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Choose Dark for the Mighty Obstagoon encounter and Dark Detective Medal, or Fairy for Mighty Gardevoir and the Fairy Fanatic Medal. The type-specific tasks are mostly parallel, so the encounter and medal you want are the clearest reasons to pick one. “A Grim Beginning” was a ticket-holder Special Research for Pokémon GO Wild Area: Global 2025, available from November 15, 2025, at 10 a.m. local time during the November 15–16 event. It is a historical, time-limited quest, not a currently active event quest as of October 8, 2026.
How to choose between Dark and Fairy
| What differs | Dark path | Fairy path |
|---|---|---|
| Step 2 snapshot encounter | Cacnea | Dedenne |
| Type-specific tasks | Dark-type catches, evolutions, buddy actions, power-ups, and Charged Attacks | Fairy-type equivalents |
| Branch encounter | Mighty Obstagoon | Mighty Gardevoir |
| Medal | Dark Detective Medal | Fairy Fanatic Medal |
Both choices continue into the same Gigantamax Battle, Shadow Raid, and Max Move tasks, and both award the GO Wild Area 2025 pose, Gigantamax Grimmsnarl, and 3 Rare Candy XL for overall completion. The type-matched Mighty Pokémon catch bonuses were tied to earning the medal and expired at the end of the November 16, 2025 event; they are not a reason to choose a path now.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Pokemon TCG #80906 Battle Academy 2022 Deck Set - (3 Decks) 180 Total Cards | $30.15 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Pokémon TCG: Pokémon Day 2026 Collection | $55.50 | Buy on Amazon |
Shared Step 1
Both paths begin with the same tasks and rewards:
- Catch 10 Pokémon — 2,000 XP.
- Spin 5 PokéStops or Gyms — 1 Poffin.
- Take snapshots of 3 different wild Pokémon — Dynamax Ralts encounter.
Claim the step for an Impidimp encounter, 1 Lucky Egg, and 1 Incense.
Dark path quest steps
Step 2
- Catch 30 Pokémon — 1,000 Stardust.
- Make 5 Nice Throws — 10 Ultra Balls.
- Use Incense — 10 Impidimp Candy.
- Take snapshots of 3 different wild Pokémon — Cacnea encounter.
Step completion rewards: 1 Star Piece, 1 Poffin, and 1 Lucky Egg.
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Step 3
- Evolve 3 Dark-type Pokémon — 3 Pinap Berries.
- Earn a Candy by exploring with a Dark-type buddy — 10 Ultra Balls.
- Earn 3 hearts with a Dark-type buddy — 1 Fast TM.
Step completion rewards: 1,000 Stardust, 3 Rare Candy, and 3 Nanab Berries.
Step 4
- Catch 6 different Dark-type species — 1,000 XP.
- Power up Dark-type Pokémon 15 times — 1 Rare Candy XL.
- Use a Dark-type Charged Attack in 3 battles — 1 Charged TM.
Step completion rewards: Dark Detective Medal, Mighty Obstagoon, and 1 Premium Battle Pass.
Steps 5–6
- Win a Gigantamax Battle — 3 Silver Pinap Berries.
- Win 2 Shadow Raids — 3 Golden Razz Berries.
- Level up a Max Move — 800 Max Particles.
Step 6 consists of three reward claims. The overall completion rewards are the GO Wild Area 2025 pose, Gigantamax Grimmsnarl, and 3 Rare Candy XL. The available event table does not establish a separate Step 5 completion-reward bundle.
Fairy path quest steps
Step 2
- Catch 30 Pokémon — 1,000 Stardust.
- Make 5 Nice Throws — 10 Ultra Balls.
- Use Incense — 10 Impidimp Candy.
- Take snapshots of 3 different wild Pokémon — Dedenne encounter.
Step completion rewards: 1 Star Piece, 1 Poffin, and 1 Lucky Egg.
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- The Pokémon TCG: Pokémon Day 2026 Collection includes 1 foil promo card featuring Pikachu with a Pokémon Day stamp.
- This also comes with 1 Pokémon coin.
- You will also receive 3 Pokémon TCG booster packs.
- Booster Packs May Vary from those pictured.
Step 3
- Evolve 3 Fairy-type Pokémon — 3 Pinap Berries.
- Earn a Candy by exploring with a Fairy-type buddy — 10 Ultra Balls.
- Earn 3 hearts with a Fairy-type buddy — 1 Fast TM.
Step completion rewards: 1,000 Stardust, 3 Rare Candy, and 3 Nanab Berries.
Step 4
- Catch 6 different Fairy-type species — 3 Pinap Berries.
- Power up Fairy-type Pokémon 15 times — 10 Ultra Balls.
- Use a Fairy-type Charged Attack in 3 battles — 1 Charged TM.
The branch completion rewards include the Fairy Fanatic Medal and Mighty Gardevoir.
Steps 5–6
- Win a Gigantamax Battle.
- Win a Shadow Raid.
- Level up Max Moves.
Step 6 consists of three reward claims. The overall completion rewards are the GO Wild Area 2025 pose, Gigantamax Grimmsnarl, and 3 Rare Candy XL.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not confuse this with “Choose Your Path”
Pokémon GO later used a separate “Choose Your Path” Timed Research format with Explore, Catch, or Battle options during specified non-event weeks. Those options are unrelated to the Dark/Fairy choice in “A Grim Beginning.”
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