Pokémon GO ‘Choose Your Path’ Timed Research Guide: Tasks, Rewards, & Best Route

Pokémon GO Trainers have a new, exciting challenge on their hands. Niantic is currently testing a brand-new format designed to inject fresh energy into the game during its quieter periods. Enter the “Choose Your Path” Timed Research quest. Released as part of the ongoing Season of Memories in Motion, this innovative quest line is giving players the power to dictate their own playstyle and lock in powerful weekly bonuses. Available from Tuesday, May 5, until Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time, this event provides a limited window to maximize your in-game experience.

But there is a catch: you can only pick one path, and your choice is permanent for the duration of the week. With options revolving around Exploring, Catching, or Battling, making the right decision is crucial for maximizing your experience points (XP) and item rewards. In this comprehensive guide, we will break down everything you need to know about the “Choose Your Path” Timed Research, analyze the tasks and rewards for each route, and help you determine the absolute best choice for your personal playstyle.

The Concept Behind “Evergreen Weeks” and the Season of Memories in Motion

Before diving into the specifics of the research paths, it is vital to understand why Niantic is testing this new format. Historically, Pokémon GO has relied on back-to-back themed events to keep players engaged. However, the relentless pace of constant events can sometimes lead to player fatigue, leaving little room for players to focus on their own personal goals, such as general catching, hatching eggs, or battling at their own pace.

To remedy this, Scopely and Niantic have introduced the concept of “evergreen weeks” during the Season of Memories in Motion (May 2026). An evergreen week is a period where no major new Pokémon GO event begins on a Tuesday. Instead of leaving the game feeling empty, these quiet stretches allow the spotlight to fall back onto regular seasonal gameplay, giving players room to breathe.

The “Choose Your Path” Timed Research acts as the perfect companion to these evergreen weeks. It provides a focused, rewarding structure without the overwhelming pressure of a full-scale global event. If this initial test proves successful with the player base, Trainers can expect similar branching quests to become a regular fixture during future quiet weeks. This would ensure that even when there is no major content drop, there is always a meaningful, personalized goal to chase.

How the “Choose Your Path” Timed Research Works

Upon logging into Pokémon GO during the active week, every player will be greeted with the exact same initial step. The first stage of the Timed Research is a simple claim-reward step, acting as an introduction to the quest. Simply by opening the research tab, you will earn a baseline reward of 500 Stardust and 5 Poké Balls.

Once you claim this initial reward, the road forks, and you are presented with the core decision. The quest branches into three distinct paths:

1. Explore: Focused on walking and interacting with PokéStops or Gyms.
2. Catch: Focused on throwing mechanics and catching Pokémon.
3. Battle: Focused on participating in Raids, Max Battles, and general combat.

The moment you confirm your selection, two things happen immediately. First, a passive weekly bonus tailored to your chosen path goes live and remains active until the event ends on May 12 at 8:00 p.m. local time. Second, a new set of tasks specific to your chosen route will populate your research tab.

It is incredibly important to note that all three paths converge at the very end to offer the exact same final completion reward: 5 Rare Candies and 3 Pinap Berries. Therefore, your decision should not be based on the final payout, but rather on the intermediate tasks, the item rewards along the way, and most importantly, the massive weekly XP bonus that best aligns with how you plan to play.

Deep Dive: The Explore Path

If you consider yourself a wanderer, the Explore path might be calling your name.

The Weekly Bonus: Selecting the Explore path unlocks a massive 5x XP multiplier for spinning PokéStops and Gym Photo Discs. Under normal circumstances, spinning a PokéStop yields 100 XP, while spinning a brand-new, unvisited PokéStop yields 200 XP. With the Explore bonus active, these numbers skyrocket. A standard spin will net you 500 XP, and a new stop will grant a staggering 1,000 XP.

The Tasks and Rewards:

• Explore 5 km (Reward: 10x Great Balls)
• Spin 50 PokéStops or Gyms (Reward: 10x Ultra Balls)

Who Should Choose the Explore Path?

The Explore path is the strongest option for urban players who live, work, or commute through areas densely packed with PokéStops. If your daily routine involves walking through a city center, a college campus, or a large park, you can accumulate tens of thousands of XP with minimal effort.

This route is also highly recommended for players who plan on visiting a new location during the week. The 1,000 XP per new PokéStop spin is incredibly lucrative, especially if you pair it with a Lucky Egg, doubling the reward to 2,000 XP per spin. Furthermore, if you utilize an auto-catcher device (such as the Pokémon GO Plus+), your device will passively rack up this boosted XP while your phone is in your pocket, creating an almost effortless stream of experience points. However, if you are a rural player with limited access to stops, this path will provide very little value, and you should look toward the other options.

Deep Dive: The Catch Path

Catching Pokémon is the fundamental core of Pokémon GO, and the Catch path heavily incentivizes mastering your throw mechanics.

The Weekly Bonus: The Catch path grants a 1.5x XP bonus for catching Pokémon using a Nice Throw or better. This multiplier scales steeply depending on the quality of your throw.

Here is the breakdown of the boosted XP rates you can expect:

• Nice Throw: 30 XP
• Great Throw: 150 XP
• Excellent Throw: 1,500 XP
• Nice Curveball: 60 XP
• Great Curveball: 180 XP
• Excellent Curveball: 1,530 XP

The Tasks and Rewards:

• Make 15 Excellent Throws (Reward: 10x Great Balls)
• Make 50 Curveball Throws (Reward: 10x Ultra Balls)

Who Should Choose the Catch Path?

For the vast majority of Pokémon GO players, the Catch path stands out as the best overall choice. Because catching is an activity that can be done anywhere—whether you are walking in a park, sitting at home using an Incense, or playing in a rural area—this bonus is universally applicable.

The requirement to land Nice, Great, or Excellent throws naturally rewards the effort you are already putting into the game. Skilled throwers who can consistently land Excellent Curveballs will see their XP bars fill at a blistering pace, earning over 1,500 XP per catch.

Timing also plays a crucial role in making this path the top tier choice. The “Choose Your Path” week overlaps perfectly with the Lechonk Community Day scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2026. During a Community Day, players naturally catch hundreds of the featured Pokémon while shiny hunting. By locking in the Catch path bonus, every Lechonk you catch with a skilled throw will yield amplified XP, making your Community Day grind exponentially more rewarding.

Deep Dive: The Battle Path

For the combat-oriented Trainers who prefer facing down massive bosses, the Battle path offers a straightforward, high-yield reward.

The Weekly Bonus: Choosing the Battle path provides a flat bonus of 5,000 additional XP for every successfully completed Raid. This bonus is added on top of the standard raid completion XP.

With the bonus active, the total XP payouts for raiding become:

• One-Star Raids: 8,500 XP
• Three-Star Raids: 10,000 XP (Base 5,000 + 5,000 Bonus)
• Five-Star Raids: 15,000 XP (Base 10,000 + 5,000 Bonus)
• Mega Raids: 15,000 XP (Base 10,000 + 5,000 Bonus)

The Tasks and Rewards:

• Win 5 Raids (Reward: 10x Great Balls)
• Use 25 supereffective Charged Attacks (Reward: 10x Ultra Balls)

Who Should Choose the Battle Path?

The Battle path is a niche choice, best suited for hardcore raiders who are already planning to spend significant time and resources on raids during the week. If your local community is highly active in the raid scene, or if you regularly use Remote Raid Passes to hunt for perfect IVs or shiny variants of the current Five-Star raid bosses (such as Tapu Lele or Nihilego), this flat 5,000 XP boost per raid will add up.

However, the Battle path comes with a distinct limiting factor: cost. Every player receives one free daily Raid Pass. If you only use your free passes, you will complete roughly seven raids over the course of the week, yielding an extra 35,000 XP total from the bonus. To truly capitalize on the Battle path and exceed the potential XP gains of the Explore or Catch paths, you will need to spend Premium Battle Passes or Remote Raid Passes, both of which cost real money (or saved PokéCoins). Because of this paywall, the Battle path is the least recommended option for casual or free-to-play Trainers.

Expert Strategies for Maximizing Your Chosen Path

No matter which path you select, there are several overarching strategies you can employ to ensure you wring every last drop of value out of this Timed Research.

1. Strategic Use of Lucky Eggs: A Lucky Egg doubles all XP earned for 30 minutes. If you selected the Catch path, activate a Lucky Egg during the Lechonk Community Day on May 9. Stacking the 1.5x catch bonus with a 2x Lucky Egg multiplier will result in over 3,000 XP for a single Excellent Curveball catch. If you selected the Explore path, activate a Lucky Egg while walking through a densely populated new area to earn 2,000 XP per brand-new PokéStop spin. If you chose the Battle path, wait until you are grouped up with friends for a “Raid Train” (completing several raids back-to-back within a 30-minute window) to double your massive raid completion payouts.
2. Inventory Management: If you opt for the Explore path, your biggest enemy will be a full item bag. A full bag means you cannot spin PokéStops, which means you cannot trigger the 5x XP bonus. Make sure to aggressively clear out low-tier Potions, Revives, and standard Poké Balls to ensure you always have room to spin.
3. Know Your Weaknesses: The Catch path tasks require you to make 15 Excellent Throws. If you struggle with throwing accuracy, this task could become a frustrating roadblock, potentially preventing you from claiming the final 5 Rare Candies. In that scenario, the Explore path might be a safer bet, as walking 5 km and spinning 50 stops simply requires time and movement, not precision skill.
4. Complete Before the Deadline: Because this is Timed Research, it will disappear from your account permanently if it is not completed. You must finish your chosen tasks and manually claim the final rewards before Tuesday, May 12, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Unclaimed rewards will vanish, so set a reminder if necessary.

The Final Verdict: Which Route is Best?

Ultimately, the “Choose Your Path” Timed Research is a brilliant addition to Pokémon GO, allowing players to tailor the game to their immediate circumstances.

If we have to declare a definitive winner, the Catch Path is the best overall route for the majority of players. Catching is an unavoidable, constant aspect of Pokémon GO. The 1.5x multiplier rewards you for standard gameplay, and it does not require you to live in a city or spend real money on raid passes. Furthermore, the timing of the Lechonk Community Day on May 9 elevates the Catch path from a good choice to an essential one for XP farming.

However, if you live in a PokéStop-dense area or use an auto-catcher daily, the Explore Path is a remarkably close second, offering a massive 5x XP boost that requires almost zero active effort beyond walking. Leave the Battle Path to the premium players who plan on chaining raids all week long.

Choose wisely, activate those Lucky Eggs, and enjoy the lucrative rewards of Pokémon GO’s newest evergreen week experiment!