Pokemon Go’s next week-long event, the Spring Marathon, doesn’t kick off until May 12, but there’s a new Timed Research quest to complete in the meantime. The Choose Your Path Timed Research is currently available until May 11, and it offers some enticing rewards, including a special bonus that will remain active for the remainder of the week.
However, the bonus you’ll unlock will depend on which of the “paths” you choose when you begin the research. To help you decide, here’s the full list of tasks and rewards for Pokemon Go’s Choose Your Path Timed Research. And for a look at what else is happening in the game this month, be sure to check out our May 2026 events roundup.
Choose Your Path Timed Research
Ends May 11 at 8 PM local time
- Claim reward – 500 Stardust
Reward: 5 Poke Balls
After claiming this initial reward, the Timed Research will begin in earnest. After a brief message from Professor Willow, you’ll be prompted to choose one of three paths: Explore, Catch, or Battle. You can only choose one of these, so be sure to think it over carefully before making your selection.
Most of the rewards are the same regardless of which path you ultimately select, but the tasks you’re asked to complete will vary. More notably, you’ll also unlock a special bonus after completing all of the tasks, which may help sway your decision. You can see all of the rewards and bonuses below.
Choose Your Path: Explore
- Explore 5 km – 10 Great Balls
- Spin 50 PokeStops – 10 Ultra Balls
Rewards: 3 Golden Razz Berries, 5 Rare Candies
Bonus: 5x XP for spinning PokeStops
Choose Your Path: Catch
- Make 15 Excellent throws – 10 Great Balls
- Make 50 curveball throws – 10 Ultra Balls
Rewards: 3 Golden Razz Berries, 5 Rare Candies
Bonus: 1.5x XP for catching Pokemon with Nice throws or better
Choose Your Path: Battle
- Win 5 Raids – 10 Great Balls
- Use 25 supereffective Charged Attacks – 10 Ultra Balls
Rewards: 3 Golden Razz Berries, 5 Rare Candies
Bonus: Additional 5,000 XP for completing Raids
Which Path Is Best?
Ultimately, which path you should choose will depend on how you play the game. If you enjoy getting out and walking, you’ll get the most out of the Explore path. If you participate in Raids often, then the Battle path will be more worthwhile, as it offers a nice chunk of bonus XP for completing Raids.
One thing to keep in mind before choosing a path is that May’s Lechonk Community Day is happening on May 9, before the Timed Research expires. If you’re planning on participating in that event, the Catch path will likely be your best option, as it will offer even more XP for catching Pokemon with Nice throws or better.
The Choose Your Path Timed Research ends on May 11 at 8 PM local time, but there are plenty of other events to look forward to this month, including a Deino Community Day Classic and a Mega Falinks Raid Day. You can read more in our May 2026 events roundup.