Willow’s Birthday Research Brings Pikachu Spotlight to Pokémon GO

Pokémon GO is hosting Professor Willow’s Birthday Research on July 21, 2026, from 10:00 to 20:00 local time, introducing a costumed Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu across free Timed Research, Field Research tasks, snapshot surprises, and raids with a possible shiny encounter. A free Timed Research will reward encounters with Pikachu, Lucky Eggs, Star Pieces, and more, but all tasks must be claimed by July 27, 2026, 8:00 PM local time.