Pokemon Go: You Can Catch A Legendary Through The New Quest System

Last week's big Pokemon Go update introduced a new research quest system to the game, which gives players additional objectives to complete while playing. The system launched alongside a new storyline tied to the Mythical Pokemon Mew, but it appears that isn't the only Legendary players can discover by completing quests.

On Reddit, Pokemon Go players are reporting that the reward for their first "research breakthrough" is another encounter with the Legendary fire bird Moltres. Previously, players could only encounter Moltres in Raid Battles at Gyms. This required physically going to the location of a Raid and teaming up with other players for a chance to capture one, which is particularly a hassle for players who live in rural areas. Thanks to the new research quest system, players now have another avenue for getting Legendary Pokemon.

Research quests come in two varieties: Special Research and Field Research. The former are story-driven quests assigned by Professor Willow himself, the first batch of which leads to an encounter with Mew. Field Research, on the other hand, are distributed via PokeStops. Players can complete as many of these as they want in a day, and they will receive one stamp for the first Field Research task they do each day.

Completing research quests rewards players with a variety of items, while amassing seven stamps leads to a "research breakthrough." Niantic teased that achieving a breakthrough would unlock additional rewards, including a possible encounter with another Legendary. The developer hasn't announced what other Legendary Pokemon players will have a chance to capture through the quest system.

In addition to Mew and Moltres, another pair of Legendaries recently began appearing in Pokemon Go. For a limited time, the Eon Pokemon Latios and Latias will be available in Raid Battles in different parts of the world. The former can now be found in North America, South America, and Africa, while the latter is available in Europe and Asia. The Legendaries will swap regions beginning May 8, where they will remain until June 5.

The next Pokemon Go Community Day event takes place later this month, on April 15, and features the Electric-type Mareep. Beyond that, Niantic is partnering with Playmob to host a series of Earth Day Clean Up events on April 22. The events focus on cleaning up litter in public spaces and reward participants with in-game bonuses.