Pokémon Go ‘Eerie Echoes’ Timed Research steps — and is it worth it?

“Eerie Echoes” A paid ticket that offers a Timed Research Quest in Pokémon Go.

Tickets are available for the Halloween event 2023. They must be ordered by the 30th of October and completed on the 31st at 8pm local time.

If you pay $5 (or equivalent local currency), then you can access a variety of rewards including an exclusive Ghost Pose. Here’s every reward from the “Eerie Echoes” Timed Research, and our view on whether the ticket is worth buying.

‘Eerie Echoes’ Timed Research quest steps

This quest is open to all players and needs to be completed on or before Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 8pm local time.

Step 1

• Spin 3 PokéStops or Gyms (Gastly encounter)
• Catch 10 Pokémon (Misdreavus encounter)
• Five Curveballs to Throw (Litwick Encounter)

You can also get Rewards: Phantump encounter, 5 Silver Pinap Berries

Step 3 of 4.

• Throw 2 Curveballs at the Poochyena (Poochyena Encounter)
• Transfer 10 Pokémon (Galarian Zigzagoon encounter)
• Catch 10 Ghost-type Pokémon (Sableye encounter)

You can also get Rewards: Phantump encounter, 1 Incense

Step 4

• Walk 2km (Purrloin encounter)
• You can send 5 gifts to your friends after the Alolan Meowth meeting.
• Catch 10 Ghost-type Pokémon (Umbreon encounter)

You can also get Rewards: Phantump encounter, 1 Incubator

Step 4

• Hatch an Egg
• Ten Curveball throws in Yamask encounter
• Catch 15 Ghost-type Pokémon (Greavard encounter)

You can also get Rewards: Trevenant encounter, Ghost Pose avatar item

Is the ‘Eerie Echoes’ Timed Research worth it?

Premium research: How to judge? Pokémon Go is worth buying can be tricky, as what each player values is subjective, but comparing items to what they cost in the store, the Pokémon encounters available, and/or comparing it to similar research quests can help narrow down your decision making. Keeping all this in mind Timed Research will only be worth it for those who want to do the Ghost Pose.

The ticket is the only way to get this pose (whether it is temporary or permanent is not known). When you consider poses sell for 500 PokéCoins each, this is about the same as the $5 event ticket itself (for comparison, a 550 PokéCoin bundle is $5), meaning all other rewards in this ticket can be seen as an added bonus. What about the other shop items you get as part of the research — one Incense and one Incubator — both are inexpensive (they cost 190 PokéCoins in total standalone, and often much cheaper as part of bundles) and are commonly rewarded in most research quests, so don’t provide much extra value.

As for the Discovering the Right Experience, many Pokémon here are available in the wild as part of the event, while the likes of Alolan Meowth, Trevenant, Umbreon, and Greavard (which debuts in this Halloween event) are on the rarer side. The ticket is also another way to squeeze in three extra encounters with Phantump, which is the game’s latest shiny, but without boosted odds, you may as well seek out wild encounters instead.

Another (albeit small) factor to consider is all encounters from research give a higher-than-average set of stats (they will have an “IV floor” of 10/10/10, out of a possible max of 15/15/15), so if you’re after more-powerful-than-average versions of these creatures — especially as many have the potential to be shiny — then that’s worth considering.

Image: Niantic / The Pokémon Company via Polygon

What about the quest steps, they’re straightforward and shouldn’t take long for the average player to complete with the time allotted, meaning you should unlock everything in good time. Personally, I enjoy the structure research quests offer to give me something to work towards as part of an event, even if the objectives themselves don’t offer much challenge. That said, it’s not as if this Halloween event is short of things to do this year; there are two other free research tasks available, including one involving Spiritomb, so you’ll still have plenty to keep you busy.

If you remove the pose, the “Eerie Echoes” research is a much tougher sell. But if you remove the pose from the equation, the “Eerie Echoes” research is a much tougher sell — especially if you weigh it up against the “Ticket of Treats” Timed Research that’s also available until the end of the month, and at the same cost; that ticket at least staggers out its tasks weekly, has more encounters, and offers slightly better value rewards, including three Premium Passes and a Super Incubator.