Pokémon GO’s Ultra Unlock Part 3: Sword and Shield event ran August 20–31, 2021, and its Timed Research has expired. The five-stage task list below is preserved as a historical reference, with each task’s reward and the stage-completion rewards. You can no longer claim these event rewards through this research.
When did the Sword and Shield event run?
The event ran from Friday, August 20, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. until Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. local time. It introduced Zacian and Zamazenta in their Hero of Many Battles forms, as well as Skwovet, Greedent, Wooloo, Dubwool, and Falinks. The event also featured themed wild spawns, 7 km Eggs, Field Research, and the now-expired Timed Research. Niantic’s event announcement described the research as a chance to encounter Pokémon first discovered in the Galar region.
What were the Timed Research tasks and rewards?
This complete five-stage list follows the presentation in Serebii’s event archive, which transcribes the tasks and rewards. Each line gives the task reward; stage completion rewards follow each table.
Stage 1 of 5
- Send 5 Gifts to friends — 5 Great Balls.
- Catch 8 Pokémon — 5 Razz Berries.
- Defeat 2 Team GO Rocket Grunts — Pikachu encounter.
Stage rewards: 10 Poké Balls, 888 XP, and 5 Ultra Balls.
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- Catch, battle, and trade Pokémon on an all-new adventure in the Galar region
- Choose from three new partner Pokémon and encounter never-before-seen Pokémon
- Unravel the mystery behind the Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta!
- Team up with other Trainers to participate in Max Raid Battles***!
- Battle wild Dynamax Pokémon in Max Raid Battles and try catching them***
Stage 2 of 5
- Power up Pokémon 5 times — 10 Super Potions.
- Catch 10 Pokémon — 5 Revives.
- Battle in GO Battle League — Meowth encounter.
Stage rewards: 5 Ultra Balls, 888 XP, and 5 Ultra Balls.
Stage 3 of 5
- Evolve 2 Pokémon — 5 Pinap Berries.
- Catch 5 Normal-type Pokémon — Meowth encounter.
- Defeat 4 Team GO Rocket Grunts — Butterfree encounter.
Stage rewards: 15 Poké Balls, 888 XP, and 5 Ultra Balls.
Rank #2
- New entries in the main series of Pokémon RPGs arrive on Nintendo Switch simultaneously in late 2019
- The Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games take place in the newly discovered Galar Region
- Galar is an expansive region with diverse environments - an idyllic countryside, contemporary cities, thick forest and craggy, snow-covered mountains
- Fans will have the opportunity to visit Gyms in the Galar region in their quest to become Champion
- Newly discovered partner Pokémon join in this new iteration of the games - Grookey, Scorbunny and Sobble
Stage 4 of 5
- Use 10 Berries to help catch Pokémon — Skwovet encounter.
- Catch 8 different species of Pokémon — Galarian Farfetch’d encounter.
- Win a raid — Gengar encounter.
Stage rewards: 10 Great Balls, 888 XP, and 5 Ultra Balls.
Stage 5 of 5
- Earn 12 hearts with your buddy — Wooloo encounter.
- Catch 8 different species of Pokémon — Galarian Stunfisk encounter.
- Win a raid in under 60 seconds — Snorlax encounter.
Stage rewards: 25 Poké Balls, 1 Rare Candy, and 5 Ultra Balls.
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Rank #3
- Revisit the Sinnoh region from the original Pokémon Pearl Version game and set off to try and become the Champion of the Pokémon League
- The Pokémon Shining Pearl game brings new life to this remade classic with added features
- Explore the Grand Underground to dig up items and Pokémon Fossils, build a Secret Base, and more.
- Test your style and rhythm in a Super Contest Show
- A reimagined adventure, now for the Nintendo Switch system
Which Legendary Pokémon were in raids?
The featured five-star raid Pokémon changed during the event:
- August 20–26: Zacian.
- August 26–September 1: Zamazenta.
- August 30, 6–7 p.m. local time: a bonus Raid Hour featured both Zacian and Zamazenta.
The raid schedule extended through September 1 for Zamazenta, beyond the event’s August 31 end time.
Rank #4
![Nintendo Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass or Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass (Retail Version) - [Switch Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51l34qxMYhL._SL160_.jpg)
- Continue your Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield adventure in The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, two new areas to explore that will be added to the Galar region as part of the Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass or Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass
- Redeem your download code in the Nintendo eShop for either the Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass or the Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass. Upon redeeming the code, you will be prompted to select one Expansion Pass. Only redeemable for one Expansion Pass.
- You'll also see some familiar Pokémon that didn't appear in the Galar region before, a total of over 200 Pokémon
- Part 1: The Isle of Armor is available now; Part 2: The Crown Tundra is scheduled for release during the fall of 2020
- If you purchase the Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass or the Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass, you'll receive two codes redeemable to get two special uniform sets of in-game apparel as a bonus
What changed about Falinks during the event?
Falinks was initially announced for three-star raids, but Niantic updated its announcement on August 20, 2021, to say it had been removed because of a visual bug. Machamp took its raid slot through August 26, followed by Gengar from August 26 to September 1. Falinks instead appeared more frequently in the wild and remained available from event-exclusive Field Research.
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