Prepare yourselves, Poké-sleuths: In celebration of the upcoming release of the Detective Pikachu movie this weekend, Niantic has announced a new in-game event for Pokémon Go that will give trainers the opportunity to take part in special raids, undertake unique field research tasks, and of course get their hands on deerstalker-wearing Pikachus of their very own. Throughout the event, which begins today and will run until Friday, May 17th, trainers will more frequently encounter a number of the Pokémon that are featured in the film, including Bulbasaur, Jigglypuff, Psyduck, Aipon, and Snubbull, and they’ll also have an increased chance of happening upon shiny Aipoms.
In addition, trainers will be able to challenge special raids against Pokémon “with starring roles in the film” and take on “movie-inspired” field research tasks, whatever exactly that means. But of course the star of the event is the titular mystery-solving shock-mouse itself, Detective Pikachu. You won’t find the Holmesian critter wandering out in the open, though; the only way to encounter and capture one of these unique Pikachus is to use Pokemon Go’s snapshot feature, which may incite one of them to photobomb you, after which you can pelt it with Pokéballs and capture it. For more details on the event — and to see the exclusive Pikachu in all its adorable glory, you can check out the official event announcement trailer just below.
