Will you choose the sword or the shield? Pokémon Go’s “A Hero’s Journey” Special Research throws trainers into a tough decision at this year’s Go Fest: pick the path of Zacian, the dazzling fairy warrior, or Zamazenta, the stalwart steel defender. Your choice isn’t just about which legendary you’ll get-it shapes your rewards, your strategy, and your legacy in the world of Pokémon Go.
This research will only be available to you if you both buy the aforementioned ticket and you login during the event period on June 28 or 29 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. in your local time. After you start the research, you can complete it at any time with no time constraints, though keep in mind that the bonuses available during Go Fest will likely make it easier to complete it, so it’s best to play during the event.
Below, we list all the steps for the Pokémon Go “A Hero’s Journey” Special Research quest, along with some insight on which choice you should pick between Zacian or Zamazenta.
’A Hero’s Journey’ Special Research quest
The “A Hero’s Journey” Special Research quest in Pokémon Go is a unique, branching storyline available exclusively to ticket holders of Go Fest 2025: Global. Players progress through this quest by choosing one of two paths-Crowned Sword Journey or Crowned Shield Journey-each leading to different challenges and rewards. This choice is permanent and determines whether players gain easier access to the Legendary Pokémon Zacian (Crowned Sword) or Zamazenta (Crowned Shield). The quest includes multiple steps involving various Pokémon Go activities and ultimately rewards the player with an encounter and special rewards tied to the chosen legendary.
’A Hero’s Journey’ step 1 of 6
- Power up Pokémon 10 times (1 Fast TM)
- Use a Fast TM (1 Charged TM)
- Use a Charged TM (3 Potions)
Rewards: 2,025 Stardust, 3 Super Potions, 2,025 XP
At this point, you’ll be tasked between choosing between two steps: “Crowned Sword Journey” or “Crowned Shield Journey.” The steps will mostly be the same (with some type swapping depending on your choice), but the rewards will be different:
- Selecting “Crowned Sword Journey” will give you ZacianCandy, alongside enough Crowned Sword Energy to upgrade it to its Crowned form.
- Selecting “Crowned Shield Journey” will give you ZamazentaCandy, alongside enough Crowned Shield Energy to upgrade it to its Crowned form.
Neither of the choices actually give you the Legendary Pokémon.
Just pick whichever one you want the energy for! You can still raid the other option, so it’s not like picking one will permanently lock you out of the other option or prevent you from getting it.
’A Hero’s Journey’ step 2 of 6
- Make 5 nice throws (5 Zacian/Zamazenta Candy)
- Power up fairy-/fighting-type moves five times (1,000 Stardust)
- Earn 5,000 Stardust (3 Pinap Berries)
Rewards: 2 Premium Battle Passes, Frigibax encounter, 3 Silver Pinap Berries
’A Hero’s Journey’ step 3 of 6
- Catch 3 steel-type Pokémon (3 Hyper Potions)
- Battle in 2 raids (3 Max Revives)
- Earn 10,000 XP (1,000 Stardust)
Rewards: 25 Zacian/Zamazenta Candy, 5 Zacian/Zamazenta Candy XL, 2 Premium Battle Passes
’A Hero’s Journey’ step 4 of 6
- Win 2 raids (3 Rare Candy)
- Power up steel-type Pokémon 10 times (3 Max Potions)
- Use 5 superefffective charged attacks (3 Razz Berries)
Rewards: 500 Crowned Sword/Shield Energy, Skiddo encounter, 1 Max Mushroom
’A Hero’s Journey’ step 5 of 6
- Earn 2 candies exploring with a fairy-/fighting-type Pokémon as your buddy (500 Crowned Sword/Shield Energy)
- Change Zacian/Zamazenta’s form (1 Max Particle Pack)
- Win 2 Max Battles (1,000 Stardust)
Rewards: 2,025 Stardust, 5 Zacian/Zamazenta Stickers, 2,025 XP
’A Hero’s Journey’ step 6 of 6
- Claim reward! (2,025 XP)
- Claim reward! (2,025 Stardust)
- Claim reward! (2,025 XP)
Rewards: 5 Zacian/Zamazenta Candy XL, Go Fest 2025 pose, 25 Zacian/Zamazenta Candy
Thanks Leek Duck for providing details on the above.
’A Hero’s Journey’ choose a path outcome: Should you pick Zacian or Zamazenta?
Choosing between Zacian and Zamazenta in Pokémon Go’s ’A Hero’s Journey’ Special Research comes down to your playstyle and team needs. Crowned Sword Zacian excels as a top-tier Fairy-type attacker, offering high burst damage and being especially valuable for raids, thanks to its powerful moves and strong attack stat. If you prefer a Pokémon that can sweep through bosses or need a strong raid attacker, Zacian is your best bet. On the other hand, Crowned Shield Zamazenta brings greater defensive capabilities and slightly edges out Zacian as a Steel-type, making it more consistent and robust for sustained battles and defensive strategies. Choose Zacian if you want offense and raid prowess, or Zamazenta if you value resilience and a defensive anchor-both are strong, so your choice should reflect your preferred battle approach.
So, yes, you will be tasked with choosing between Zacian and Zamazenta for this research, but as mentioned above, it doesn’t lock you out of getting the other dog. You will still be able to raid, catch, and upgrade the other Legendary. The research will just give you candy for the Legendary you pick, as well as enough energy to upgrade it right off the bat.
That being said, if you can only prioritize one, should you pick Zacian or Zamazenta?
Based on meta, Crowned Sword Zacian seems to be the all-rounder choice. According to PvPoke, it’s the best candidate in Master League PvP (with Crowned Shield Zamazenta coming second), and it’s the #7 top raid attacker according to the Pokémon Go Database (with Zamazenta at #14 – which is still pretty good).
When you look a bit closer, Crowned Sword Zacian is the #2 attacker in both its types (fairy and steel) and Crowned Shield Zamazenta is the #1 steel-type attacker. However, Crowned Shield Zamazenta gets outclassed as a fighting-type attacker by many other things, making it not a worthwhile investment as that specific type.
Each of them also has their own Adventure Effect:
- Crowned Sword Zacian knows Behemoth Blade, which strengthens your Pokémon’s attacks in raids and Max Battles for six minutes.
- Crowned Shield Zamazenta knows Behemoth Bash, which strengthens your Pokémon’s defense in raids and Max Battles for six minutes.
These buffs are a bit expensive to use (5,000 Stardust and five Zacian or Zamazenta Candy per six minutes), but Zacian can help make the difference if you come up close on soloing certain raids.
That being said, Zacian is more of an all-rounder and mayhaps the “better” pick among the two, but even so, you should pick with your heart. Do you think Zamazenta is the cuter dog of the two? Then pick that one! Did you play Pokémon Sword so you have an allegiance to Zacian? That’s a good enough reason for me! Pick with your heart.
As usual, don’t stress too much about your choice. Just pick the one you want.
Did you finish that already? There’s still more to do for Pokémon Go Fest 2025. Check out our rotating habitat schedule guide to see when you can find certain critters.
Which path in Pokémon Go offers the better chance to catch Zacian or Zamazenta initially
To catch either Zacian or Zamazenta initially through the Pokémon Go Fest 2025 “A Hero’s Journey” Special Research, you must choose a path: the Sword Path for Zacian or the Shield Path for Zamazenta. Each path guarantees an encounter with the legendary Pokémon associated with that choice-the Sword Path gives you Zacian, and the Shield Path gives you Zamazenta.
-
If your goal is to catch Zacian initially, choose the Sword Path.
-
If you want to catch Zamazenta initially, choose the Shield Path.
This path selection is a permanent decision for this Special Research and each path only offers its respective legendary as a guaranteed catch through the quest-choosing Zacian’s path gives you no chance to get Zamazenta via this method, and vice versa.
In addition, both Zacian and Zamazenta may be available in five-star raids during the event, but the guaranteed initial encounter from Special Research depends entirely on your chosen path.
Which raid method offers the highest chance to catch Zacian or Zamazenta first
The raid method with the highest chance to catch Zacian or Zamazenta first is by participating in scheduled five-star raid battles, especially during featured Raid Hours or event rotations for each Pokémon. During these periods, the targeted legendary (Zacian or Zamazenta) will be available at more gyms, dramatically increasing your chances of encountering and attempting to catch them.
Key details:
-
Five-star Raids: Both Zacian and Zamazenta appear as bosses in five-star raids during their respective event days or weekends.
-
Raid Hour: On specific dates and times, such as a designated “Zacian Raid Hour,” all eligible gyms will host Zacian raids from 6-7 p.m. local time, maximizing your chance of encountering and battling Zacian first.
-
Guaranteed Encounter: Once defeated in a raid, you always get a chance to catch the legendary boss you defeated.
-
Raid Passes: Both regular and remote Raid Passes can be used, but physically attending raids provides the best experience since remote users face damage penalties.
Both the Zacian and Zamazenta paths through Special Research guarantee their respective legendary, but for sheer speed and multiple attempts in a short time period-especially when prioritizing “which you catch first”-five-star raids during Raid Hour or event rotations are the most effective method.
The likelihood of catching the Pokémon after the raid depends on your throwing skill and the use of special berries and Premier Balls, but the raid method itself gives you frequent opportunities rather than a single scripted encounter.
