Z-A Celebration Event? (Chikorita, Totodile, or Tepig)

To celebrate the launch of Pokemon Legends: Z-A on the Nintendo Switch, there’s an event going on in Pokemon GO called Pokemon Legends: Z-A Celebration Event (obviously). The three starter Pokemon for Z-A (Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile) are the featured monsters this time around, and players can complete Timed Research Tasks to earn Candy towards evolving them. They’ll also appear as encounters for some of the tasks, but it all depends on the path you choose.

The free Pokemon GO Timed Research has three steps, but there are three paths to pick based on the three starter Pokemon. Let’s go through the tasks and rewards for each, and discuss the best option for competitive battling.

Chikorita Path, Explained in Pokemon GO Z-A Celebration Event

If you choose the Chikorita path for the Timed Research, you will get the following tasks and rewards.

Step 1
- Explore 1km – 25 Chikorita Candy
  - Total Reward: Chikorita Encounter
Step 2
- Power up Grass-type Pokemon 20 times – 50 Chikorita Candy
- Use 25k Stardust – 50 Chikorita Candy
  - Total Reward: 6000 XP and 10 Poke Balls
Step 3
- Evolve a Bayleef – Razz Berry x3
- Earn 12 Hearts with your buddy – Pinap Berries x3
  - Total Reward: Poffin and 12 Chikorita Candy XL

It’s also worth noting that whichever path you choose, that specific starter will show up more often when you use the Daily Adventure Incense.

Totodile Path, Explained in Pokemon GO Z-A Celebration Event

If you choose the Totodile path for the Timed Research, you will get the following tasks and rewards:

Step 1
- Explore 1km – 25 Totodile Candy
  - Total Reward: Totodile Encounter
Step 2
- Power up Water-type Pokemon 20 times – 50 Totodile Candy
- Use 25k Stardust – 50 Totodile Candy
  - Total Reward: 6000 XP and 10 Poke Balls
Step 3
- Evolve a Croconaw – Razz Berry x3
- Earn 12 Hearts with your buddy – Pinap Berries x3
  - Total Reward: Poffin and 12 Totodile Candy XL

Tepig Path, Explained in Pokemon GO Z-A Celebration Event

If you choose the Tepig path for the Timed Research, you will get the following tasks and rewards:

Step 1
- Explore 1km – 25 Tepig Candy
  - Total Reward: Tepig Encounter
Step 2
- Power up Fire-type Pokemon 20 times – 50 Tepig Candy
- Use 25k Stardust – 50 Tepig Candy
  - Total Reward: 6000 XP and 10 Poke Balls
Step 3
- Evolve a Pignite – Razz Berry x3
- Earn 12 Hearts with your buddy – Pinap Berries x3
  - Total Reward: Poffin and 12 Tepig Candy XL

So, Is Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile the Best Choice?

Obviously, if you are missing any of the three Pokemon (and their evolutions) from your Pokemon GO Pokedex, it might be worth chasing that first.

However, if you care about the competitive battling usefulness of the Pokemon, it’s best to just go with Totodile. Its final evolution, Feraligatr, outclasses the other two starter evolutions by a mile and has access to one of the best Water-type moves in the game, Hydro Cannon.