Choose Your Path Timed Research — Pokémon GO Event Guide 2026

The Choose Your Path Timed Research event is officially live in Pokémon GO! Whether you’re a day-one veteran or a returning trainer, this comprehensive guide covers absolutely everything you need to know to make the most of this event.

The event runs from May 5, 2026 to May 12, 2026. Read on for our complete breakdown of bonuses, featured Pokémon, preparation tips, shiny chances, and strategies to maximize your rewards.

📅 Choose Your Path Timed Research — Event Details

🎯 Choose Your Path Timed Research — Complete Guide & Strategy

Event Overview

This Timed research event in Pokémon GO brings a variety of gameplay opportunities for trainers. Featured Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild, in Raids, and possibly in eggs. There may also be new Field Research and Timed Research tasks that reward exclusive encounters, rare items, and bonus candy.

Featured Pokémon & Wild Spawns

During Choose Your Path Timed Research, expect to see themed Pokémon appearing more frequently across the map. These featured spawns often include Pokémon that are normally rare, along with new shiny releases. Use Incense and Lure Modules to attract even more of these featured spawns to your location.

Research Tasks

Events typically introduce event-specific Field Research obtainable from PokéStops and Timed Research available in the Today tab. Complete these research tasks for unique rewards including encounters with rare Pokémon, Stardust, XP, and items. Some research may even award exclusive cosmetics or avatar items.

Egg Pool Changes

Many events modify the egg pool, adding themed Pokémon to 2km, 5km, 7km, or 10km eggs. Remember that egg contents are determined when you pick up the egg, not when you hatch it. Make sure to collect fresh eggs during the event period for a chance at event-exclusive hatches.

🎒 How to Prepare for Choose Your Path Timed Research

Proper preparation can make the difference between a good event and an incredible one. Follow these tips to ensure you’re ready for everything Choose Your Path Timed Research has to offer:

✅ Save your Pinap Berries and Silver Pinap Berries for the event. Doubling candy on featured Pokémon can save you hundreds of catches worth of candy for evolving and powering up.

✅ Stock up on Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls before the event starts. Open gifts from friends and spin PokéStops during your daily routine to build your supply. Running out of balls mid-event is every trainer’s nightmare.

✅ Clear out your Pokémon Storage by transferring unwanted Pokémon. You’ll need space for all the event encounters, potential hundos, and shiny Pokémon. Consider holding a mass-transfer session the day before.

✅ Check the event calendar in the game’s News section and set reminders for start times, bonus windows, and any special raid hours.

💰 Maximizing Your Rewards During Choose Your Path Timed Research

Every event in Pokémon GO comes with special bonuses. Smart trainers know how to stack these bonuses for maximum efficiency. Here’s how to get the most out of this event:

💡 If there are XP bonuses active, stack a Lucky Egg with Excellent throws for maximum gains. Each Excellent throw with a Lucky Egg during 2× XP can net you 2,000+ XP per catch.

💡 Check your Special Research and Timed Research tabs frequently. New research often drops silently during events with valuable rewards like Rare Candy, Elite TMs, and exclusive encounters.

💡 Keep an eye on Raid Bosses — they often rotate to match the event theme. New or returning Legendary Pokémon are common during major events.

💡 Take advantage of increased Incense and Lure Module effectiveness during the event. These items often have extended durations or attract more Pokémon during event hours.

✨ Shiny Pokémon During Choose Your Path Timed Research

Use the Quick Catch technique to speed up your shiny checking. This lets you catch Pokémon faster by swiping away the catch screen, allowing you to check 3-4× more Pokémon per hour.

New shiny Pokémon are frequently introduced during events. Keep your eyes open for any announcements about shiny debuts — being among the first to catch a newly released shiny is always exciting! For a complete list of all available shinies, check our Shiny Pokémon checklist.

Shiny Checking Tips: You can tell if a Pokémon is shiny from the encounter screen by looking for sparkles and a different color palette. If you see a shiny, use a Golden Razz Berry and an Ultra Ball to ensure the catch. Shiny Pokémon from raids and research have a 100% catch rate (as long as you hit them with the ball).

⚔️ PvP & GO Battle League Relevance

Check if any featured Pokémon have exclusive or Community Day moves during the event. Moves like Meteor Mash, Frenzy Plant, and Blast Burn can completely change a Pokémon’s viability in PvP.

When evaluating Pokémon for PvP during events, pay special attention to IVs. In Great League and Ultra League, the ideal PvP IVs are typically 0/15/15 or close to it — low Attack with high Defense and Stamina maximizes your stat product under the CP cap. Use our Pokédex to find specific PvP IV rankings for each Pokémon.

🏟️ Raid Guide for Choose Your Path Timed Research

Raids are a core part of most Pokémon GO events. During Choose Your Path Timed Research, expect changes to the raid boss rotation. Here’s what you need to know:

• 1-Star Raids: Great for solo trainers, often feature event-themed Pokémon
• 3-Star Raids: Soloable with strong teams, good rewards
• 5-Star Raids: Legendary Pokémon, need 3-6 trainers depending on counters
• Mega Raids: Mega-evolved Pokémon, excellent for farming Mega Energy

Remember to check the Type Chart for type advantages against raid bosses, and build your teams using the Best Attackers list for the most effective counters.

🏆 Pro Tips & Tricks for Choose Your Path Timed Research

🎯 Tag Your Best Catches: Use the in-game tagging system to mark your best catches during the event. Create tags like ‘Event Hundos’, ‘PvP IVs’, or ‘To Evolve’ to stay organized.

🎯 Weather Boost Awareness: Keep an eye on in-game weather. Weather-boosted Pokémon have higher IVs (minimum 4/4/4) and give extra Stardust. If the event features a type that’s currently weather-boosted, you’ll find even better specimens.

🎯 Trade With Friends: After the event, trade duplicate shinies and high-level catches with friends. Lucky trades guarantee at least 12/12/12 IVs, which can turn a good catch into a great one.

🎯 Use Auto-Catch Devices: Pokémon GO Plus, Gotcha, or Poké Ball Plus devices can help you catch Pokémon passively while you focus on shiny checking or raids. They’re especially useful during events with heavy spawns.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions About Choose Your Path Timed Research

Q: When does Choose Your Path Timed Research start and end?
A: The event starts on May 5, 2026 and ends on May 12, 2026. All times are in your local timezone.

Q: Is Choose Your Path Timed Research available worldwide?
A: Most Pokémon GO events are available globally, running in each trainer’s local timezone. Some features like regional Pokémon or in-person events may have location restrictions.

Q: Do I need a ticket for Choose Your Path Timed Research?
A: This event is free for all trainers. However, optional premium content like Timed Research or event boxes may be available for purchase.

Q: Can I get shiny Pokémon during this event?
A: Yes! Most events feature Pokémon with available shiny forms, and some events introduce new shiny releases. Check our Shiny Pokémon checklist for the full list of available shinies.

Q: What should I prioritize during the event?
A: Focus on catching featured Pokémon (especially shinies and high-IVs), completing event research tasks, taking advantage of bonus multipliers, and participating in event raids. Use Lucky Eggs and Star Pieces during bonus windows for maximum efficiency.

📚 Related Guides & Resources

This guide is updated as new information becomes available. Last updated: May 19, 2026. Data sourced from Pokémon GO Live and community research.