You know that feeling when you check your Today View in Pokémon GO and realize a research timer has exactly twelve minutes left? It’s the worst. Honestly, that’s basically the story of the Kang You Dig It Timed Research. It was part of the massive Kanto Celebration back in September 2025, and if you weren’t paying attention to the 24-hour window, you probably missed one of the easiest ways to snag a regional exclusive.
Ninatic has a habit of doing these "blink and you'll miss it" events. This specific quest was the second in a series of daily rotations. One day it was Farfetch'd, the next it was Kangaskhan, then Mr. Mime, and finally Tauros. If you live in the US, you see Tauros every time you walk to your mailbox. But a Kangaskhan? Unless you’re in Australia or lucky enough to find a Mega Raid, that’s a massive hole in the Pokéball-shaped heart of your Kanto medal.
What Actually Was the Kang You Dig It Timed Research?
The "Kang You Dig It" quest was a single-page Timed Research that went live on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. It stayed active until the following morning at 10:00 a.m. local time. That’s it. One day. If you were working a double shift or just forgot to open the app, you were out of luck.
The tasks weren't even hard. That’s the "kinda" annoying part. Most people could have finished it while sitting on their couch or taking a quick walk around the block. The whole point was to give players a shot at the Kantonian version of Kangaskhan, which is usually locked to the Land Down Under. Plus, it threw in some Mega Energy for the Kanto starters, which is always a nice bonus if you're trying to max out your Mega Charizard X or Y.
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The Task List and Rewards
Unlike those month-long Masterwork researches that ask you to catch 500 Keckleon or walk 100 kilometers, this was a sprint. Here is exactly what the Kang You Dig It Timed Research required:
- Catch 50 Pokémon: This sounds like a lot, but during the Kanto Celebration, spawns were everywhere. 5,000 XP was the prize here.
- Earn 5 Hearts with your buddy: Swapping to a hungry Pokémon and feeding it a few berries basically solved this in two minutes. Reward: 25 Venusaur Mega Energy.
- Power up Pokémon 10 times: A classic resource sink. Most players just dumped some stardust into a low-level Pidgey to get it over with. Reward: 25 Charizard Mega Energy.
- Hatch an Egg: This was the bottleneck. If you didn't have a 2km egg ready to go, you had to get moving. Reward: 25 Blastoise Mega Energy.
- Evolve 3 Pokémon: Weedles and Caterpies were the heroes here. Reward: 10 Ultra Balls.
Once you cleared that list, the "Big Reward" popped up. You got another 5,000 XP, 5,000 Stardust, and the reason everyone was playing: a Kangaskhan encounter. And yes, for the lucky few, it could be shiny.
Why Everyone Is Still Talking About It
You might wonder why a 24-hour quest from 2025 still matters in 2026. It’s about the Pokédex. For a lot of newer players who joined during the Dynamax hype or the recent leveling updates, regional exclusives are the ultimate wall.
There’s also a weird glitch/feature that happened with the Pokédex entries. Some players reported that after the Paldea and Galar regional forms were introduced, their original Kanto entries for things like Farfetch'd and Tauros looked... off. Completing the Kang You Dig It Timed Research effectively "reset" or confirmed the Kanto entry in the modern Dex UI. For completionists, that's like catnip.
Missing Out and Looking Forward to 2026
If you missed the 2025 window, don't throw your phone just yet. We’re currently heading toward the Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos in February and March of 2026. While the focus is on Gen 6, Niantic is notorious for bringing back regional favorites in 10km eggs or special raid hours during these massive global tours.
In fact, leaked schedules for the Kalos Tour Global event (March 1, 2026) show Mega Kangaskhan returning to Mega Raids for a specific one-hour block between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. local time. It’s not a "free" timed research encounter, but it’s a way to get the entry and the Mega Energy at the same time.
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Actionable Tips for the Next Regional Event
- Clear your Egg Space: Whenever a regional event is hinted at, stop incubating 10km or 12km eggs. You want those 2km slots open so you can hatch them quickly to finish tasks.
- Stack your "Power Up" Pokémon: Keep a few low-CP "hundo" candidates or even just trash Pokémon specifically for "Power up 10 times" tasks. It saves a lot of Stardust in the long run.
- Check the Today Tab Daily: Niantic doesn't always send a push notification for these 24-hour researches. Make it a habit to swipe right and check that tab every morning at 10:00 a.m.
- Save your Berries: Tasks like "Use 10 Nanab Berries" are common in these Kanto-themed sprints. Don't toss them all for bag space.
The Kang You Dig It Timed Research was a lesson in urgency. In a game that usually rewards the long grind, sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time. Keep your eyes on the Kalos Tour announcements, because the chance to finish that Kanto medal usually only comes around once a year.
Next Steps: Check your current Mega Energy for Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. If you’re short of the 200 needed for the initial evolution, look for "Spin 5 PokéStops" field research tasks during the current season, as they are often the only way to bridge the gap outside of specific events.