Pokémon Go ‘A Paldean Adventure’ choose a path quest steps: Who should you adventure with?

Pokémon Go’s “A Paldean Adventure” is the season-long Special Research for Season 12: Adventure’s Abound.

Focusing on Gen 9 starters Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly, it starts with a ‘choose a path’ choice between the three Pokémon.

The “A Paldean Adventure” Special Research will run until the end of the season, meaning you have until Dec. 1 to claim. Once you log in and begin, it’ll stick around forever in your Special quest tab, so there is no urgency in finishing every step — which is just as well as the requirements are pretty steep.

The quest debuted as part of the similarly named “A Paldean Adventure” event, which concluded on Sunday, Sept. 10, before transitioning into the “Ultra Unlock: Paldea” event. It also saw fellow Gen 9 debutant Lechonk its own quest, “Lechonk’s Adventure.”

The headline of the event is Special Research “A Paldean Adventure,” which you have until Dec. 1 to claim.

Rewards: 900 XP, 900 Stardust

At this point, you will choose a path between which starter — Fuecoco, Sprigatito, or Quaxly — you want to adventure with.

You can read our thoughts on which to pick in the next section, otherwise, the steps that follow are:

Rewards: Fuecoco, Sprigatito, or Quaxly encounter, 900 XP

Rewards: Lechonk encounter, 900 XP

Rewards: Pawmi encounter, 900 XP

Rewards: 1 Lucky Egg, 900 XP

Unlike Pokémon Scarlet and Violet — where starters are much harder to come by, and your choice ideally takes into account which type will give you the greatest advantage over early level gyms — choosing Fuecoco, Sprigatito, or Quaxly in Pokémon Go is simply a case of whichever you prefer.

The quest choice not only dictates which starter you’ll receive in an encounter at the end of step 2, but which you need to evolve in steps 3 and 4, and finally, who you will receive 50 candy for in step 5.

The other consideration beyond the above is that whichever you choose in this research step will have a higher-than-average set of stats, with an “IV floor” of 10/10/10 (out of a possible max of 15/15/15). This means you are guaranteed to get a moderately powerful version of that Pokémon, so if you plan to have one as part of your battle party, then opt for that.

That said, you catch more starters easily through Field Research and eggs with similar IV floors as part of the event, not to mention the possibility of getting good stats through wild catches and a dose of luck. In other words — this is by far not your only chance to get a Gen 9 starter with good IVs.

To summarize, the “choose a path” quest won’t offer anything exclusive, so opt for your favorite out of the three. (For us, it’s the grass starter. Always the grass starter.)

As well as the above quest, there are also four Collection Challenges to complete until the end of the Ultra Unlock: Paldea event on Friday, Sept. 15:

Rewards: 1,000 Stardust, Lechonk encounter

Rewards: 1,000 Stardust, Lechonk encounter

Rewards: 1,000 Stardust, Lechonk encounter

Rewards: 1,000 Stardust, Lechonk encounter