The Pokemon franchise has gone where very few franchises have gone. It has made blockbuster films like Pokemon: The First and Detective Pikachu, a massive trading card game with cards worth thousands of dollars and an endless supply of Pokemon-themed video games, many of which have been huge hits with fans and critics alike. But, one of the most successful Pokemon games to date, reaching over 130 million players at its peak, is Pokemon GO.
This unique mobile game lets players catch over 730 Pokemon from various regions and use them in intense competitive PVP trainer battles. Pokemon GO also features nearly every Legendary and Mystical Pokemon, but players must either battle in Raids or complete Special Research quests to obtain them. Players desiring to register Celebi into their Pokedex must complete A Ripple in Time special research, which can be tricky without the proper guidance.
A Ripple in Time – Part 1
- Power up Pokemon 5 Times
- Battle in a Gym 2 Times
- Battle in a Raid
The first set of objectives in A Ripple in Time special research shouldn’t be too much of an issue for veteran Pokemon GO players but may be challenging for newcomers. First, players must power up Pokemon 5 Times, which will cost Stardust. If a player is low on Stardust, they can try to power up low CP Pokemon as they are much cheaper.
As for the following two objectives, players must battle a rival Gym two times and battle in a Raid. Winning the Gym battle isn’t required, so players can enter the battle and then retreat. But, players will need to win a Raid battle to progress to the next step. Players will receive x10 Poke Balls, x1 Fast TM, and x1 Super Incubator upon completing the objectives.
A Ripple in Time – Part 2
- Make 3 Friends
- Evolve an Evolved Grass-type Pokemon
- Catch a Pokemon 3 Days in a Row
For the second part of this Special Research, players need to get social and add three friends to their friend list. Players can search for Pokemon GO fan pages on the web, Discord, or Reddit since there are dedicated channels to post friend codes on those platforms. Players will also need to evolve an already evolved Grass-type Pokemon.
Trainers on the road to completing their Pokedex will already know which Grass-type Pokemon to evolve, but here are a few that can be considered for newcomers: Gloom, Ivysaur, Weepinbell, Skiploom, and Nuzleaf. As for the final objective, players will have to catch a Pokemon for three days in a row (missing one day will reset the objective). The rewards for this step are x1,500 Stardust, x1 Sun Stone, and x1 Premium Raid Pass.
A Ripple in Time – Part 3
- Reach Level 25
- Use a Sun Stone to Evolve Gloom or Sunkern
- Hatch 9 Eggs
The third step in A Ripple in Time may take some time for some players since they’ll need to reach level 25 to complete the first objective. There are several ways of leveling fast, but the most efficient method is saving lots of low CP Pokemon and using a Lucky Egg before evolving them all.
Players will need to evolve a Gloom or Sunkern using a Sun Stone. Trainers can obtain this special evolution item by spinning a Pokestop/Gym for seven days or completing Research Breakthroughs. The quickest method of hatching nine eggs is equipping 2km eggs and having Adventure Sync enabled. Players will receive x1 King’s Rock (don’t use yet), x1 Premium Raid Pass, and an Eevee encounter (don’t transfer or evolve yet) as rewards.
A Ripple in Time – Part 4
- Walk 10km with Eevee as Your Buddy
- Evolve Eevee into Espeon During the Day
- Send 20 Gifts to Friends
Players will now need to dedicate some time to strengthening the Eevee they received as a reward in the previous step. They’ll first need to make the Eevee their Pokemon Buddy and walk 10km with them (Adventure Sync will make this step much easier). Once the player’s Eevee has over 10km, they’ll unlock the ability to evolve them into Espeon, which can only be done during the day (wherever the sun is out in the game).
The final step involves sending 20 Gifts to Friends. Now, trainers can do this with the same three Friends they added before, but players can send only one gift per day to a Friend, so it’ll take quite a bit of time. So, the best strategy to complete this objective is to add 20 Friends. Upon completion, players will receive 2,500 Stardust, x1 Metal Coat (don’t use yet), and another Eevee encounter (save this Eevee as well).
A Ripple in Time – Part 5
- Walk 10km with Eevee as Your Buddy
- Evolve Eevee into Umbreon During the Night
- Send 20 Gifts to Friends
The fifth step in A Ripple in Time special research quest is almost identical to the previous one, except players will need to evolve Eevee into Umbreon. Once again, players need to make the reward Eevee they received into their Pokemon Buddy and walk with them for 10km (bringing them one step closer to achieving the Best Buddy status with them).
Players will then need to evolve that Eevee into Umbreon, which can only be done at night (whenever it’s dark in the game). Finally, players will need to send 20 gifts to Friends, which they should already have by now. The rewards for this step are x1 Star Piece, x15 Pinap Berries, and x1 Up-Grade (don’t use yet).
A Ripple in Time – Part 6
- Visit Pokestops 7 Days in a Row
- Use 25 Pinap Berries While Catching Pokemon
- Use Items to Evolve Pokemon 2 Times
Players are now forced to wait seven days before advancing to the next step since they must spin Pokestops/Gyms for seven days in a row (failing to spin one day resets the objective). Players will need to use 25 Pinap Berries to complete the following objective (trainers can obtain Pinap Berries by spinning Pokestops/Gyms or battling Team Rocket Grunts).
Pokemon GO players should use the Evolution Items (King’s Rock, Metal Coat, or Up-Grade) they received from previous steps to evolve two Pokemon to complete the third objective. The Pokemon available to evolve with these items are Poliwhirl or Slowpoke (King’s Rock), Onix or Scyther (Metal Coat), or Porygon (Up-Grade). The completion rewards are x3,500 Stardust, x1 Dragon Scale, and x5 Silver Pinap Berries.
A Ripple in Time – Part 7
- Catch 40 Grass or Psychic-type Pokemon
- Make an Excellent Curveball Throw
- Earn a Gold Johto Medal
The first objective in the seventh step of this special research requires players to catch 40 Grass or Psychic-type Pokemon. Players should focus on catching Grass-type Pokemon as they appear more often (using a Mossy Lure Module will attract Grass-type Pokemon).
While catching the 40 Pokemon, players should aim to make an Excellent Throw since it’s the second objective they’ll need to complete. The final objective may take some time since players will need to obtain a Gold Johto Medal, which means registering 70 Pokemon from the Johto region. Once players turn in all three objectives, they’ll receive x1 Charged TM, x10 Silver Pinaps, and the elusive Celebi encounter.
A Ripple in Time – Part 8
Players can finally relax since the final objectives are automatically completed, so all they have to do is claim the EXP rewards (13,500 EXP). Completing A Ripple in Time special research quest rewards players with x5,500 Stardust, x1 Super Incubator, and x20 Celebi Candies.
Pokemon GO is available now for iOS and Android.