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Choose the Galar starter you want most. Pokémon GO’s Galar Calling research gives every branch the same overall rewards, but your selection determines which starter you encounter, earn Candy for, evolve, and receive as a Postcard Book background. There is no objectively best option, and the choice should be treated as permanent.
As of September 2026, Galar Calling can only be completed by players who claimed it during its original availability window.
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Can you still get the Choose a Path research?
Galar Calling was a 19-part Special Research story from Pokémon GO’s Max Out season. It was claimable from September 3, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. local time, through December 3, 2024, at 9:59 a.m. local time. Players who did not claim it before that deadline cannot newly obtain it now. Leek Duck’s event listing records the original availability window.
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How to reach the starter choice
- From the Map View, tap the Research button with the binoculars icon.
- Open the Special research section.
- Select Galar Calling.
- Complete Part 1/19: Catch 8 Pokémon.
- Claim the page’s rewards to reveal the three choices on the next page.
Depending on Pokémon GO’s current interface, the research categories may be arranged differently, but an existing copy of the quest remains under Special Research. The choice screen does not appear when you first open the quest or create an account.
What changes when you choose a path?
Your selection changes the following:
- The starter encounter awarded in Part 3/19.
- The starter species required for the Part 4/19 evolution task.
- The middle evolution required in Part 5/19.
- The starter Candy awarded for walking and hatching tasks.
- The seasonal Postcard Book background linked to your chosen partner.
The three branches otherwise follow the same structure and provide equivalent reward types. Published task data reports no branch-exclusive attack, medal, or superior item reward. There is also no documented in-game way to reset or change the selection, so check the button label before confirming.
Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble: which should you pick?
| Path | Type | Starter line used by the research | Best reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventure with Grookey | Grass | Grookey → Thwackey | You want the Grookey evolution family and its related Candy. |
| Adventure with Scorbunny | Fire | Scorbunny → Raboot | You want the Scorbunny evolution family and its related Candy. |
| Adventure with Sobble | Water | Sobble → Drizzile | You want the Sobble evolution family and its related Candy. |
For collection-focused players, choose the line you want to complete first. For battle-focused players, the research itself does not make one path automatically better. Future moves, availability, individual stats, and the role of each final evolution can matter more than this quest choice.
Branch-specific tasks and rewards
The branch begins after you complete Part 1. Part 3 and Part 4 use the selected starter, while Part 5 asks for its middle evolution.
Part 3/19
- Catch 3 Pokémon — 3 Poké Balls
- Take a snapshot of a wild Pokémon — 5 Pinap Berries
Completion rewards are the selected starter encounter and 1,000 XP:
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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.
- Grookey path: Grookey encounter
- Scorbunny path: Scorbunny encounter
- Sobble path: Sobble encounter
Part 4/19
- Catch 88 Pokémon — 1,000 XP
- Spin 25 PokéStops or Gyms — 500 Stardust
- Explore 8 km — 20 Candy for the selected starter
- Evolve a [selected starter] — 15 Poké Balls
Completing the page awards 10 Great Balls and 1,500 XP. The evolution requirement is exact: evolve a Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble according to your chosen branch.
Part 5/19
- Catch 88 Pokémon — 2,000 XP
- Send 8 Gifts to friends — 1,000 Stardust
- Hatch 8 Eggs — 50 Candy for the selected starter
- Evolve the selected starter’s middle evolution — 3 Rare Candy
Completing Part 5 awards a Wooloo encounter and 2,000 XP. The final task must match your branch:
- Grookey path: Evolve a Thwackey
- Scorbunny path: Evolve a Raboot
- Sobble path: Evolve a Drizzile
Part 4 provides 20 starter Candy, while Part 5 provides 50. Claims that these rewards are reversed, or that Part 4 awards 15 Great Balls, are outdated or incorrect.
What happens after Part 5?
The research returns to a common sequence after the starter branch. Later pages do not continue to differ based on whether you chose Grookey, Scorbunny, or Sobble.
Part 6/19
- Collect MP from 10 Power Spots — 5 Razz Berries
- Spin 25 PokéStops or Gyms — 15 Poké Balls
- Explore 5 km — 5 Pinap Berries
Completion rewards are 2,500 XP and a Skwovet encounter. The published task wording is Collect MP from 10 Power Spots, not simply “Visit 10 Power Spots.” Guides using the older or simplified wording may cause confusion.
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- 50+ Pokemon Cards
- 5 Holos Guaranteed minimium per order
- 1 GX, EX, V, VMax, Full Art, Tag Team, or Secret Rare
Will the research encounter have good IVs?
Research encounters normally have a minimum IV floor of 10/10/10. Each of Attack, Defense, and HP can therefore roll from 10 through 15. That gives the selected starter a decent minimum stat range, but it does not guarantee a perfect Pokémon or make every encounter suitable for competitive battle. You can appraise it after the encounter and decide whether to evolve it.
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The research is missing
If Galar Calling is not in the Special Research section, the likely reason is that the account did not claim it by December 3, 2024, at 9:59 a.m. local time. It is not currently claimable for new players.
The three choices have not appeared
Finish Part 1/19 by catching 8 Pokémon, then claim the page’s rewards. The “Adventure with Grookey,” “Adventure with Scorbunny,” and “Adventure with Sobble” buttons appear on the following page.
I picked the wrong starter
There is no documented branch reset or switch. Treat the selection as permanent rather than expecting a later confirmation screen.
An evolution task is not registering
Use the exact species named on the active task. For example, “Evolve a Thwackey” requires Thwackey; evolving another Grass-type Pokémon will not count. To evolve a Pokémon, use Map View → Main Menu → Pokémon → select the Pokémon → Evolve.
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Does one path give all three starters?
No. The research supplies the selected starter and its related Candy. The other two must be obtained through whatever other methods are available, such as events, Eggs, trades, or future releases.
