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Pokémon Go Galarian Expedition Collection Challenges, research tasks and rewards

Including a look at Galarian Expedition: Taken Over!

Image credit: Niantic

The Galarian Expedition event sees the arrival of four new shiny Pokémon in Pokémon Go! All of them are Legendary Pokémon and all have ties to the Galar region, so keep an eye out for shiny Zamazenta and the shiny Galarian variants of Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres.

While you're searching for these new shiny Pokémon, make sure you also take the time to complete the Galarian Expedition Collection Challenges and event-exclusive research tasks. Doing so will earn you some useful bonuses in Pokémon Go.

Team Rocket is also making an appearance when, half way through, the event transforms into Galarian Expedition: Taken Over. Look forward to new Shadow Pokémon and an update for the Galar Calling special research quest.

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Galarian Expedition Collection Challenge 1 Pokémon list in Pokémon Go

Galarian Expedition 1 is one of the Collection Challenges you can complete during the Galarian Expedition event in Pokémon Go. Just make sure you do so before Friday 11th October at 8pm (local time) or else it will vanish forever, taking its rewards with it!

It's important to note that five of the Pokémon included in Galarian Expedition Collection Challenge 1 must be obtained via evolution and any other means it will not count towards this challenge. In the case Alakazam, you can actually speed up this evolution process by trading for a Kadabra with another player as doing so will reduced the evolution candy cost to zero.

Here are the Pokémon in the Galarian Expedition Collection Challenge 1, along with how to find them:

  • Abra - In the wild or event-exclusive research task (Explore 1 km)
  • Kadabra - Evolve Abra using 25 Abra Candy
  • Alakazam - Evolve Kadabra using 100 Abra Candy or trade for a Kadabra to reduce the candy cost to 0
  • Spheal - In the wild, event-exclusive research task (Explore 1 km) or seasonal field research task (Catch 5 Water or Ground-type Pokémon)
  • Sealeo - Evolve Spheal using 25 Spheal Candy
  • Walrein - Evolve Sealeo using 100 Spheal Candy
  • Foongus - In the wild or event-exclusive research task (Spin 10 PokéStops or Gyms)
  • Amoonguss - Evolve Foongus using 25 Foongus Candy

For this Collection Challenge, you'll be rewarded with 5000 XP, 20 Ultra Balls or Alolan Marowak encounter.

Galarian Expedition Collection Challenge 2 Pokémon list in Pokémon Go

Galarian Expedition Collection Challenge 2 is part of the Galarian Expedition event in Pokémon Go. It needs to be completed before Friday 11th October at 8pm (local time) if you want to collect the rewards it offers.

It's important to note that four of the Pokémon in this Collection Challenge must be obtained through evolution. Getting these Pokémon through any other means will not count toward Galarian Expedition Collection Challenge 2.

Here are the Pokémon in the Galarian Expedition Collection Challenge 2, along with how to find them:

  • Nidoran Male - In the wild or event-exclusive research task (Explore 1 km)
  • Nidorino - Evolve Nidoran Male using 25 Nidoran Candy
  • Nidoking - Evolve Nidorino using 100 Nidoran Candy
  • Nidoran Female - In the wild or event-exclusive research task (Explore 1 km)
  • Nidorina - Evolve Nidoran Female using 25 Nidoran Candy
  • Nidoqueen - Evolve Nidorina using 100 Nidoran Candy
  • Beldum - In the wild or seasonal field research tasks (Make 2 Excellent Throws or Make 3 Excellent Throws in a row)
  • Absol - In the wild, event-exclusive research task (Explore 5 km) or seasonal field research task (Purify 3 Shadow Pokémon)

You'll be rewarded with 5000 XP, 20 Ultra Balls or Aerodactyl encounter for finishing this Collection Challenge.


The Max Out Season is here and includes a new global event, Wild Area! Galarian Expedition is currently running in Pokémon Go and it's possible to grab another Master Ball from the pay-to-play Masterwork Research: Master Ball quest. You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.


Galarian Expedition field research tasks in Pokémon Go

You can earn Galarian Expedition exclusive research tasks by spinning PokéStops during this Pokémon Go event. While these tasks can be saved and completed after the event ends, you may want to complete a couple during Galarian Expedition as the Pokémon encounter you'll earn could help you complete the above Collection Challenges.

Here are the Galarian Expedition field research tasks in Pokémon Go:

  • Explore 1 km reward - Nidoran Male, Nidoran Female, Abra or Spheal encounter
  • Explore 5 km reward - Chansey or Absol encounter
  • Spin 5 PokéStops or Gyms reward - 20 Poké Balls, 10 Great Balls or 5 Ultra Balls
  • Spin 10 PokéStops or Gyms reward - 2000 XP, 1000 Stardust, Shinx or Foongus encounter

Thank you Amiibofan101 from reddit for the help with this information.

Chansey and Absol encounters can be earned from event-exclusive research tasks.

Galarian Expedition Taken Over in Pokémon Go explained

It's Team Rocket time again in Pokémon Go as, within this event lies, Galarian Expedition: Taken Over. It will run from Tuesday 8th October at 12am (local time) to Friday 11th October at 8pm (local time), meaning it makes up the second half of the Galarian Expedition event.

As always, you'll be able to enjoy the Taken Over bonuses of Team Rocket Grunts appearing more frequently in their balloon or at PokéStops and being able to use a Charged TM to make Shadow Pokémon forget Frustration. There will also be PokéStop Showcases to enter and event-exclusive research tasks offering Mysterious Components, Charged and Fast TMs.

Galarian Expedition: Taken Over also marks another update to the Galar Calling seasonal special research quest. These new quest steps will challenge you to hunt down Giovanni who now has a Shadow Heatran on his team.

Image credit: Niantic

Giovanni isn't the only Rocket member to get a lineup shake up though, the Team Rocket Leaders and Grunts will all have new Pokémon teams you'll have to defeat so be on your guard.

Luckily this does mean there are some new Shadow Pokémon for you to collect:

  • Caterpie (can be evolved into Shadow Metapod and Shadow Butterfree)
  • Mankey (can be evolved into Shadow Primeape and Shadow Annihilape)
  • Roggenrola (can be evolved into Shadow Boldore and Shadow Gigalith)
  • Venipede (can be evolved into Shadow Whirlipede and Shadow Scolipede)
  • Karrablast (can be evolved into Shadow Escavalier)
  • Shelmet (can be evolved into Shadow Accelgor)

Finally, there are new Pokémon in one and three-star Shadow Raids:

One Star Three Star
Shadow Machop Shadow Pinsir
Shadow Grimer Shadow Sableye
Shadow Exeggcute Shadow Mawile
Shadow Sudowoodo

Everything you need to know about the Galarian Expedition event in Pokémon Go

Galarian Expedition will run until Friday 11th October at 8pm (local time) in Pokémon Go. While this event doesn't have any bonuses, it does see the release of four shiny Pokémon!

First off, we have shiny Zamazenta - one of the legendary Pokémon of the Galar region from where Gen 8 hails and the mascot for Pokémon Shield on the Nintendo Switch. You'll need to defeat Zamazenta in a five-star raid if you want the chance of finding its shiny form.

Image credit: Niantic

Next comes the release of shiny Galarian Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres. These shiny forms will be a lot harder to find as the Galarian variants of the legendary birds can only be encountered when using Daily Adventure Incense, which can only be used once per day for 15 minutes. It can be extended by using the Roar of Time Adventure Effect and the occasional event bonus (though these event bonuses are rare). On top of this, the Galarian birds are a rare spawn and have a very high flee rate. Thanks to this, we offer all the luck when it comes to hunting down their shiny forms and, if you do find one, we recommend using a Master Ball.

If you happen to be running low on Master Balls, or would like another, then the Masterwork Research: Master Ball quest is on sale in the in-game shop during Galarian Expedition. It costs £7.99, $7.99 or the equivalent price in your local currency. It's also non-refundable and can not be purchased using PokéCoin. If you do decide to purchase this quest keep in mind that, while Masterwork quests don't have a deadline, they are designed to take a while to complete. (So you won't be getting that Master Ball quickly…)

Pokémon Go's Master Ball.

Going back to the Galarian Expedition event itself, the following Pokémon will be appearing more frequently in the wild:

  • Nidoran Male
  • Nidoran Female
  • Abra
  • Magnemite
  • Chansey
  • Wailmer
  • Spheal
  • Aron
  • Beldum
  • Absol
  • Shinx
  • Foongus
  • Emolga
  • Dedenne
  • Wooloo

Finally, there are PokéStop Showcases to partake in.

Hope you enjoy Pokémon Go's Galarian Expedition event!

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