As a highlight of the Pokémon GO Fest: Global 2026 celebration, trainers have the exclusive opportunity to unlock the Mythical Pokémon Zeraora through the “A Thunderous Discovery” Special Research questline.
Please note that this quest is only available to claim during the GO Fest: Global 2026 event window. You must log in between July 11 at 10 a.m. and July 12 at 7 p.m. to add the research to your account. Once claimed, the quest does not have an expiration date, allowing you to complete the objectives at your own pace. However, many challenges are designed to be completed more efficiently during the event hours, so it is recommended to prioritize them over the weekend.
Zeraora is a notoriously elusive Mythical Pokémon with very limited availability across the franchise. While it recently appeared in the Mega Dimension DLC for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, it was previously restricted to specific online event distributions for Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. This makes the GO Fest event a rare chance to add this electric powerhouse to your collection.
Below, you will find the complete breakdown of the “A Thunderous Discovery” Special Research tasks and their corresponding rewards.
Pokémon GO ‘A Thunderous Discovery’ Zeraora Special Research: Task List
‘A Thunderous Discovery’ Step 1 of 8
- Spin 8 PokéStops or Gyms (Reward: 1 Incense)
- Use 1 Incense (Reward: 26 Poké Balls)
- Catch 7 Pokémon (Reward: 1 Lucky Egg)
Step Rewards: 1 Star Piece, 6 Nanab Berries, 1 Lure Module
‘A Thunderous Discovery’ Step 2 of 8
- Explore 1 km (Reward: 26 Poké Balls)
- Use 10 Berries to help catch Pokémon (Reward: Pawmi encounter)
- Catch 15 different species of Pokémon (Reward: 2,026 Stardust)
Step Rewards: 1 Incense, Tynamo encounter, 2,026 Stardust
‘A Thunderous Discovery’ Step 3 of 8
- Complete 3 Field Research Tasks (Reward: Pikachu with Instinct hat encounter)
- Catch 3 Electric-type Pokémon (Reward: Pikachu with Mystic hat encounter)
- Power up Electric-type Pokémon 10 times (Reward: Pikachu with Valor hat encounter)
Step Rewards: 6 GO Fest Mewtwo stickers, 1 Incubator, 2,026 XP
‘A Thunderous Discovery’ Step 4 of 8
- Explore 2 km (Reward: Electrode encounter)
- Make 8 Great Throws (Reward: Ninjask encounter)
- Make 5 Great Curveball Throws (Reward: Aerodactyl encounter)
Step Rewards: 2,026 XP, 26 Ultra Balls, 2 Premium Raid Passes
‘A Thunderous Discovery’ Step 5 of 8
- Battle in 3 Raids (Reward: 3 Max Revives)
- Win a Raid (Reward: 3 Max Potions)
- Catch 20 different species of Pokémon (Reward: 3 Razz Berries)
Step Rewards: 2,025 XP, 2 Super Incubators, 2,026 Stardust
‘A Thunderous Discovery’ Step 6 of 8
- Explore 2 km (Reward: Bulbasaur with Pikachu visor encounter)
- Make 8 Excellent Throws (Reward: Charmander with Pikachu visor encounter)
- Make 3 Great Throws in a row (Reward: Squirtle with Pikachu visor encounter)
Step Rewards: GO Fest Zeraora sticker, Zeraora encounter, 26 Zeraora Candy
Note: If you have already obtained Zeraora from an in-person GO Fest event, you will receive Zeraora Candy as a bonus reward instead.
‘A Thunderous Discovery’ Step 7 of 8
- Take a snapshot of Zeraora (Reward: 1 Poffin)
- Earn a Candy exploring with Zeraora as your buddy (Reward: 3 Rare Candy)
- Earn 6 hearts with Zeraora as your buddy (Reward: 3 Silver Pinap Berries)
Step Rewards: 6 GO Fest stickers, 1 Zeraora T-shirt, 2 Super Incubators
‘A Thunderous Discovery’ Step 8 of 8
- Catch a Pokémon on 7 different days (Reward: 2,026 XP)
- Hatch 2 Eggs (Reward: 2,026 Stardust)
- Send a gift to a friend (Reward: 2,026 XP)
Step Rewards: 3 Rare Candy XL, Poké Ball Shades, 6 Zeraora Candy XL
Special thanks to TrainersGo on X for verifying the final stages of the Zeraora research quest.
Source: Polygon
