Pokémon Go Steeled Resolve Research path: Should you choose Cliff or Blanche?

However, once you pick a path, you're not allowed to change it, just like when you needed to do the same picking between Sierra and Spark in the Holiday Part 1 event.

To make sure you make the right decision, we've laid out all of the tasks and rewards you'll get with each choice of path.

Pokémon Go Steeled Resolve path: What are the options?

Once you have completed Step 1 of 3 of Pokémon Go's Steeled Resolve Timed Research, you will be presented with the choice to "Train" with either Cliff or Blanche, with each option providing the following tasks and rewards for the remainder of the mission:

"Train with Cliff" tasks & rewards

Step 2 out of 3

• Use five super-effective Charged Attacks - Stardust ×500
• Power up Pokémon 5 times - Fast TM ×2
• Battle in the Go Battle League five times - Charged TM ×2

As you complete all three tasks, you'll be rewarded with a Shadow Machop encounter along with 2,000 XP.

Step 3 out of 3

• Catch 25 Pokémon - Ultra Ball ×10
• Power up Pokémon 10 times - Silver Pinap Berry
• Win a Trainer Battle in the Go Battle League - Marowak encounter

When you complete the final set of three tasks for Cliff, you'll also get 3,000 XP, 2,000 Stardust, and a Magnetic Lure Module.

"Train with Blanche" tasks & rewards

Step 2 out of 3

• Use five super-effective Charged Attacks - Stardust ×500
• Power up Pokémon five times - Fast TM ×2
• Battle in the Go Battle League five times - Charged TM ×2

As you complete this set of tasks for Blanche in Steeled Resolve, you'll also get 2,000 XP and a Marill encounter.

Step 3 out of 3

• Catch 25 Pokémon - Ultra Ball ×10
• Power up Pokémon 10 times - Silver Pinap Berry
• Win a Trainer Battle in the Go Battle League - Steelix encounters

Like with Cliff, finishing this final set of Steeled Resolve tasks for Blanche will grant you a Magnetic Lure Module, 2,000 Stardust, and 3,000 XP.

Pokémon Go Steeled Resolve path: Should you choose Blanche or Cliff?

Which Steeled Resolve Timed Research part is best for you is subjective to your Pokédex and personal preference, but Cliff is the best to Train with and the ideal path to take for Pokémon Go players in general.

The reason for this is since most of the rewards in the two paths are the same except for the Pokémon encounters you get, the decision comes down to which Pocket Monsters from these choices work best for you.

In Cliff's case, Shadow Machop is not only the rarest of the Pokémon that can be found among this Timed Research, but it will also be the most competitive when fully evolved into a Machamp - due to the fact Shadow Pokémon get a 20 per cent Attack boost in exchange for an equal drop in Defence.

Evolving Blanche's Marill into Azumarill is also good as a contender for the PvP Great League, and the Steelix you can get is great if you're missing the Onix evolution in your Pokédex.

Nevertheless, Cliff's path with the Shadow Machop presents the rarer opportunity to add one of the most powerful Fighting types in the game to your arsenal.

What else is included in the Pokémon Go Steeled Resolve event?

During its run from now until Sunday 26th January 2025, at 10am, the Steeled Resolve event has brought a ton of other content to Pokémon Go, including Pokémon debuts, increased spawns, bonuses, Raids, and premium Timed Research

Pokémon debuts

Steeled Resolve has seen the Pokémon Go debut of Rookidee and its evolutions, Corvisquire and Corviknight.

Event bonuses

While you play the Steeled Resolve event in Pokémon Go, you'll be able to make use of the following bonuses, as confirmed on the news post announcing it:

• You can use a Charged TM to help a Shadow Pokémon forget the Charged Attack Frustration
• Magnetic Lure Modules will attract different Pokémon during the event, such as Onix, Beldum, Shieldon, and Rookidee

If you play in the Pokémon Go Battle League, you can also get more Rookidee encounters as rewards at all ranks - with more in the premium track.

Increased spawns

While taking part in the Steeled Resolve event, Pokémon Go players will find the following Pokémon spawning more frequently:

• Clefairy
• Machop
• Totodile
• Marill
• Hoppip
• Paldean Wooper
• Shieldon
• Bunnelby
• Carbink
• Mareanie

New & current Raids

During Steeled Resolve, the following 1-Star and 5-Star bosses will be appearing - along with those like Dialga, Mega Gallade, and Mega Medicham as listed in the Pokémon Go Raid Bosses schedule for the month:

1-Star Raids

• Lickitung
• Skorupi
• Pancham
• Amaura

5-Star Raids

• Deoxys (Attack Forme) until 24th January at 10am
• Deoxys (Defense Forme) until 24th January at 10am
• Dialga beginning 24th January at 10am

Egg pool

During Steeled Resolve, 2km Eggs hatched in Pokémon Go can produce any of the following Pokémon:

• Shieldon
• Carbink
• Mareanie
• Rookidee

Steeled Resolve Premium Timed Research

For the price of $5, or your local currency equivalent, Steeled Research offers the chance for Pokémon Go players the chance to take part in premium tasks to get even more rewards.

As you complete these tasks, all of the rewards you can get are as follows:

• Elite Charged TM
• 20,000 Stardust
• 5000 XP
• Rookidee
• Diggersby
• Inkay
• Pancham
• Clodsire
• Jumpluff
• Azumarill
• Galarian Weezing

Field Research tasks

Steeled Resolve also features special Pokémon Go Field Research tasks that offer you extra Pokémon encounters and item rewards in exchange for easy feats:

• Catch five Pokémon - Clefairy, Jigglypuff, or Togetic encounter
• Battle in the Go Battle League - Cubone, Marill, or Inkay encounter
• Spin five PokéStops or Gyms - Poké Ball x5, Super Potion x3, Revive x2
• Power up Pokémon five times - Hoppip, Dunsparce, or Barboach encounter

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