So, you're looking at that Special Research tab and seeing Professor Willow rambling on about a sleepy Steel/Psychic type. You aren't alone. Pokemon Go A Thousand Year Slumber is one of those marathon quests that either makes you feel like a pro or makes you want to delete the app entirely. It’s been around since 2019, but it remains the only way for most players to snag Jirachi, the mythical Wish Pokemon, without waiting for a specific ticketed event or a lucky trade. It is a long haul. Like, seriously long.
If you’re just starting, don't expect to finish this by dinner. It’s a grind designed to test your patience and your ability to find very specific spawns that might not even be in rotation right now.
The Reality of the Jirachi Quest Line
Most people think Mythical discovery quests are just about catching stuff. They aren't. This specific set of tasks is a literal gatekeeper. It forces you to interact with mechanics you might usually ignore, like the buddy system or the competitive Great League. Honestly, the biggest hurdle for most players isn't even the catching—it's the gold medals.
If you haven't been playing since day one, the requirement to have a gold Hoenn medal is a massive roadblock. You need 90 unique Hoenn region entries. If there isn't a Hoenn-themed event running, you're basically stuck hunting for random Surskit or Barboach in the wild until you hit that number. It’s frustrating. It feels like the game is punishing you for starting late, but that’s just how Niantic scales the difficulty for Mythicals.
Getting Through the First Few Walls
The early stages aren't too bad. Catching 25 Pokemon is a joke—you can do that in ten minutes at a local park. Spinning 10 PokeStops is easy too. But then the game asks you to make three new friends. This is where solo players usually get stuck. If you don't have a local group, use apps like PokeGenie or check out the "PokemonGoFriends" subreddit. You don't actually have to talk to these people; you just need them on your list to tick the box.
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Then comes the Feebas evolution.
This is the part where everyone sighs. You have to walk 20km with Feebas as your buddy and have 100 candies. If you’ve already evolved a Feebas before reaching this stage, the game doesn’t care. It’s not retroactive. You have to do it again. My advice? Don't waste Rare Candies here. Just put the fish in your buddy slot and start walking. If you’re a regular player, 20km happens faster than you think, especially if you have Adventure Sync turned on.
Pokemon Go A Thousand Year Slumber Stage-by-Stage Breakdown
Let's talk about the middle of the quest because that's where the real "slumber" happens. You're going to need to catch Whismur. Three of them. It sounds simple, right? Wrong. Whismur is a "Normal" type that tends to vanish the moment you actually need one. They usually pop up in "Partly Cloudy" weather. If you see one on your nearby radar, drop everything and go get it.
The Great League Struggle
Stage 4 asks you to win seven battles against another Trainer. A lot of people mistake this for the GO Battle League (GBL). While GBL counts, you can actually just cheese this with a friend. If you have a real-life buddy who plays, ask them to let you win seven times in the Great League. They can use 10 CP Pokemon, and you can sweep them in thirty seconds. It’s a huge time-saver.
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- Gold Hoenn Medal: Requires 90 Hoenn Dex entries.
- Whismur Catches: Look for "Partly Cloudy" weather boosts.
- Great League Wins: Can be done via friend challenges, not just ranked GBL.
- Snapshot Tasks: You need to take a snapshot of Loudred specifically.
You’ll also need to make 50 Great Curveball Throws. Don't rush this. Use a Nanab Berry if the Pokemon is jumping around like crazy. The goal isn't to catch them fast; it's to be consistent. If you’re good at "excellent" throws, "great" throws should be muscle memory by now.
Navigating the Final Stretch
By the time you hit Stage 5, you're dealing with the heavy hitters. Winning 7 Raids. This doesn't mean winning different raids. You can do one-star raids all week if you want. Use your free daily pass. Don't feel pressured to buy Remote Raid Passes unless you’re in a hurry.
Then there are the "Battle a Team Leader 3 times" and "Win 7 battles against another Trainer" tasks again. Note the difference: Team Leaders are Spark, Candela, and Blanche. You find them in the "Nearby" menu under the "Battle" tab. You can do this at any time, and you don't even have to win the Team Leader battles to progress in some versions of these tasks, though the quest text usually specifies winning for the trainer battles.
Psychic and Steel Types: The Secret Sauce
Stage 6 is the final "work" stage. You need to take 5 snapshots of Psychic or Steel-type Pokemon. You also need to land 3 Excellent Curveball Throws. If you struggle with Excellent throws, look for Pokemon with large catch circles like Ponyta, Slowpoke, or even Wailmer.
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The hardest part of Stage 6 for casual players is often the "Win 5 Raids" or similar combat tasks that require team coordination. If you're stuck, look for Tier 1 raids. Shinx or Timburr are usually solo-able for almost any level player.
Why Jirachi is Actually Worth the Effort
You might be wondering if a 1500 CP mythical is worth all this walking and catching. In the context of the Meta, Jirachi is... okay. It’s a niche pick in the Great League. Its move set (Confusion/Doom Desire) is respectable, but it gets eaten alive by Galarian Stunfisk or anything with a Dark-type move.
However, Jirachi is a trophy. It’s a "Mythical" Pokemon. You can't just find it in the wild. Completing Pokemon Go A Thousand Year Slumber is a rite of passage. Plus, the rewards along the way—like the Star Pieces and TMs—are actually pretty decent for a free quest line.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Evolving too early: Never evolve a Pokemon that is part of a quest line (like Feebas or Loudred) until you are specifically on that step.
- Ignoring Weather: Normal types like Whismur are way more common when the sun is out or it's "Partly Cloudy."
- Thinking it's Timed: This is a Special Research. It never expires. If it takes you three years, it takes you three years.
Actionable Steps for Completion
If you're staring at this quest and feeling overwhelmed, stop looking at the end goal. Start here:
- Check your Hoenn Medal progress. Go to your profile, scroll down to the medals, and find the one with the Hoenn starters. If you aren't at 90, start trading with friends for anything you're missing. Trading is the fastest way to fill a Dex.
- Stock up on Nanab Berries. You'll need them for the Great and Excellent throw requirements. They stop the Pokemon from moving, making the circle easier to hit.
- Buddy up with Feebas now. Even if you aren't on that stage yet, start earning those candies. You can swap buddies up to 20 times a day, so there's no excuse not to get those kilometers in.
- Find a "Battle Buddy." Having one person you can quickly ping for a Great League match will save you hours of frustration in the GBL queues.
- Save your Raid Passes. Don't burn them on junk. Save them for when the quest asks you to complete multiple raids back-to-back.
Once you hit the final stage, the encounter with Jirachi is a "guaranteed catch." You don't even use your own PokeBalls. It’s a scripted event. You sit back, throw the ball, and watch the animation. It's a satisfying end to a very long journey. Just remember: it's a marathon, not a sprint. If the Whismur aren't spawning today, they will eventually. Keep your app open, keep walking, and eventually, that "A Thousand Year Slumber" will finally come to an end.