As Pokémon GO Fest 2024 unfolds, trainers face a pivotal choice in the Special Research quest “The Dusk Settles”: will you bask in the radiant power of Solgaleo or embrace the mysterious shadows with Lunala? This decision not only determines which legendary you’ll encounter but also shapes the form of Necrozma you can fuse later, unlocking unique gameplay strategies. Dive into the quest steps, weigh your options, and prepare to chart your path through this cosmic showdown.
This quest unlocks once you complete Sunday’s free Cosmog research quest, “The Dawn of a new Discovery”. Note that while the Cosmog quest is free for all players, “The Dusk Settles” is only for Go Fest Global ticket holders. (Players with a ticket could also receive Marshadow’s “A Shadowy Caper” quest, provided they logged in during event hours on Saturday.)
“The Dusk Settles” gives you one of the Cosmog evolutions (Solgaleo or Lunala), a Necrozma, and enough Solar or Lunar Fusion Energy to turn fuse your chosen legendary with Necrozma to earn either Dusk Mane or Dawn Wings Necrozma.
Below, we list all the steps for the Pokémon Go “A Shadowy Caper” Special Research Tasks.
’A Shadowy Caper’ Special Research quest
The “A Shadowy Caper” Special Research quest in Pokémon GO is a ticket-exclusive event available during GO Fest 2024 Global. This quest line consists of six stages filled with various tasks such as spinning PokéStops, catching Pokémon, and completing Field Research to ultimately encounter the Mythical Pokémon Marshadow. Players who complete the research are rewarded with Marshadow encounters, candies, stickers, and other valuable in-game items. Although it is designed to be completed during the event day, the quest has no expiration, allowing players to finish it later if missed initially.
Once you have purchased a Go Fest Global 2024 ticket and log into Pokémon Go on Sunday, July 14 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., you will unlock this Special Research. Once you have, there is no deadline to completing the following steps:
’The Dusk Settles’ step 1 of 5
- Explore 1 km (3 Super Potions)
- Complete 3 Field Research tasks (20 Poké Balls)
- Spin 10 PokéStops or gyms (2 Lucky Eggs)
Rewards: 2 Fast TMs, Necrozma encounter, 2 Charge TMs
At this point, you’ll be tasked with choosing between two steps: “Basking in the Radiance” or “Hidden in the Umbra.” The steps are mostly the same, though the rewards are different.
- Picking “Basking in the Radiance” will give you a Solgaleo, an Espeon with a scarf, as well as Solar Fusion Energy – enough to fully Fuse it with Necrozma.
- Picking “Hidden in the Umbra” will give you a Lunala, an Umbreon with a scarf, alongside some Lunar Fusion Energy – enough to fully Fuse it with Necrozma.
Just pick whichever one you want the Necrozma form for!
’The Dusk Settles’ step 2 of 5
- Earn 800 Stardust (2 Premium Battle PAsses)
- Earn 800 XP (3 Hyper Potions)
- Catch 8 Pokémon (800 Stardust)
Rewards: 3 Hyper Potions, Jangmo-o encounter, 3 Revives
’The Dusk Settles’ step 3 of 5
- Catch 20 Pokémon (Espeon [day scarf] or Umbreon [night scarf] encounter)
- Battle in 5 raids (3 Max Potions)
- Win 3 raids (1 Premium Battle Pass)
Rewards: 2 Golden Razz Berries, Solgaleo or Lunala encounter, 2 Silver Pinap Berries
Depending on your choice after step 1, you’ll get Solgaleo and the Espeon if you picked “Basking in the Radiance” and you’ll get Lunala and Umbreon if you picked “Hidden in the Umbra.”
’The Dusk Settles’ step 4 of 5
- Catch 10 psychic-type Pokémon (10 Necrozma Candy)
- Power up steel- or ghost-type Pokémon 15 times (10 Cosmog Candy)
- Make 25 nice throws (5 Cosmog Candy XL)
Rewards: 25 Necrozma Candy, 1,000 Solar or Lunar Fusion Energy, 25 Cosmog Candy
If you picked “Basking in the Radiance,” you’ll need to power up steel-type Pokémon and you’ll get the Solar Fusion Energy. If you picked “Hidden in the Umbra,” you’ll need to power up ghost-type Pokémon, and you’ll get Lunar Solar Energy.
’The Dusk Settles’ step 5 of 5
- Power up Pokémon 20 times (10 Cosmog Candy XL)
- Fuse Necrozma (10 Necrozma Candy XL)
- Win 5 raids (3 Rare Candy)
Rewards: 1 Elite Fast HM, 1 Rare Candy XL, 1 Elite Charge TM
’The Dusk Settles’ choose a path outcome: Should you choose Solgaleo or Lunala?
In Pokémon Go’s “The Dusk Settles” Special Research, players must choose between two paths: Basking in the Radiance, which leads to Solgaleo and Solar Fusion Energy, or Hidden in the Umbra, which grants Lunala and Lunar Fusion Energy. This choice not only determines which Legendary Pokémon you encounter but also influences the form of Necrozma you can fuse-Dusk Mane Necrozma with Solgaleo or Dawn Wings Necrozma with Lunala. Both paths involve completing similar tasks like catching Pokémon, battling in raids, and earning Stardust, but the rewards and final Pokémon differ. Since Solgaleo and Lunala have unique typings and signature moves, your decision should be based on your preferred playstyle, existing Pokédex entries, or which Pokémon you find more appealing, as neither currently dominates raids or battles significantly over the other.
After step one of the “The Dusk Settles” Special Research, you will be promoted with a choice between Solgaleo and Lunala: “Basking in the Radiance” or “Hidden in the Umbra?”
This research gives you enough goods to get one of Necrozma’s special forms, so you should just pick the form you want the most.
First, know Dusk Mane or Dawn Wing Necrozma’s stats will come from the Necrozma, not the Solgaleo or Lunala you fuse it with, so you don’t have to worry about choosing based on stats.
Second, each Necrozma form has Adventure Effects (similarly to the Sinnoh Tour’s Origin Forme Dialga and Palkia):
- Dusk Mane Necrozma learns Sunsteel Strike, which attracts Pokémon that appear in the day, and allows you to evolve Pokémon with daytime requirements
- Dawn Wings Necrozma learns Moongeist Beam, which attracts Pokémon that appear at night, and allows you to evolve Pokémon with night time requirements
If you mainly play during a specific time of day and have a hard time evolving specific Pokémon, you could choose based on this.
Third, in terms of PvE, both Dusk Mane and Dawn Wing Necrozma are very powerful and top the charts for steel- and ghost-types respectively. Ghost type moves are super effective against ghost- and psychic-type Pokémon and steel-type moves are super effective against rock-, ice-, and fairy-type Pokémon. That being said, there are tons of psychic-type Pokémon to oppose in raids, but it’s not like steel-type moves have no use. It’s a tough call!
No matter what,your choice doesn’t mean that you can’t have the other form. You just got a Cosmog from the Cosmog research, as well as a handful of candy, so you can raid whichever side you didn’t pick (the Necrozma counters apply to both forms) to collect the opposite Fusion Energy, and get the opposite form as well.
In summary – don’t stress too much, just pick the one you want immediately.
Which path offers the most powerful Necrozma form for my playstyle
For most playstyles, the Dusk Mane Necrozma form-fused with Solgaleo-offers the most powerful and versatile option. It boasts a superior movepool, better typing, and is generally favored for both raid battles and Master League PvP, ranking highly in the meta due to its strong physical moves and consistency. While Dawn Wings Necrozma (fused with Lunala) has its unique strengths, Dusk Mane is considered more effective overall and wins mirror matchups against the Dawn Wings form. Ultra Necrozma is the ultimate form but is not currently available in Pokémon GO. Therefore, if you want the strongest Necrozma form tailored to most combat scenarios, choosing the Solgaleo path to obtain Dusk Mane Necrozma is recommended.
Is Ultra Necrozma the most powerful form for my playstyle overall
Ultra Necrozma is indeed the most powerful form of Necrozma overall, boasting the highest base stat total and access to the devastating Z-Move “Light That Burns the Sky,” which ignores abilities and adapts to its highest attacking stat. It has a strong Psychic/Dragon typing and excellent offensive stats, making it a formidable force in battle. However, despite its raw power, some competitive players consider it less versatile than other top-tier legendaries like Mega Rayquaza due to a somewhat limited movepool and lack of certain key moves. Still, Ultra Necrozma’s overwhelming offensive presence and unique abilities make it the strongest Necrozma form available, especially in formats where it is accessible.
In summary, if your playstyle prioritizes sheer power and high-speed offense, Ultra Necrozma is the best choice. But if you seek more versatility or specific roles, the Dusk Mane or Dawn Wings forms might sometimes be preferred.
