Step off the beaten path in Pokémon Go’s “A Route to New Friendships” Special Research, where every kilometer explored and every gift exchanged could lead to new allies-and rare encounters. This unique quest, centered around the Gift Exchange feature and the new NPC Mateo, invites trainers to complete challenges along Routes, unlock exclusive rewards, and discover just how far friendship can take them in the world of Pokémon Go.
’A Route to New Friendships’ step 1 of 4
Step 1 of 4 in the Pokémon Go special research quest “A Route to New Friendships” invites players to begin their journey by exploring 1 kilometer, which will trigger an encounter with Lillipup. Along the way, players must spin 3 PokéStops to earn 900 XP, earn a candy by exploring with their buddy Pokémon, and exchange a Gift with the new NPC Mateo at the end of a Route. Completing these tasks rewards players with 1,000 XP and 1,000 Stardust, as well as 5 Razz Berries and 1 Incense to aid in their adventure. This step encourages exploration and social interaction through the Gift Exchange feature, setting the tone for the quest’s theme of making new friendships while playing.
- Explore 1 km (Lillipup encounter)
- Spin 3 PokéStops (900 XP)
- Earn a candy exploring with your buddy (5 Razz Berries)
- Exchange a gift with Mateo (1 Incense)
Rewards: 1,000 Stardust, 1,000 XP
’A Route to New Friendships’ step 2 of 4
Step 2 of the “A Route to New Friendships” special research in Pokémon Go focuses on expanding your exploration and interaction with the game world. In this step, players are tasked with catching seven Pokémon, spinning five PokéStops, exploring a distance of 3 kilometers, and walking 1,000 meters while traveling Routes. Completing these tasks rewards players with useful items such as 10 Poké Balls, 1,500 XP, and encounters with Wooloo and Woobat. This step encourages players to actively engage with the game’s core mechanics of catching Pokémon, visiting PokéStops, and exploring new areas, further enhancing the social and exploratory spirit of the research quest.
- Catch 7 Pokémon (10 Poké Balls)
- Spin 5 PokéStops (1,500 XP)
- Explore 3 km (Wooloo encounter)
- Walk 1,000m while traveling routes (Woobat encounter)
Rewards: 1,000 Stardust, 5 Great Balls
’A Route to New Friendships’ step 3 of 4
Step 3 of the “A Route to New Friendships” Special Research in Pokémon Go ramps up the challenge by encouraging a mix of exploration and social interaction. In this stage, you’ll need to hatch an Egg for a Feebas encounter, spin 15 PokéStops to earn 2,000 XP, complete five Field Research tasks for 1,000 Stardust, and exchange a Gift with Mateo at the end of a Route three times to unlock a Hisuian Sneasel encounter. Completing these tasks rewards you with three Ultra Balls and an additional 1,000 Stardust, making this step a rewarding milestone before the final phase of the quest.
- Hatch an egg (Feebas encounter)
- Spin 15 PokéStops (2,000 XP)
- Complete 5 Field Research Tasks (1,000 Stardust)
- Exchange 3 gifts with Mateo (Hisuian Sneasel encounter)
How does completing Routes and Gift Exchanges deepen my Pokémon Go friendships
Completing Routes and participating in Gift Exchanges in Pokémon Go directly deepens your friendships with other trainers by increasing your friendship level, which unlocks various in-game benefits. Each time you exchange a gift or complete a Route together, you trigger a “friendship event” that brings you closer to higher friendship tiers-Good Friend, Great Friend, Ultra Friend, and Best Friend-each offering increasing rewards such as XP bonuses and reduced stardust costs for trading.
Gift Exchanges, especially when coordinated daily, maximize the number of friendship-increasing events, allowing you and your friends to progress through the friendship levels more efficiently. This not only yields significant XP (especially when using Lucky Eggs for double XP on milestone days) but also fosters ongoing interaction, making the social aspect of the game more rewarding.
Routes add another layer by encouraging shared exploration and collaboration. Completing Routes together, especially those tied to special research like “A Route to New Friendships,” often requires exchanging gifts with both friends and NPCs, further reinforcing the habit of daily interaction and teamwork.
In summary, regularly completing Routes and exchanging gifts strengthens your in-game relationships, unlocks valuable bonuses, and encourages ongoing engagement with your Pokémon Go community.
How do gift exchanges and route completions boost my friendship levels in Pokémon Go
Gift exchanges and Route completions both boost your friendship levels in Pokémon Go by triggering “friendship events,” which can occur once per friend per day. Here’s how each works:
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Gift Exchanges: When either you or your friend opens a gift from the other, your friendship level increases for that day. Only one action (opening a gift, raiding, trading, or battling together) is needed per day to trigger this increase, and both players benefit from the action. Maximizing daily gift exchanges-by coordinating who opens gifts and when-helps you reach higher friendship tiers faster, unlocking bonuses like XP and reduced trading costs.
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Route Completions: Completing Routes, especially when tied to special research or with friends, often involves gift exchanges as part of the tasks. These activities encourage daily interaction, which in turn triggers more friendship events and accelerates your progress through the friendship levels.
In summary, both gift exchanges and Route completions foster regular interaction, ensuring steady progress toward higher friendship levels and the associated in-game rewards.
