Master the final Ultra Unlock 2021 event: Complete guide to Sword & Shield Timed and Field Research tasks, rewards, and expert strategies.
Event Overview & Strategic Importance
The climax of the 2021 Ultra Unlock series has arrived, bringing the Sword & Shield era of Pokémon into Pokémon Go for the first time. This isn’t just another event—it’s the reward for global Trainer collaboration during Go Fest 2021, offering exclusive access to Galar region species.
This final Ultra Unlock chapter transforms your gameplay from August 20 to August 31, 2021, with time-limited research and debut Pokémon that won’t be available again for months.
While the headline attractions are the Legendary duo Zacian and Zamazenta, strategic Trainers should focus equally on the research tasks. These provide guaranteed encounters with rare species like Falinks and Galarian Stunfisk, which might have lower wild spawn rates.
Successfully navigating this event requires understanding its dual structure: Timed Research that must be completed within the event window, and Field Research obtained from PokeStops that can be stacked and completed strategically.
Below is your tactical blueprint for maximizing rewards, completing every task, and avoiding the common mistakes that could cost you rare encounters during this limited 12-day window.
Timed Research: Tasks, Rewards & Efficient Completion
The event-exclusive Timed Research consists of five distinct stages, each with three tasks and a completion reward. Unlike Field Research, these tasks expire when the event ends, making time management crucial.
Stage-by-Stage Breakdown & Pro Tips
- Send 5 Gifts to Friends – 5 Great Balls
Pro Tip: Send gifts to friends who open daily to ensure quick completion. Stack this task with your daily friendship interactions. - Catch 8 Pokémon – 5 Razz Berries
Pro Tip: Use Incense or visit populated areas to complete this in minutes rather than waiting for natural spawns. - Defeat 2 Team Go Rocket Grunts – Pikachu encounter
Pro Tip: Hunt for Grunts near PokeStops; use Fighting-type Pokémon like Machamp or Lucario for faster victories.
Stage 1 Rewards: 10 Poke Balls, 5 Ultra Balls, and 888 XP
- Power up Pokémon 5 times – 10 Super Potions
Pro Tip: Power up low-CP Pokémon to minimize Stardust and Candy costs while completing this task. - Catch 10 Pokémon – 5 Revives
Pro Tip: Combine with a Star Piece if catching during Spotlight Hour for bonus Stardust on top of task completion. - Battle in the Go Battle League – Meowth encounter
Pro Tip: Even if you lose, participating counts. Complete your daily sets while checking this task off.
Stage 2 Rewards: 5 Ultra Balls, 5 Ultra Balls, and 888 XP
- Evolve 2 Pokémon – 5 Pinap Berries
Common Mistake: Evolving species that require special items or are rare. Use common species like Pidgey or Weedle saved for evolution sessions. - Catch 5 Normal-type Pokémon – Galarian Meowth encounter
Pro Tip: Normal types are common, but use a Magnetic Lure Module if needed, as it attracts Normal-type Pokémon. - Defeat 4 Team Go Rocket Grunts – Butterfree encounter
Pro Tip: Grunt battles refresh every 6 hours at PokeStops. Plan routes to hit multiple stops efficiently.
Stage 3 Rewards: 15 Poke Balls, 5 Ultra Balls, and 888 XP
- Use 10 Berries to help catch Pokémon – Skwovet encounter
Optimization: Use Nanab Berries on easy catches to preserve Razz/Pinap Berries for more valuable Pokémon. - Catch 9 different species of Pokémon – Galarian Farfetch’d encounter
Advanced Strategy: Visit areas with diverse biomes (parks, water edges, urban centers) or use an Incense to increase species variety quickly. - Win a raid – Gengar encounter
Critical Note: Any raid tier counts. Use a daily free pass on a 1-star raid for quick completion if time is limited.
Stage 4 Rewards: 10 Great Balls, 5 Ultra Balls, and 888 XP
- Earn 12 hearts with your buddy – Wooloo encounter
Time Management: Start this early! Earning 12 hearts requires multiple days. Switch to a low walking-distance buddy to earn hearts faster through feeding and playing. - Catch 8 different species of Pokémon – Galarian Stunfisk encounter
Similar strategy to Stage 4’s species task—plan a hunting route with varied habitats. - Win a raid in under 60 seconds – Snorlax encounter
Advanced Tactic: Team up with other Trainers for a low-tier raid (1-star) with super-effective counters. Solo players can use optimal counters against a weak boss like Shinx.
Stage 5 Rewards: 25 Poke Balls, 5 Ultra Balls, and 1 Rare Candy
Value Note: The Rare Candy is the most valuable reward in the Timed Research chain, useful for powering up Legendary Pokémon like Zacian/Zamazenta.
Field Research: Event Tasks & Spinning Strategy
Unlike Timed Research, Field Research tasks are obtained by spinning Photo Discs at PokeStops and Gyms during the event. You can hold up to three tasks at once and complete them on your own schedule, even after the event ends, as long as you claimed them during the event period.
Event Task List & Encounter Value Tier
- Use 7 Berries to help catch Pokémon – Skwovet encounter
Tier: Medium. Skwovet is also available in the wild, but this guarantees the encounter. - Earn 5 hearts with your buddy – Wooloo encounter
Tier: High. Wooloo is a new debut with potential future evolution (Dubwool). Guaranteed encounter saves time. - Win 2 Raids – Falinks encounter
Tier: Very High. Falinks is a rare debut with no evolution but unique battle properties. Prioritize this task. - Defeat 3 Team Go Rocket Grunts – Galarian Farfetch’d encounter
Tier: High. Galarian Farfetch’d evolves into Sirfetch’d, a powerful Fighting-type. Essential for collectors and battlers. - Spin 10 PokeStops or Gyms – 5 Poke Balls
Tier: Low. Resource-only reward. Consider deleting if bag space is tight and you need encounter tasks. - Take a snapshot of a wild Pokémon – 2 Pinap Berries
Tier: Low. Easy to complete but low reward value. Delete for better tasks if needed.
Spinning Strategy: Visit high-density PokeStop areas to collect multiple tasks quickly. Delete low-value tasks (like the Poke Ball or Pinap Berry rewards) to make room for high-value encounter tasks. Remember: you can only delete a task before you complete it, so choose wisely.
Special Features & Collection Opportunities
Beyond the research tasks, the Sword & Shield event introduces a wave of content that reshapes collection goals. The headline act is the debut of the Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta in 5-Star Raids. These Pokémon are expected to rotate during the event, so check your in-game news for which is active. Coordinate with local raid groups to secure these powerful additions to your roster.
New wild spawns include Skwovet, Wooloo, and Falinks. Falinks is expected to be the rarest of the three. Use Incense on days when you’re stationary to increase chances. Both Skwovet and Wooloo will feature in Spotlight Hours (check schedule for specific dates), offering the best chance to catch them with bonuses and potentially high IV specimens.
A major update hits the 7km Egg pool. Eggs collected from Gifts during the event period can hatch:
Galarian Meowth, Galarian Ponyta, Galarian Slowpoke, Galarian Farfetch’d, Galarian Zigzagoon, Galarian Darumaka, and Galarian Stunfisk.
Collection Tip: Focus on hatching 7km Eggs if you need these Galarian forms. Clear egg inventory space before opening Gifts from friends.
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Advanced Player Optimization & Common Pitfalls
Avoid These Event Mistakes
1. Ignoring the Buddy Heart Task Until the Last Minute: Earning 12 hearts takes multiple days. Start on day one by setting your buddy and interacting frequently.
2. Wasting Raid Passes on the “Win a Raid” Task: Use your free daily pass on a 1-star raid for a guaranteed, quick win. Save premium passes for Legendary raids.
3. Hoarding Low-Value Field Research: Don’t clog your task queue with “Spin 10 Stops” or berry rewards. Delete them to hunt for Falinks or Galarian Farfetch’d encounters.
4. Forgetting the Event End Time: Timed Research disappears at 11:59 PM local time on August 31. You cannot complete it afterward. Set a reminder.
5. Evolving Rare Pokémon for the “Evolve 2” Task: Burn common candy on species like Pidgey or Whismur. Never use special evolution items or rare candy for this.
Optimization Checklist for Busy Trainers
- Days 1-3: Focus on starting the buddy heart task, sending gifts, and completing easy catch/power-up tasks. Collect and prioritize high-tier Field Research.
- Days ACT 4-8: Tackle the multi-Grunt battles and species-diversity tasks by visiting diverse areas. Complete at least one raid daily.
- Days 9-12: Finalize the 12-heart buddy task. Use the “win a raid under 60 seconds” tactic with friends. Claim all Timed Research rewards.
- Ongoing: Hatch 7km Eggs, participate in Spotlight Hours for Skwovet/Wooloo, and raid for Zacian/Zamazenta.
The Ultra Unlock: Sword & Shield event is a dense offering of content. By focusing on guaranteed encounters from research, managing your time against the clock, and prioritizing high-value tasks, you’ll transform this event from overwhelming to highly rewarding.
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