There once was a time when all players could do inPokemon GOwas catch wild Pokemon, hatch eggs, spin PokeStops, and battle gyms. Over the years, developer Niantic has released substantial updates toPokemon GOto make the game more fully-featured, with one of the biggest additions being Field Research tasks. InPokemon GO, Field Research tasks are quests that players can complete in exchange for special rewards, and are something that players are encouraged to do on a daily basis.
The first timePokemon GOplayers complete a Field Research task in any given day, they are given a stamp for that day. After completingField Research tasks inPokemon GOon seven different days, players are given a Field Research breakthrough reward. This usually consists of various consumable items and Poke Balls, but it also includes an encounter with a specific Pokemon, oftentimes a rare one that’s usually hard to track down.
RELATED:Niantic CEO Potentially Teasing AR Glasses
TheField Research breakthrough reward for April 2021 is Frillish, and last month it was Gible. While these are rare Pokemon, they are still regular Pokemon that players are theoretically able to find roaming around out in the wild or through other methods. However, Field Research breakthrough rewards used to consist exclusively of legendary Pokemon, which made it much easier for fans of the game in rural areas to complete their Pokedex.
The wayPokemon GOLegendary Raidswork, it’s basically impossible for fans who don’t live in bigger cities to participate in them. The only way to do is to find an organized group ofPokemon GOplayers who are ready to accept Remote Raid invites at a moment’s notice. While the legendary Pokemon that came from Field Research rewards weren’t nearly as powerful as the ones players could get from raids, it was better than not being able to catch the Pokemon at all.
Unfortunately, Niantic has seemingly moved away from having legendary Pokemon in the Field Research breakthrough boxes. It seems the last time any legendary Pokemon were included in the lineup was November and December 2019, which is when the legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres were potential rewards alongside the likes of Groudon and Kyogre. No legendary Pokemon were included as rewards for the entirety of 2020 and none have been featured in 2021 so far either.
For example, thePokemon GOField Research breakthrough reward for January 2021 was none other than Chansey, while the February reward wasSnorlax. Gible was the March reward, as previously mentioned, and of course, Frillish is the reward for April 2021. There’s no word yet on what Pokemon will be featured in the May 2021 Field Research breakthrough reward box, but chances are good that it willnotbe a legendary.
Right now is an especially important time for Niantic to add legendary Pokemon back to the Field Research breakthrough reward boxes inPokemon GO, and that’s thanks to some Special Research that’s in the game. The latest Special Research added toPokemon GOis theSeason of Legends quest, which revolves around the legendary Pokemon Landorus, Tornadus, and Thundurus. This includes steps to take snapshots of each one of the three aforementioned legendary Pokemon. For manyPokemon GOplayers, this is a virtually impossible task.
What this means is thatPokemon GOplayers have to defeat Landorus, Tornadus, and Thundurus in Legendary Raids - again, something that is next to impossible for manyPokemon GOplayers out there - or find someone to trade with. And considering how difficult it is to catch legendary Pokemon inPokemon GO, finding someone to trade with is going to be an incredibly difficult task as well. Not to mention the world is still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, so meeting up with people in person isn’t advised anyway.
These legendary Pokemon will be cycling in and out of raids over the next few months, and so there will be multiple opportunities forPokemon GOplayers to defeat and catch them. But again, there will be many morePokemon GOplayers who will be missing out entirely, and they will just have thatSpecial Researchsitting in their game forever. But by adding Landorus, Tornadus, and Thundurus to Field Research breakthrough boxes, Niantic would be giving all players the opportunity to complete these tasks.
Legendary Pokemon were once a staple of the Field Research breakthrough boxes, and it would be great to see them make their return to the popular augmented reality mobile game. Even if Landorus, Tornadus, and Thundurus aren’t a part of the lineup, having legendary Pokemon of any kind back inField Research breakthrough boxeswould be a step forward for ruralPokemon GOplayers. Whether or not Niantic ever brings legendary Pokemon back as Field Research breakthrough rewards remains to be seen, but one has to imagine that there are plans to make it easier to catch these specific legendary Pokemon at some point down the line.
Pokemon GOis out now for iOS and Android mobile devices.
MORE:Pokemon GO: Tricky Pokemon Timed Research Tasks and Rewards
