A new year is upon us, sure, but it's also a new month. And a new month means new Research Tasksꦏ! Or perhaps the more accurate thing to say is the same old Research Tasks but with slightly different rewards. That's mostly the case with January 2020's active tasks. However, there is a new pair of tasks with intriguing rewards.
As always, the updated list of Research Tasks comes courtesy of . The group is a staple of the Pokémon GO community that offers a scientific look at the game. Just like real Pokémon professors, they analyze what Pokémon are the best in battle, what chance a trainer has of finding a particular shiny Pokémon, and muc꧅h more. They also maintain a handy chart showing al♈l of the current Research Tasks and rewards.
As you reaꦓd the chart, be sure to check out the new category of tasks: Buddy Tasks. These work with the new and improved Buddy system introduced last December.
These Buddy Tasks should be of great interest to trainers. They both reward Pokémon that were just recently given shiny forms during the Holiday 2019 event. Since the holidays are a busy time for most, it was very easy to miss shiny Snover and Stantler. These൲ Buddy Tas♏ks will be a great way to have another shot at them, especially for those who live in areas that don't normally see Snover or Stantler.
Outside of that, the rewards seem mostly unmoved. We're still seeing a lot of fossil Pokémon and the Kanto starters appearing in two different tasks. Cubchoo is a new addition to the "Evolve A Pokémon" task, which might be useful for those who missed out on the Holiday event. A less fortunate change is Gla💧lie in the "Trade A Pokémon" task, replacing Bronzor. That task was a nice way to shiny hunt Bronzor, and that opportunity is now sadly gone.
Overall, January is a little low-key in terms of Research Tasks. The Buddy Tasks are the big stars here. Let's hope they're not near-impossible to find like the Spinda Tasks (Spinda #7 can be shiny now, by the way). Whatever you're aiming fౠor, good luck finding it!