Pokemon GO Players Have Limited Time to Catch Super Rare Pokemon

Pokemon GO is officially adding a new Pokemon today that players can only get for a short time before it’s gone. Pokemon GO is no stranger to FOMO and exclusive events that add extremely rare Pokemon. An example is that Pokémon GO celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special event in Times Square, awarding participants a unique Mewtwo. Still, participation was by invitation, and so only a small percentage of the playerbase actually got the critter.

Another form of exclusivity is that Pokemon GO has region-exclusive Pokemon, so one can technically not complete the Pokedex on their own unless they travel or trade a lot. Still, there are many events constantly cycling in and out of the game that allow players to get new Pokemon entirely for free, and today is one such occasion. Today, July 21, 2026, starting at 10 am, players will be able to participate in the Willow’s Birthday Research event and get the chance to catch a one-of-a-kind Pokemon that may very well become the rarest in the game.

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Pokemon GO’s Willow’s Assistant Pikachu is Officially Making its Debut

Pokemon GO’s new Willow’s Birthday Research event awards a special Pikachu, but fans only have one day to get it, as the event starts at 10 am local time and ends at 8 pm local time. There are ways to have a bit more time, such as participating in Raids or completing a Timed Research, but even then, the last day to get this Pikachu is July 27. Fans can get this new costumed Pikachu in the following ways:

Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu

Free Timed Research (available to collect and complete from July 21 at 10 am to July 27 at 8 pm)

One-Star Raids (available from July 21 at 10 am to July 27 at 8 pm)

Field Research (available from July 21 at 10 am to 8 pm)

Snapshot Surprises (available from July 21 at 10 am to 8 pm)

Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu can be shiny, and thus it’s likely that this specific shiny Pokemon will be one of the rarest in the entire game, given its very limited availability and overall rarity. There will be other freebies to get in Pokemon GO during the event, such as 6x, 8x, and 10x XP for catching Pokemon, a chance at various other event Pokemon, and even Professor Willow-themed avatar items (coat, pants, gloves, shoes, backpack, and glasses). However, the biggest allure is the new costumed Pikachu, which is only appearing briefly.

In light of the game’s big anniversary milestone, Niantic is being more generous. The company announced a Pokemon GO Fest do-over as an apology for various issues plaguing the event a few days ago. It’s not exactly a free, Mega Evolved Mewtwo, but it’s a good start.

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This July, for the remainder of the month, fans can get a super rare Gimmighoul in Pokemon GO, with the coin on its back having a “10” mark instead of the usual design to celebrate the 10th anniversary. While the timing for this event was more generous, basically lasting the full month, the 10th anniversary Gimmighoul is all but confirmed to never return, so fans who have yet to get one should use this last opportunity to do so.