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Pokémon Go Timed Investigation Master Ball quest step and rewards

How to earn a Master Ball during the Season of Adventures Abound.

Image credit: Niantic/Eurogamer

Timed Investigation: Master Ball is a timed research quest released into Pokémon Go during the Season of Adventures Abound.

Completing this Pokémon Go quest will reward you with a Master Ball - the best Poké Ball in the game which is guaranteed to catch whichever Pokémon you toss it at no questions asked.

Yet earning this Master Ball is quite the challenge, so to help you out we’ve listed all of the Timed Investigation: Master Ball quest steps, along with some tips, below.

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'Timed Investigation Master Ball' quest step in Pokémon Go

Timed Investigation: Master Ball is a timed research quest released in Pokémon Go at the beginning of the Season of Adventures Abound on Friday 1st September.

Due to being a timed research quest, you must complete Timed Investigation: Master Ball by Tuesday 21st November at 8pm (local time) if you want to earn all of its rewards. This is worth doing, because, as the name suggests, one of these rewards is a Master Ball - the only Poké Ball which is guaranteed to catch a Pokémon. You can use this Poké Ball to catch anything from a Rattata to a Galarian Legendary Bird.

Below you’ll find the Timed Investigation: Master Ball quest steps in Pokémon Go and, if you’d like some advice on how to complete these challenges, we’ve got a tips section awaiting you as well.

Image credit: Niantic

'Timed Investigation: Master Ball' Step 1 of 1

  • Catch 1000 Pokémon - 8000 XP
  • Win 60 raids - 8000 XP
  • Hatch 30 Eggs - 8000 XP
  • Catch 100 different species of Pokémon - 8000 XP
  • Make 120 Excellent Throws - 8000 XP
  • Complete 150 Field Research tasks - 8000 XP
  • Explore 50 km - 8000 XP
  • Spin 300 PokéStops - 8000 XP
  • Earn 100,000 XP - 8000 XP
  • Earn 100,000 Stardust - 8000 XP

Rewards: 20,000 XP, 3000 Stardust and a Master Ball.

Tips for completing Timed Investigation Master Ball in Pokémon Go

As you can see from the challenges listed above, completing Timed Investigation: Master Ball is going to take you a good amount of time in Pokémon Go. Here are some tips which will help you earn that Master Ball:

  • Use Incense, Lure Modules and Daily Adventure Incense to find a wider variety of Pokémon. Sometimes you just keep seeing the same Pokémon over and over again, when this happens items like Daily Adventure Incense can help you find a wider range of Pokémon. Lure Modules and Incense can also make more Pokémon appear in your current location.
  • Don’t forget the new Gen 9 Pokémon! On the topic of finding different species of Pokémon, don’t forget that we’ll be seeing a host of new Pokémon arriving soon! (Or, depending on when you’re reading this, they may already be here.) Catching these Gen 9 additions will help you progress the ‘Catch 100 different species of Pokémon’ challenge.
  • Look for Pokémon with large catch circles. If you’re having trouble making 120 Excellent Throws, try focusing on Pokémon like Wailmer, Snorlax or Onix which have large catch circles. This will make it easier to time your throw to ensure it counts as an Excellent Throw. It’s also important to keep in mind that you may complete this challenge naturally as you play Pokémon Go.
  • Try to raid every day. Winning 60 raids may seem tough, especially if you’re not part of a Pokémon Go group, but, if you make the effort to complete a raid every day then you can complete this challenge. It’s best to focus on one-star raids as these can be soloed. Don’t forget about Remote Raid Passes either!
  • Hatch 2km eggs first. Hatching 30 eggs may seem like a tough challenge, but hatching any 2km eggs you collect before ones requiring longer walk distances will speed this process up slightly. Who knows, maybe you’ll even catch a Larvesta…(I really want a Larvesta.)
  • Remember - you can delete Field Research tasks. If you get a Field Research task you don’t fancy completing or think might take you too long to complete, just delete it from your task list. This way you can find new Field Research tasks to complete!
  • Use Lucky Eggs and Star Pieces. While you may complete the last two challenges naturally while playing Pokémon Go, if you’re having trouble with one or both then it’s worth using one of these items. This is because Lucky Eggs double the amount of XP you earn for 30 minutes, while Star Pieces double the amount of Stardust you collect for 30 minutes.
  • Play Pokémon Go every day! This may seem like a bit of a silly thing to write, but really if you want to complete Timed Investigation: Master Ball you do need to play Pokémon Go a little bit every day. From walking 50 km to catching 1000 Pokémon, this is a quest designed to take you a good amount of time, so even if you’re logging in just to spin a PokéStop you’re making some small progress.

The Season of Timeless Travels has arrived in Pokémon Go! The Along the Routes event is here, bringing Gift Exchange and the A Route to New Friendships quest with it. During it, take the time to try out Routes and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.


Timed Investigation Master Ball end date in Pokémon Go explained

You must complete Timed Investigation: Master Ball by Tuesday 21st November at 8pm (local time) if you want to earn its rewards in Pokémon Go.

Image credit: Niantic

These rewards include, as the name suggests, a Master Ball - also known as the best Poké Ball ever made. So, if you want to have this incredibly powerful item, make sure you complete this quest before its end date or else you’ll have to wait until its next release window rolls around.

If you’d like some advice on how to complete this challenge, then take a look at the section above!

Good luck completing Timed Investigation: Master Ball!

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Lottie Lynn

Guides Editor

Lottie Lynn is Eurogamer's Guides Editor. She likes exploring new games and still has nightmares about the moon from Majora's Mask.

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