Almost nothing in the Pokémon world is allowed to go down without a Pokémon Go related tie-in and Detective Pikachu is no exception. In celebration of the upcoming film, there will be a Pokémon Go Detective Pikachu event running for 10 days. Things start on May 7 and end on May 17. Throughout, you will have a higher chance to capture specific Pokémon featured in the movie, gain extra experience, and grab special cosmetic items themed around the movie.
Detective Pikachu is the first live-action Pokémon movie and it is led by Ryan Reynolds, who voices the titular character, and Justice Smith. Since it’s a live-action film, it features some interesting realistic designs for characters we’ve only seen animated for games or the animated series. While some look more terrifying than others, there is nothing so outrageous as the soon-to-be-redesigned Sonic.
The movie follows a coffee-addicted Pikachu who can be understood by Smith’s character, Tim Goodman. Tim’s father goes missing and the crime-solving Pikachu teams up with Tim to find him in an adventure that will be peppered with many favorite Pokémon. The mystery Pokémon Go players will have to unravel is a matter of which and/or how many of the movie stars they’ll be able to capture. Bulbasaur, Jigglypuff, Psyduck, Aipom, and Snubbull are all featured in the movie and you’ll earn double XP for capturing them. They will appear more often throughout the 10-day event, so you can round out your collection if you’re missing any of them. There’s also a Shiny Aipom that can be found.
Competitive Pokémon Go players aren’t being left out of the festivities either. During the Detective Pikachu event, there will be special Raid Battles that feature the Pokémon that appear in the movie. There’s Field Research themed around the movie and there’s even a hat-wearing Pikachu that will photobomb your Snapshot photos. Using the photo feature also gives you a chance to catch the special Pikachu, so be sure to take advantage. If you check out the Style Shop, you can also grab a detective hat with Pikachu ears, a movie-themed T-shirt, and other items that you can throw on your Pokémon Go avatar.
