Pokemon Go Aspiring Dragons Research Day: Timed Research, Shiny & wild encounters
Niantic/The Pokemon CompanyA new Pokemon Go Research Day has been announced by Niantic and it will focus on some elusive Dragon-type Pokemon evolutions.
Pokemon Go is ending the year with a new season called Dual Destiny that is filled with Pokemon debuts, returning Shadow variations, new Max Battles, and plenty of special events.
This time, the Research Day won’t focus on one or two Pokemon, but four, with the common point between them being that they all evolve into an elusive Dragon-type.
Research Day date & time
The Aspiring Dragons Research Day will take place on Saturday, December 7, 2024, from 2:00 PM until 5:00 PM local time.
Featured Pokemon
Once the event kicks off, players can spin Photo Discs at PokeStops or Gyms to unlock event-themed Field Research tasks.
Upon completion, they’ll be rewarded with encounters with one of the four featured Pokemon, all of which will have increased chances of appearing as Shiny.
- Horsea
- Trapinch
- Swablu
- Skrelp
THE POKEMON COMPANYAspiring Dragons Research Day featured Pokemon CP values
During their Research Day, the mentioned Pokemon will have these CP values:
| POKEMON | CP RANGE | MAX CP (Level 50) |
|---|---|---|
| Horsea | 418 – 452 | 1194 |
| Trapinch | 507 – 546 | 1441 |
| Swablu | 322 – 353 | 931 |
| Skrelp | 421 – 455 | 1202 |
Wild encounters
Besides the four featured Pokemon, other creatures will spawn more frequently in the wild during the event. Plus, as if that were not enough, all of them will have the chance of being Shiny, too.
- Spearow
- Yanma
- Carvanha
- Dwebble
- Ducklett
- Binacle
Paid Timed Research
The Aspiring Dragons Research Day will also include an event-exclusive Paid Timed Research.
It will cost US $2.00 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency) and will challenge you to complete a series of Field Research Tasks for more opportunities to encounter the featured Pokemon.
Once players have completed their first Timed Research, they can select another of the featured Pokemon for a second Timed Research opportunity.
Keep in mind that all of the Pokemon from the Paid Timed Researches will have the same chances of appearing as Shiny as those that can be encountered through the Field Research.
The Paid Timed Research expires, so you’ll need to complete it and claim any rewards before the event ends on December 7, 2024, at 5:00 PM local time.
THE POKEMON COMPANYIs the Aspiring Dragons Research Day worth it?
For many, the Aspiring Dragons Research Day will be one of the most disappointing events Niantic has offered this year, as it has barely any content for players to be excited about.
That being said, any free Pokemon Go event is worth a trainer’s time, as they can get something they’re missing. In this particular case, some of the evolutions from the featured Pokemon can be difficult to obtain.
While Swablu requires 400 Candy to evolve into Altaria, Skrelp tends to have low spawn rates like Trapinch, so this could be the perfect opportunity for players to easily get a hold of them.
As for the Paid Timed Research, it only offers players more encounters with the featured Pokemon, which they can already get for free, so there’s no need to spend that extra money.
That’s everything you need to know about the Aspiring Dragons Research Day in Pokemon Go. For more on the game, check out our guides for the monthly Community Day, the weekly Spotlight Hour, and the current Raid Boss schedule.