The Higher They Fly… is the latest Special Research task from Professor Willow, built around the idea of battling Team Rocket Leader Giovanni. While some Willow Special Research tasks reward rare, Legendary, or Mythical Pokemon, this one is more about the Team Rocket battling mechanic, and offering some good rewards for your backpack.
A few people are having trouble getting this task started at all, but we have a guide on how to fix that right up. For everyone who has started though, let’s have a look at what you need to do to complete each stage, and what the rewards are
The Higher They Fly… Stage One
- Win a raid - 15 Pokeballs
- Defeat three Team Rocket Grunts - Three Hyper Potions
- Catch one Shadow Pokemon - Three Revives
The first stage of the research just asks you to complete some very simple battle tasks. As well as the individual rewards, you will get ten Pinap Berries, ten Nanab Berries, and ten Razz Berries for completing this stage.
The Higher They Fly… Stage Two
- Catch five Shadow Pokemon - One Sunstone
- Make three Nice Curveball throws in a row - 15 Great Balls
- Catch ten Flying-type Pokemon - Doduo
Catching five Shadow Pokemon means completing at least five Rocket battles, and with many Normal-Flying Pokemon being common, ten Flying-types shouldn’t be an issue. As for the three Nice Curveballs, make good use of the Nanab Berries you received last time. Doduo is a good one to try them on if you’re struggling. As well as the individual rewards, you’ll get 1,500 XP, 500 Stardust, and 10 Mega Pidgeot Candies for completing this stage.
The Higher They Fly… Stage Three
- Purify five Shadow Pokemon - 30 Mega Pidgeot Candies
- Defeat five Team Rocket Grunts - 30 Mega Pidgeot Candies
- Earn three Candies walking with your Buddy - 30 Mega Pidgeot Candies
The first two goals here can be combined, as you just have to purify each Shadow ‘mon you catch. As for the candies, switching your Buddy to a 1km Pokemon means a quick walk around the block will get this one out of the way. As you might expect, given the Mega Candies on offer, you’ll get a Pidgeot for completing this stage, as well as a Rocket Radar and 2,000 XP.
The Higher They Fly… Stage Four
- Defeat Team Rocket Leader Arlo - 1,250 XP
- Defeat Team Rocket Leader Cliff - 1,250 XP
- Defeat Team Rocket Leader Sierra - 1,250 XP
Pretty straight forward here; beat every leader once. You’ve already got a Rocket Radar from the last stage, and might have another one given how often you’ve been fighting Team Rocket so far. Just be sure to avoid doubling up; don’t fight Cliff twice before fighting Arlo once, basically. Once you’ve defeated all three, you’ll get an extra 2,500 XP, 1,000 Stardust, and a Super Rocket Radar.
The Higher They Fly… Stage Five
- Find The Team Rocket Boss - Five Mega Potions
- Battle The Team Rocket Boss - 20 Ultra Balls
- Defeat The Team Rocket Boss - Five Full Revives
Use the Super Rocket Radar to summon Giovanni, then this one can be done in one fell swoop, provided you defeat Giovanni the first time around. If you lose, you’ll only get the first two but will still be able to rematch so heal up and try again. Once you beat him, you’ll get 3,000 XP, one Fast T M, and one Charged T M.
The Higher They Fly… Stage Six
- Claim Reward - 2,000 XP
- Claim Reward - 2,000 XP
- Claim Reward - 2,000 XP
Why does Pokemon Go do this? At this stage, the only challenge is to claim the rewards. As well as these individual rewards, you’ll also get two Golden Razz Berries, two Silver Pinap Berries, and one Premium Battle Pass.