Pokémon GO has started a new Timed Research opportunity as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, and the reward is a Mewtwo with a moon-themed Special Background. All Trainers can complete the research and earn an encounter with it.
A screenshot shared in a Reddit post shows the in-game notice for the research. Along with the background, the reward Mewtwo will have its third Mega Level unlocked for Mega Mewtwo Y and will come with guaranteed 100% IVs, giving it maxed-out stats.
When the Mewtwo research is available
The Timed Research began on Wednesday, August 12, at 4:00 p.m. PDT. It will remain available until Sunday, September 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PDT, giving Trainers several weeks to complete it. For Trainers in the UK, the research card lists August 13 as its availability date.
A screenshot of the research card places it in the Events tab under 10th Anniversary Celebration. Its single stage has two visible tasks: catch 10 Pokémon and power up Pokémon 10 times. The listed rewards are a single Master Ball for catching 10 Pokémon and 500 Mewtwo Mega Energy for powering up Pokémon 10 times, alongside the Mewtwo encounter.
Times Square Mewtwo follows different rules
Trainers who caught a Mewtwo at the in-person Times Square event on July 9 will receive a Mewtwo with different stats and different rewards. That version is separate from the worldwide Timed Research reward.
A Mewtwo with the Times Square background will be available again at some point in the future, although no return date has been provided.
Will you go after this special Mewtwo? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow along on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
Pokémon Go
Developed by Niantic Labs, The Pokémon Company
Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game that uses GPS to let players locate, capture, train, and battle Pokémon in real-world locations. Players explore their physical surroundings to find PokéStops for items, battle at Gyms for team control, participate in Raid Battles cooperatively, and compete in the Go Battle League's player-versus-player format. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases and features Pokémon from across multiple generations of the franchise.
- Genre Role-playing (RPG), Simulator
- Platforms Android, iOS
- Perspective Third person, Bird view / Isometric, Side view
- Modes Single player, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)
- Release July 6, 2016
- Publisher Niantic Labs
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Age Rating
