon originally discovered in each region will also be appearing more frequently in the wild to help you complete these tasks.

The featured regions will be Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh and if you complete all four of these Timed Research sets, you’ll unlock the Throwback Challenge Champion 2020 Special Research.

For this, you'll be rewarded with Rare Candies, encounters with Genesect, Galarian Meowth and Galarian Stunfisk, Professor Willow’s glasses as an exclusive avatar item, and more.

Pokémon GO Throwback Challenge schedule:

Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto Timed Research: Friday, May 1, at 1 pm to Friday, May 8, at 1 pm local time 

Throwback Challenge 2020: Johto Timed Research: Friday, May 8, at 1 pm to Friday, May 15, at 1 pm local time

Throwback Challenge 2020: Hoenn Timed Research: Friday, May 15, at 1 pm to Friday, May 22, at 1 pm local time

Throwback Challenge 2020: Sinnoh Timed Research: Friday, May 22, at 1 pm to Friday, May 29, at 1 pm local time

Throwback Challenge Champion 2020 Special Research unlock and event: Wednesday, June 3, at 1 pm to Monday, June 8, 2020, at 1 pm local time 

Throwback Challenge 2020 week 1: Kanto

From Friday, May 1, at 1 pm to Friday, May 8, you’ll have access to the Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto Timed Research.

The first week of challenges will look back at the adventures of the beloved Pokémon Red and Blue games.

From catching a Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle in memory of one of the most iconic choices Trainers had to make, to taking a snapshot of a Ghost-type Pokémon to celebrate Lavender Town, there's plenty of nostalgia-filled adventures to embark on through Kanto.

Completing all eight sets of tasks in the Kanto Time Research will earn you 10 Rare Candies and an encounter with Mewtwo that innately knowns Psystrike.

While the Throwback Challenge 2020: Kanto Timed Research is available, you can look forward to the following features and bonuses.

  • Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region, such as Venonat and Chansey, will be appearing more frequently in the wild.​
  • Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region will also be available to battle in raids.
  • The following Pokémon will be hatching from 7 km eggs: Venonat, Machop, Onix, Lickitung, Tangela, Scyther, Pinsir, Lapras, and Eevee.
  • In honour of Charizard being chosen in the Pokémon of the Year vote as the number-one Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region, Pikachu wearing Charizard hats will be appearing in the wild!
  • Increased chances of finding a Shiny Venonat
  • Event-exclusive Field Research tasks will reward encounters with Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region.
  • Double Catch XP, Raid, and Hatch XP bonuses will be active.

Each day, the Time Research challenges will appear in the Today View during each week, offering a rolling supply of challenges to complete.

At the time of writing this, it's unclear if the daily challenges will be the same for every user or if they will be randomised.

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