Trainers face a thrilling choice in Pokémon Go’s latest Special Research – “Chasing Legends.” Will you side with Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit as you unravel unique tasks and rewards set by Niantic’s newest challenge?
You do not need to pay any money to do this research. The paid $4.99 ticket that goes with this event is for the Masterwork Research and shiny Jirachi instead.
Notably, this research rewards Primal Energy for Kyogre or Groudon, as well as TMs.
Below we list out the steps to completing the “Chasing Legends” Special Research.
Choose a path between Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit explained
Choose a path among Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit to chase legendary rewards in Pokémon Go’s Chasing Legends Special Research Tasks, with each option offering distinct tasks, encounters, and payout timings.
A reoccurring feature in recent research tasks in Pokémon Go is making a choice, and Chasing Legends is no different – this time between three Gen 3 Pokémon – Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit.
Making this choice will change the requirements and encounters in Step 2.
If you’re struggling to make a decision, or aren’t sure where to catch each respective Pokémon, know all three can be found in the wild as part of the rotating habitats throughout the event, so none are missable.
Update (Feb. 26): Anecdotal evidence from players on the Silph Road subreddit suggests the choice will also boost the shiny rate for your selected Pokémon. Though this isn’t fully confirmed – and if correct, the boost will likely expire once the event concludes – if you were interested in a particular shiny out of the three, then this could be an extra consideration for your choice.
Whatever choice you make, from there, the steps will remain the same for all players. However, there is an additional difference based on your Ruby or Sapphire choice, giving you Primal Energy for Primal Groudon or Primal Kyogre respectively.
Update 2 (Feb. 28): Some of the tasks have changed now that the Go Tour: Hoenn event has ended. We’ve updated the changed tasks below.
Here is every quest step in detail:
Chasing Legends step 1 of 6
Choose Cacnea as your path for the first reward in Chasing Legends, step 1 of 6.
- Power up Pokémon 15 times (3 Incense)
Rewards: 5 Kyogre Candy, 5 Groudon Candy, Absol encounter
After this step, the research branches into three options: Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit. Whoever you pick will appear as encounters during the next step of the research.
Chasing Legends step 2 of 6
Step 2 of the Chasing Legends Special Research challenges trainers to continue their progress by catching a set number of Pokémon and completing field research tasks related to their chosen path-Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit. Each choice influences which encounters and rewards become available, adding a layer of strategy to the event. Completing this stage grants rewards such as Stardust, experience points, and an encounter linked to the selected Pokémon type.
- Use an Incense (Cacnea/Gulpin/Surskit encounter, depending on your choice)
- Catch 5 Cacnea/Gulpin/Surskit (Cacnea/Gulpin/Surskit encounter, depending on your choice)
- Catch 10 different species of Pokémon (Cacnea/Gulpin/Surskit encounter, depending on your choice)
Rewards: 2 Premium Battle Passes, 30 Poké Balls, 5 Ultra Balls
Chasing Legends step 3 of 6
Step 3 of the Chasing Legends Special Research in Pokémon Go continues the adventure with tasks that test your catching and battling skills. Depending on the route chosen-Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit-trainers will face slightly different challenges that showcase each Pokémon’s unique traits. Rewards include Stardust, XP, and encounters with the featured Pokémon, helping players progress toward the next phase of this limited-time research.
- Spin 15 PokéStops or gyms (Plusle encounter)
- Explore 1 km (Solrock encounter)
- Catch 10 fire-, grass-, or ground-type Pokémon (Trapinch encounter)
- Win a raid (Volbeat encounter)
Rewards: Castform (Sunny) encounter, 10 Groudon Candy, 200 Groudon Primal Energy *
Note: You only get the Groudon Primal Energy if you picked Ruby in the “Primal Rumblings” Special Research.
The last task was originally “Catch a Groudon” during the Go Tour: Hoenn event, but has been updated to be completable without Groudon in raids.
Chasing Legends step 4 of 6
Tackling step 4 of 6 in Chasing Legends, you’ll receive rewards for choosing one path: Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit. Each option unlocks its own set of encounters and items to help push your special research forward. Pick the path that best fits your current roster to maximize your gains and speed toward completion.
- Spin 15 PokéStops or gyms (Minun encounter)
- Explore 1 km (Lunatone encounter)
- Catch 10 water-, electric-, or bug-type Pokémon (Wailmer encounter)
- Win a raid (Illumise encounter)
Rewards: Castform (Rainy) encounter, 10 Kyogre Candy, 200 Kyogre Primal Energy *
Note: You only get the Kyogre Primal Energy if you picked Sapphire in the “Primal Rumblings” Special Research.
The last task was originally “Catch a Kyogre” during the Go Tour: Hoenn event, but has been updated to be completable without Kyogre in raids.
Chasing Legends step 5 of 6
Step 5 of the Chasing Legends Special Research brings players closer to their chosen Pokémon path-Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit. Trainers will need to complete several catch and power-up challenges that test dedication and timing, earning Stardust, Rare Candy, and encounters with the featured Pokémon. Each choice offers unique Field Research tasks and rewards, adding variety to the event before the final stage wraps up this special research story.
- Mega Evolve a Pokémon (1 Rocket Radar)
- Defeat a Team Go Rocket Leader (3 Revives)
Rewards: 1 Charged TM, 1 Fast TM
During the Go Tour: Hoenn event, the first task was originally “Activate Primal Reversion,” but was swapped out to be easier to complete after the event ended.
Chasing Legends step 6 of 6
Choosing Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit rewards marks the final stretch of the Chasing Legends quest, offering a distinctive payoff for each path and a chance to secure a commemorative Pokémon or item based on your pick.
- Claim reward (2,023 XP)
- Claim reward (2,023 Stardust)
Rewards: Spinda encounter
Which path is best for completing Pokédex entries
For filling Pokédex entries, none of the three paths (Cacnea, Gulpin, or Surskit) is objectively “best” in a global sense – it depends on what you personally still need.
Here’s how to decide quickly:
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Choose the one whose evolution line you are missing the most (Cacnea → Cacturne, Gulpin → Swalot, Surskit → Masquerain).
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If you already have all three lines registered, pick the one for which you have the fewest catches/candies, so you can build candy toward evolutions, second moves, or better IVs.
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If you are a shiny or form collector and already have the basic forms, choose the line where you still want the shiny, since your chosen line gets extra encounters and spawns during the research/event.
Practical rule of thumb:
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Missing any of Cacturne, Swalot, or Masquerain in your Pokédex → pick that line.
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If all are complete, pick whichever line is least built up in your collection or that you personally value most (type, aesthetic, PvP interest).
Should I complete Victory Road or Starfall Street first for Pokédex
For Pokédex completion in Scarlet/Violet, it’s better to prioritise Victory Road before (or alongside) Starfall Street.
Why Victory Road first helps the Pokédex more
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Gym badges raise your obedience cap, letting you reliably use and level higher-level Pokémon you catch or trade, which speeds up filling entries.
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The gyms push you through many different areas, so you naturally see and catch more new species as you go.
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Stronger, obedient Pokémon make catching high-level wild encounters and Paradox/late-game species much easier later on.
How to mix in Starfall Street
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Do early, low-level Team Star bases as you pass them to keep levels and money flowing, but don’t delay gyms for long stretches.
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A practical approach for Pokédex: clear a gym or two, then do a nearby base, then return to gyms and Titans, so you’re always unlocking new zones and higher obedience while still progressing the other stories.
If your only goal is “finish the Pokédex as fast as possible”, lean toward doing most of Victory Road and Path of Legends first, then clean up the remaining Starfall Street bases and Area Zero catches at the end.
