Pokémon Go Master Ball Special Research quest steps, and is it worth buying?

Pokémon Go has presented players with yet another opportunity to grab a Master Ball, if they want it. For $7.99, players can nab a pass in the shop that rewards a load of XP and a Master Ball. This pass debuted alongside the “Party Up” event in November 2023 and is available to purchase until Nov. 28.

Note that this paid research is only for players who did not complete the season-long Master Ball Timed Research (the one that required you to do 60 raids and other lengthy tasks).

While the steps for this paid research seem daunting, you have an unlimited amount of time to do it, so it shouldn’t be that bad. We list out the steps and whether or not it may be worth buying below.

Pokémon Go Master Ball Special Research Tasks and rewards

There are three steps to the Master Ball Special Research:

Step 1 of 3

• Catch 300 Pokémon (6,000 XP)
• Use 180 berries to help catch Pokémon (6,000 XP)
• Catch 60 Pokémon in a single day (6,000 XP)

Reward: 7,500 XP

Step 2 of 3

• Catch 500 Pokémon (6,000 XP)
• Hatch 30 eggs (6,000 XP)
• Make 100 excellent throws (6,000 XP)

Rewards: 7,500 XP

Step 3 of 3

• Catch 150 Pokémon in Poké Balls (6,000 XP)
• Catch 150 Pokémon in Great Balls (6,000 XP)
• Catch 150 Pokémon in Ultra Balls (6,000 XP)
• Catch 150 different species of Pokémon (6,000 XP)

Rewards: 25,000 XP, 3,000 Stardust, 1 Master Ball

Is the Master Ball Special Research quest ticket worth buying?

Straight-up, this ticket is only worth buying if you’re going to actually use the Master Ball. Of course, you can also buy it if you’re a collector who just wants to hold on to the 100% catch guaranteed ball, but it’s kind of a waste in that case.

Digging a little deeper, I would only personally recommend buying this pass if:

1. You use your Daily Adventure Incense often and you’re trying to grab a Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, or Moltres — which runs away after the first failed ball. This way, you can catch your bird guaranteed.
2. You want insurance for a guarantee for a specific shiny or rare spawn in the wild. This includes Azelf, Mesprit, or Uxie, though you can find them at actual raids from time to time.

I would not personally use the Master Ball for a Legendary Pokémon from a raid. You can get a free raid pass every day and even Premium Raid Passes are a dime a dozen. There is no raid Pokémon that is worth using a Master Ball on, as you can just try the raid again (using another pass).

The exception to this is if you have trouble hitting difficult raid targets with the given Premier Balls. Some Pokémon, like Shadow Lugia, are pretty hard to even hit with a normal ball, so if you really want a Shadow Lugia, we would not judge you for using your Master Ball on it.

All in all, the pass is worth it if you just want a Master Ball. What you use it on is up to you. Use it on a Pidgey! Use it on a special shiny you find in the wild! Use it on a Pikachu with a hat! We support your choices.