Pokémon Go ‘Eerie Echoes’ Timed Research quest steps, and is it worth buying?

“Eerie Echoes” is a paid-for ticket offering a Timed Research quest in Pokémon Go.

Available as part of the Halloween 2023 event, the ticket must be purchased by Oct. 30 and all steps completed by Oct. 31, both at 8 p.m. local time.

For $5 (or the equivalent in local currency), you get access to a number of rewards, including a seemingly-exclusive Ghost Pose for your avatar. 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

The following quest is available for all players, and must be completed before Part 2 of the Halloween event ends on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m. local time.

Step 1 of 4

• Spin 3 PokéStops or Gyms (Gastly encounter)
• Catch 10 Pokémon (Misdreavus encounter)
• Make 5 Curveball Throws (Litwick encounter)

Rewards: Phantump encounter, 5 Silver Pinap Berries

Step 2 of 4

• Make 2 Curveball Throws (Poochyena encounter)
• Transfer 10 Pokémon (Galarian Zigzagoon encounter)
• Catch 10 Ghost-type Pokémon (Sableye encounter)

Rewards: Phantump encounter, 1 Incense

Step 3 of 4

• Walk 2km (Purrloin encounter)
• Send 5 Gifts to friends (Alolan Meowth encounter)
• Catch 10 Ghost-type Pokémon (Umbreon encounter)

Rewards: Phantump encounter, 1 Incubator

Step 4 of 4

• Hatch an Egg (Drifloon encounter)
• Make 10 Curveball Throws (Yamask encounter)
• Catch 15 Ghost-type Pokémon (Greavard encounter)

Rewards: Trevenant encounter, Ghost Pose avatar item

Is the ‘Eerie Echoes’ Timed Research worth it?

Judging whether any premium research in 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. With all that in mind, the Timed Research is only worth it if you want the Ghost Pose.

This pose is only available with the ticket (whether this is timed or permanently exclusive is unknown). 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. As for 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 encounters, 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

As for 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.

To summarize, if you want the Ghost Pose (you can see an animated version in action on the official blog), then the $5 entry fee covers that and then some with everything else provided. 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.