Pokémon Go: Throwback Challenge week four

The last Pokémon Go event, Throwback Challenge 2020, is here, and it’s going to be a busy month for all of you Pokémon trainers! Each week, new timed research will be presented, and we at iMore have all the details for the fourth week – Sinnoh Timed Research!

What is a Throwback Challenge?

Return challenges are much like special research, but with the added difficulty of being timed. When you log in for a week of the Throwback Challenge, you get the timed search line in your view today. From there, you can finish the search for a defined period of time, after which all that remains incomplete will disappear.

Each week in May 2020 will have a different timed search line, and by completing them all, you will unlock an additional line in the first week of June. Weeks should start every Friday at 1 p.m. local hour. The third week in Hoenn has just ended on May 22, 2020 and we are now moving to the fourth week in the Sinnoh area.

Throwback Challenge 2020: Sinnoh Timed Research

This week’s special timed research line includes a large number of Generation IV Pokémon in the Sinnoh area. We have Pokémon reward encounters for each stage, as well as for some of the individual tasks, and more of these Pokémon have the potential to be brilliant. Almost all of the steps in this timed research line can be done without ever leaving home, and all can be done solo. The only tasks that might require leaving the house are hatching an egg and earning candy with your Pokémon Buddy. There are two stages requiring candy this week, but if you assign a buddy who only needs one kilometer to earn a candy, like Pikachu or Magikarp, you won’t have to go far.

• The asterisk indicates that Pokémon have the potential to be brilliant

The first step

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: enounter Cranidos, a Pinap Berry, two Razz Berries.

Second step

1. Take a snapshot of a Grass-type Pokémon for five Razz bays.
2. Send a gift to a friend for a meeting with the Handset.
3. Catch a Grass-type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Grotle * encounter, two Pinap bays, one Razz bay.

Third step

1. Make three pretty jets for a magnetic lure module.
2. Hatch an egg for a meeting with Bronzor *.
3. Catch a Combat-type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Rewards for completion: meeting Monferno *, a Pinap Berry, two Razz Berries.

Step four

1. Earn a candy by walking with your Pokémon buddy for ten large balls. Tip: you can use a 1 KM Buddy Pokémon like Magikarp or Pikachu to finish as fast!
2. Catch a Ground-type Pokémon for an encounter with Skorupi *.
3. Catch a Water-type Pokémon for 500 Star Dust.

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

Step five

1. Fight 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 Pokémon friend three treats for a meeting with hippos *.
3. Catch a Steel-type Pokémon for 500 Star Dust.

Completion Rewards: Shieldon encounter, two Pinap bays, one Razz bay.

Step seven

1. Evolve a Pokémon for a meeting with Gible *.
2. Earn candy by walking with your Pokémon friend for an ice bait module. Tip: you can use a 1 KM Buddy Pokémon like Magikarp or Pikachu to finish as fast!
3. Catch an Ice-type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Abomasnow * encounter, one Pinap berry, two Razz bays.

Step eight

1. Feed Pokémon three times to get a star coin.
2. Make three big shots for a Fast TM.
3. Catch an electric-type Pokémon for 500 Stardust.

Completion Rewards: Shinx * encounter, two Pinap bays, one Razz bay.

Step nine

1. Automatically completed for 3000 XP
2. Automatically completed for 3000 XP
3. Automatically completed for 3000 XP

Completion Rewards: Cresselia * meets the exclusive Grass Knot movement and ten rare candies.

Bonus

To help you accomplish these timed search tasks, the following features and bonuses will be in effect throughout the week:

• Pokémon from the Sinnoh region will appear more frequently, including Cherubi and Glameow *.
• Sinnoh area Pokémon will also be in more raids.
• Pokémon from the Sinnoh region will be presented 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-specific field research will reward players with encounters featuring Pokémon originally found in the Sinnoh area.
• The star pieces, incense and lucky eggs will all last for an hour.

And after?

Once you’ve completed these timed search tasks, you can sit back, relax, and wait for next week’s Throwback challenge to unlock. If you have completed the four weeks of return challenges, a fifth special timed search line will be unlocked during the first week of June. If you haven’t finished the four weeks or just want bonus rewards, you can buy a ticket for the last week of the Throwback Challenge. It will only have four stages and will run for five days. As soon as this search is unlocked, we will be there to update you on each task involved.

Tickets can only be purchased with real money – not PokéCoins, but even players who have not won or purchased research will still have the following bonuses to look forward to:

These bonuses will be available from 1 p.m. local time on Wednesday June 3 until 1 p.m. local time Monday June 8, 2020.

Questions?

Do you have questions about the end of the third week 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 full Pokédex, as well as our many Pokémon Go guides so that you too can become a Pokémon master!