How to complete week four of the Pokémon Go Throwback Challenge event

Get ready, trainers!

Pokémon Go's latest event, Throwback Challenge 2020, is here, and it's going to be a busy month for all you Pokémon Trainers! Each week will feature new Timed Research, and we here at iMore have all the details for week four — Sinnoh Timed Research!

What is a Throwback Challenge?

Throwback Challenges are kind of like Special Research, only with the added difficulty of being timed. When you log in during a Throwback Challenge week, you will gain the Timed Research line in your Today View. From there, you can complete the research over a set period of time, after which anything left incomplete will disappear.

Each week in May 2020 will feature a different Timed Research line, and completing them all will unlock an additional line during the first week of June. The weeks are supposed to begin each Friday at 1 p.m. local time. The third week in Hoenn just wrapped up on May 22, 2020 and now we're moving into week four in the Sinnoh region.

Throwback Challenge 2020: Sinnoh Timed Research

This week's special Timed Research line includes a lot of Pokémon from Gen IV in the Sinnoh region. We have Pokémon reward encounters for every step, as well as for a few of the individual tasks, and more of these Pokémon than not have the potential to be Shiny. Nearly every step of this Timed Research line can be completed without ever leaving home, and all of them can be completed solo. The only tasks that might require leaving the house are hatching an egg, and earning Candies with your Buddy Pokémon. There are two steps requiring Candies this week, but if you assign a Buddy who only needs one KM to earn a Candy, like Pikachu or Magikarp you won't have to go far.

• Asterisk denotes Pokémon with the potential to be Shiny

Step One

1. Catch three Grass, Water, or Fire type Pokémon for ten PokéBalls.
2. Power up a Pokémon for a Burmy* encounter.
3. Take a snapshot of a Rock type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Cranidos enounter, one Pinap Berry, two Razz Berries.

Step Two

1. Take a snapshot of a Grass type Pokémon for five Razz Berries.
2. Send a gift to a Friend for a Combee encounter.
3. Catch a Grass type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Grotle* encounter, two Pinap Berries, one Razz Berry.

Step Three

1. Make three Nice Throws for a Magnetic Lure Module.
2. Hatch an Egg for a Bronzor* encounter.
3. Catch a Fighting type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Monferno* encounter, one Pinap Berry, two Razz Berries.

Step Four

1. Earn a Candy walking with your Buddy Pokémon for ten Great Balls. Hint: You can use a 1 KM Buddy Pokémon like Magikarp or Pikachu to finish this fast!
2. Catch a Ground type Pokémon for a Skorupi* encounter.
3. Catch a Water type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Prinplup* enounter, two Pinap Berries, one Razz Berry.

Step Five

1. Battle another Trainer for a Charged TM.
2. Use three Berries to help catch Pokémon for a Sinnoh Stone.
3. Catch a Ghost type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Drifloon* enounter, one Pinap Berry, two Razz Berries.

Step Six

1. Take a snapshot of a Steel type Pokémon for ten Ultra Balls.
2. Give your Buddy Pokémon three treats for a Hippopotas* encounter.
3. Catch a Steel type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Shieldon encounter, two Pinap Berries, one Razz Berry.

Step Seven

1. Evolve a Pokémon for a Gible* encounter.
2. Earn a Candy walking with your Buddy Pokémon for a Glacial Lure Module. Hint: You can use a 1 KM Buddy Pokémon like Magikarp or Pikachu to finish this fast!
3. Catch an Ice type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Abomasnow* encounter, one Pinap Berry, two Razz Berries.

Step Eight

1. Power up Pokémon three times for a Star Piece.
2. Make three Great Throws for a Fast TM.
3. Catch an Electric type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Shinx* encounter, two Pinap Berries, one Razz Berry.

Step Nine

1. Autocompleted for 3000 XP
2. Autocompleted for 3000 XP
3. Autocompleted for 3000 XP

Completion rewards: Cresselia* encounter with the event exclusive move Grass Knot, and ten Rare Candies.

Bonuses

To help you complete these Timed Research tasks, the following features and bonuses will be in effect all week:

• Pokémon from the Sinnoh region will be spawning more frequently, including Cherubi and Glameow*.
• Pokémon from the Sinnoh region will also be in more Raids.
• Pokémon from the Sinnoh region will be featured in 7 KM Eggs, including Cranidos, Shieldon, Glameow*, Chingling, Bonsly*, Happiny*, Gible*, Munchlax, Riolu*, and Mantyke.
• Pikachu* wearing a Lucario hat will be available.
• Shiny Glameow* will be introduced.
• Event-exclusive Field Research will reward players with encounters featuring Pokémon originally found in the Sinnoh region.
• Star Pieces, Incense, and Lucky Eggs will all last for one hour.

What's next?

Once you've completed these Timed Research tasks, you can sit back, relax, and wait for next week's Throwback Challenge to unlock. If you completed all four weeks of Throwback Challenges, a special fifth Timed Research line will unlock in the first week of June. If you have not completed all four weeks or if you'd just like some bonus rewards, you will have the option to purchase a ticket for the final week of the Throwback Challenge. It will only have four steps, and it will run for five days. As soon as this research unlocks, we'll be here to update you on every task involved.

Tickets can only be purchased with real money - not PokéCoins, but even players who did not earn or purchase the Research will still have the following bonuses to look forward to:

• Galarian Stunfisk will appear in the Wild and in Raids.
• Galarian Meowth, Galarian Zigzagoon, Galarian Darumaka, and Galarian Stunfisk will hatch from 7 KM Eggs.
• Pokémon originally discovered in the Unova region will be appearing more frequently in the wild.

These bonuses will be available beginning at 1 PM local time on Wednesday, June 3 until 1 PM local time on Monday, June 8, 2020.

Questions?

Do you have any questions about completing week three of the Throwback Challenge event? What Pokémon and rewards do you hope to see next week? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out our Complete Pokédex, as well as our many Pokémon Go guides so you too can become a Pokémon Master!