All players should have received a new Special Research Task set in Pokémon Go called “Go Tour 2024: Road to Sinnoh” on Thursday, Feb. 15. The three-step quest isn’t particularly hard to complete, but you will have to make a branching choice after the first quest, prompting you to pick between Diamond or Pearl.
Note that the choice you pick does affect your gameplay in the upcoming global Go Tour: Sinnoh event, but only by a bit.
Our Pokémon Go guide lists out all the “Go Tour 2024: Road to Sinnoh” research tasks and explains how to choose between Diamond or Pearl.
Should I pick Diamond or Pearl in the Pokémon Go ‘Road to Sinnoh’ Special Research?
Here are the perks for picking Diamond:
- Dialga Candy
- Larvitar Candy and Tyranitar Mega Energy
- Caught Origin Forme Dialga will know “Roar of Time,” guaranteed
- Origin Forme Dialga’s “Roar of Time” effect will last twice as long
Here are the perks for picking Pearl:
- Palkia Candy
- Bagon Candy and Salamence Mega Energy
- Caught Origin Forme Palkia will know “Spacial Rend,” guaranteed
- Origin Forme Dialga’s “Spacial Rend” effect will last twice as long
Note that the opposite Pokémon from which you pick still has a chance to know its special move when caught during the event, but it’s not guaranteed. That said, you should pick the option for whichever special effect you prefer.
Both “Roar of Time” and “Spacial Rend” have special effects and can be used outside of battle. For 5,000 Stardust and five respective candy, you can activate a special effect. “Roar of Time” pauses the timer of your usable items (Incense, Lucky Eggs, and Star Pieces) for six minutes. “Spacial Rend” expands the radius in which you can find Pokémon in around you for 10 minutes.
All that said, it’s kind of a personal preference. If you really savor the use of your items, then the Diamond path with “Roar of Time” is probably more valuable to you. If you’re drowning in items and want to walk a bit less, then the Pearl path with “Spacial Rend” may be more appealing.
(Unfortunately, as of this writing, we don’t know what the rate of finding a Dialga or Palkia with their special moves are without the guarantee, so it’s hard to tell if this choice really matters or not.)
Pokémon Go ‘Road to Sinnoh’ Special Research steps
The only difference between the two choices, Special Research-wise, are the rewards for the second steps. The rest of the research is the same.
Step 1 of 3
- Catch a Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region
Rewards: 2,024 XP, 2,024 Stardust, Bidoof encounter
Step 2 of 3 (Diamond)
- Feed your buddy (10 Larvitar Candy)
- Feed your buddy (100 Tyranitar Mega Energy)
Rewards: Diamond badge, 3 Dialga Candy, Larvitar encounter
Step 2 of 3 (Pearl)
- Feed your buddy (10 Bagon Candy)
- Feed your buddy (100 Salamence Mega Energy)
Rewards: Pearl badge, 3 Palkia Candy, Bagon encounter
Step 3 of 3
- Catch a Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region
Rewards: 2,024 XP, 2,024 Stardust, Bidoof encounter
