Pokemon's International Space Station Event Ends With a Special Pikachu Giveaway

Pokemon Sword and Shield players will have two weeks to collect a special Pikachu that tied in to today's International Space Station event. Between now and January 15th, Pokemon Sword and Shield players can collect a special Pikachu that knows the moves Thunderbolt, Swift, Wish and Celebrate, and comes holding a Comet Shard by using the games' Mystery Gift function. Pikachu cannot usually learn Wish, and has only had the move Celebrate as a part of special giveaways. Keep in mind that Celebrate is a non-damaging move that literally causes a Pokemon to celebrate in battle with no other effects. The move is only effective when used as a Z-Move, a feature that isn't present in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

This particular Pikachu is a special giveaway that tied into today's Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency livestream of the first sunrise over the International Space Station. As part of the festivities, Pikachu and Rayquaza appeared via Augmented Reality in space. Pikachu appeared alongside an astronaut in the International Space Station, while Rayquaza flew over the earth, similar to how the Pokemon has appeared in various Pokemon media.

Despite some Internet hype, the livestream did not contain any significant Pokemon announcements. Some hoped that the Pokemon Company would use the announcement to announce new games, such as remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, or use the event to formally launch its 25th anniversary celebration. However, as the livestream was being held by a separate agency from the Pokemon Company (and the Pokemon Company barely advertised the livestream at all), any major announcement was a longshot at best.

The Pikachu, named KIBO's Pikachu after the Japanese experiment model on the International Space Station, can be obtained through the Mystery Gift function between now and January 15th. Players will need to connect to the Internet to retrieve the Pikachu, which is available to all players.