Research

Research is the flexible quest framework that allows both players to complete objectives and creators to design custom challenges. It provides structured goals with rewards, ranging from simple tasks to complex multi-stage adventures.

For Players

Research offers various activities to enhance your Pokémon journey:

Finding Research

• Research: Obtained by interacting with certain NPCs, Exploration, or Seasonal triggers.
• Assignments: Available via Pokéstops
• Collections: Available via certain gameplay actions

Completing Research

1. Open your Research menu (default key: M)
2. Track active Research and view objectives
3. Complete requirements like catching Pokémon, battling trainers, or crafting items
4. Claim your rewards from completed objectives

Research Types

Type	Description	Example
Assignments	Simple repeatable tasks	Catch 10 Water-types
Stage-based Research	Multi-part challenges	Defeat gym trainers → battle leader
Collection	Grouped objectives	Find patterns of Magikarp
Story-based Research	Narrative-driven quests	Professor Wisteria's special assignments

For Creators

The Research system's power lies in its flexibility. You may create simple one-off tasks, or complex branching narratives. The provided resources in these pages or just browsing the research included in Pixelmon can help create many possibilities.

Basic Research Structure

All Research contains:

• Objectives: Tasks players must complete
• Rewards: Items, money, or other benefits
• Settings: Repeatability, abandonability, uniqueness

A simple Research might:

• Trigger on catching specific Pokémon types
• Give money rewards
• Be repeatable daily

Categories:

• Multiple stages: Research
• Single stage, single objective: Assignment
• Single stage, multiple objectives: Collection

For more complex designs:

• Multi-stage Research: Chain objectives with stage completion rewards
• Nested Conditions: Combine requirements using AND/OR logic
• Context-sensitive Triggers: Check Pokémon types, items used, locations
• Custom Dialogue: Add narrative with NPC interactions
• Cooldowns: Limit how often Research can be repeated

Design Tips

• Start Simple: Basic catch/battle/craft tasks with clear rewards
• Use Progression: Early Research should teach mechanics
• Balance Rewards: Match reward value to effort required
• Tell Stories: Use multi-stage Research for narrative arcs
• Test Thoroughly: Verify complex condition chains work as intended

Research Triggers

Research Triggers form the activation system that determines when and how players receive Research assignments. These automated systems connect gameplay events with Research opportunities without requiring manual distribution.

Trigger Mechanics

Triggers operate through three key components:

1. Event Detection - Watches for specific in-game actions (e.g., entering areas, defeating Pokémon)
2. Condition Checks - Validates whether the player qualifies for the Research
3. Assignment Logic - Determines which Research to grant and any additional rewards

Common Trigger Types

Trigger Type	Activation Event	Typical Use Cases
Location-Based	Entering specific areas	Gym challenges, region-specific quests
Progression	Reaching milestones	Storyline advancement, level gates
Temporal	Real-world time checks	Daily/weekly quests, seasonal events
Inventory	Obtaining items	Special item quest chains
Social	Player interactions	Trading challenges, group activities

Features

• Cooldown Management - Prevents repetitive triggering with time-based locks
• Context Awareness - Checks player state (items, team, location) before activation
• Priority Systems - Handles overlapping trigger conditions appropriately
• Multi-Trigger Support - Single Research can have multiple activation methods

For technical details, see the Interaction Events guide.

Research Commands

Administrators can use these commands to manage Research for players. Research IDs match their JSON filenames (without the .json extension).

Understanding Research IDs

Research IDs correspond directly to: - The filename of the Research JSON (e.g. capture_twenty_fairy.json → ID: capture_twenty_fairy) - The registry name in data/pixelmon/research/research/ - Namespaced format when using custom datapacks (mypack:my_research)

Basic Commands

Command	Description	Research ID Example
/research give [player] [research_id]	Assign specific Research	capture_twenty_fairy
/research give [player] all	Assign all available Research	(No ID needed)
/research discard [player] [research_id]	Remove abandonable Research	dragon_gym_challenge
/research discard [player] all	Remove all abandonable Research	(No ID needed)
/research get [player] [research_id]	Show progress of chosen Research	challengers_folly
/research complete [player] [research_id] stage	Complete or advance a stage of the selected Research	trial_by_dragonfire

Finding Research IDs

1. Check filenames in:

   /data/pixelmon/research/research/
     → capture_twenty_fairy.json → ID: "capture_twenty_fairy"
     → dragon_1.json → ID: "dragon_1"
   

2. Use tab-completion in-game (lists all registered IDs)

3. For custom Research:

   /data/namespace/research/research/
     → epic_quest.json → ID: "namespace:epic_quest"
   

Related Pages

For more detailed information about Research, see these specialized pages:

• Interaction Events - Complete list of trigger events for Research
• Examples - Practical Research implementations with breakdowns
• Creation Guide - Step-by-step tutorial for designing custom Research

Notes

The Research system will automatically track your progress - you don't need to manually check off objectives.