Pokemon Go Gives Players a Free Pikachu From Pokemon Horizons: The Series

Haven't found Captain Pikachu yet? This Pokemon Go code should help.

By Marc Deschamps

After a much longer wait than originally expected, Pokemon Horizons: The Series is finally available to stream on Netflix. Over the last few weeks, Pokemon Go has been celebrating the arrival with some content based on the anime, including a new Pikachu variant. This Pikachu is designed to look like Captain Pikachu from the show, and has both a special pose, and a unique Charged Attack that other Pikachu can't learn. For those that haven't been able to find Captain Pikachu in the wild, Niantic is giving away special Timed Research that results in an encounter. To get it, players must redeem the code CAPTAINPIKACHU. 

Niantic's announcement can be found in the Tweet embedded below. 

Once redeemed, the Timed Research can be found in the "events" section of the menu. The Timed Research includes three tasks: explore 3 km (rewards 30 Poke Balls), catch 20 Pokemon (rewards 5 Razz Berries), and spin 10 PokeStops or Gyms (rewards 3 Revives). If players are able to complete all three tasks before the research expires on March 13th at 11:59 p.m. local time, they'll get an encounter with Captain Pikachu, as well as 2500 Stardust. 

How to Redeem Pokemon Go Codes

Redemption Codes in Pokemon Go are a bit unique, in that they cannot actually be redeemed within the app. Android users used to be able to do so, but that recently changed, and now the only way for all players to redeem codes in Pokemon Go is through the game's official website right here. Once players have done so, they should receive a notification when they open up the app that reads "congratulations! You have successfully redeemed an offer online." 

Pokemon Go codes are released sparingly, so some players might not have ever actually redeemed one before. However, this year has seen more codes offered than have been in the past, including one that unlocks a special Dragonite hoodie avatar item. 

How to Catch Pikachu, P.h.D.

Captain Pikachu isn't the only new Pikachu that's been added recently to Pokemon Go. The game has also seen the arrival of Pikachu P.h.D. This educated take on the Electric-type is pretty rare, and players can only get one by earning a Platinum medal for Showcase Star. Earning that medal requires that players win 100 PokeStop Showcases, so players that haven't been participating might want to start! In fact, players can actually get some free avatar items for completing the other medal tiers. A Bronze medal (1 win) gets players the same glasses as Pikachu, P.h.D., a Silver medal (10 wins) earns them a headband, and a Gold medal (50 wins) unlocks the Pikachu, P.h.D. pose. 

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PokeStop Showcases were added as a feature to the game last year, and are basically measuring contests, where players compete to see who has the biggest Pokemon. Showcase themes will often tie into specific events happening in Pokemon Go, and sometimes will allow players to enter any Pokemon of a specific type (like the biggest Dragon-type). 

Are you planning to redeem this Timed Research in Pokemon Go? What do you think of these new Pikachu variants? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

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