I tap the Timed Research and three starter portraits blink up at me. You hold your thumb over Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie and feel a small, oddly public choice. I tell you straight: this is less a loss-or-win call than a tidy chance to fill a gap in your collection.
I watched the three starters line up across the screen — then I counted the trade-offs
The mission titled A Beautiful Day to Celebrate! hands you a simple funnel: choose one of the Kalos starters and that Pokémon will be the reward each time you finish a leg of the research. Each leg asks you to catch a Pokémon on a different day; there are six legs total, and you get nine days to complete them, so you only need to complete six of the nine days. Miss a day? Fine. Miss more than four and you’ve missed the run.
This choice is a short story with three prologues.
I noticed the background options before I noticed the shiny odds
There are two special backgrounds that can come with your chosen Starter: a cool blue-and-white window motif or an orange-maroon tentacle effect. Those frames are the collectible hook here; they feel anniversary-grade, and Niantic is unlikely to offer the same art again outside this 30th celebration.
A Shiny with a special background is a museum coin pulled from a street vendor’s tin.
Which Kalos starter should I pick in Pokémon Go?
Pick the one you need most for your dex or the one you like. Mechanically, none of the three—Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie—grants a gameplay advantage in this research. The research simply spawns your chosen Starter as the task reward. If you already have a strong community favorite or want to chase a Shiny + special background combo, choose that Pokémon. If completionist itch drives you, pick the one missing from your roster.
I checked the rewards and realized the real value was small, steady, certain
Completing all six tasks nets five Candy of your chosen Starter, Stardust tied to that Starter’s Pokédex number, and 2,026 XP. Those are modest but dependable returns for a low-effort series of daily catches. There are six opportunities to score a Shiny with the special background across the six legs, so your odds stack with each successful day.
How does the Timed Research work and how do I get it?
To access the research, sign into your account at the official Pokémon Go redemption page and enter the code GOTOURKALOS. That registers the research to your Special Research tab; the active tasks also appear under Events. Niantic and The Pokémon Company are the platforms steering this event, and outlets such as Moyens I/O documented the rollout if you want a visual guide.
I tested the simple decision rule I give players
If you want a quick rule: choose your favorite or the one you lack. The special backgrounds are the rare piece; shinies are rarer. There’s no penalty for choosing “wrong” because you can always pursue the other starters through normal spawns or future events—though those exact background designs will likely not return.
Small tactical notes: you must complete six distinct catch-days within the nine-day window, the research drops only the Starter you selected, and the visual rarity makes any Shiny with the background a better catch than a plain Shiny without it. You can manage the days around your schedule, so treat the research as a polite invitation to play, not a sprint.
If you want to trade this event for a future shiny or keep your halves of the collection tidy, I’d pick whichever starter scratches the specific itch in your box—nostalgia, completion, or personal taste. Which one will you choose and why will your friends argue about it tomorrow?