Professor Willow’s Birthday Research tasks and rewards are now available in Pokémon GO, giving Trainers three pages of free Timed Research and up to three encounters with the new Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu.
The birthday event itself runs on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, from 10:00am until 8:00pm local time. However, players who received the Timed Research have longer to complete it. All Professor Willow’s Birthday Research tasks and rewards must be completed and claimed before Monday, July 27 at 8:00pm local time.
The research is relatively straightforward, asking players to catch Pokémon, complete Field Research, make Nice Throws and send Gifts. Rewards include Poké Balls, TMs, Silver Pinap Berries, a Lucky Egg, a Star Piece, a Lure Module and three Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounters.
Professor Willow’s Birthday Research Tasks and Rewards
There are three pages of Professor Willow’s Birthday Research tasks and rewards.
Each page has three individual challenges followed by completion rewards of:
- 721 XP
- 721 Stardust
- One Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounter
Completing all three pages therefore provides three opportunities to catch the new costumed Pikachu.
Willow’s Birthday Research 1 of 3
The first page introduces the main task pattern used throughout the research.
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Catch 10 Pokémon | 21 Poké Balls |
| Complete 3 Field Research tasks | 3 Fast TMs |
| Make 10 Nice Throws | 3 Silver Pinap Berries |
Page 1 Completion Rewards
Completing Willow’s Birthday Research 1 of 3 awards:
- 721 XP
- 721 Stardust
- Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounter
The first page can be completed fairly quickly in an area containing several wild Pokémon and PokéStops.
Spin PokéStops before beginning so you can collect the Field Research tasks needed for the second challenge. You can hold a maximum of three standard Field Research tasks at once, although the daily bonus task occupies a separate slot.
The Catch 10 Pokémon and Make 10 Nice Throws challenges can be completed together. Aim for Nice or better throws on every Pokémon you encounter to progress both tasks simultaneously.
The first page and its rewards have also been confirmed through the live research currently appearing in-game. The full reported task list matches the same three challenges.
Willow’s Birthday Research 2 of 3
The second page replaces the throw challenge with a social task.
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Catch 10 Pokémon | 21 Great Balls |
| Complete 3 Field Research tasks | 3 Charged TMs |
| Send 3 Gifts to friends | 21 Ultra Balls |
Page 2 Completion Rewards
Completing Willow’s Birthday Research 2 of 3 awards:
- 721 XP
- 721 Stardust
- Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounter
The Gift challenge only requires players to send three Gifts, not open them.
Make sure you have at least three friends able to receive Gifts before reaching the second page. A Gift cannot be sent to someone who still has an unopened Gift from you.
The three completed Field Research tasks do not need to be event-exclusive tasks. Any standard Field Research challenge should count as long as it is completed and claimed while the Timed Research page is active.
Quick tasks such as catching Pokémon, making Throws or powering up Pokémon may be easier than raid or distance-based research.
Willow’s Birthday Research 3 of 3
The final page includes the most valuable item rewards.
| Task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Catch 10 Pokémon | 1 Lucky Egg |
| Complete 3 Field Research tasks | 1 Star Piece |
| Make 10 Nice Throws | 1 Lure Module |
Page 3 Completion Rewards
Completing Willow’s Birthday Research 3 of 3 awards:
- 721 XP
- 721 Stardust
- Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounter
The final page repeats the Catch 10 Pokémon, Complete 3 Field Research tasks and Make 10 Nice Throws pattern from the first page, but provides much stronger rewards.
The Lucky Egg is particularly valuable during the Ultra Unlock event because catch XP increases from 6× to 8× and finally 10× during the anniversary celebration.
The Star Piece can be saved for an event with increased Stardust rewards, while the Lure Module can be placed at a PokéStop to attract additional wild Pokémon for nearby players.
The currently reported live research lists Make 10 Nice Throws as the third task on page 3.
All Professor Willow’s Birthday Research Rewards
Completing every Professor Willow’s Birthday Research task provides the following total rewards.
| Reward | Total |
|---|---|
| Poké Balls | 21 |
| Great Balls | 21 |
| Ultra Balls | 21 |
| Fast TMs | 3 |
| Charged TMs | 3 |
| Silver Pinap Berries | 3 |
| Lucky Eggs | 1 |
| Star Pieces | 1 |
| Lure Modules | 1 |
| XP | 2,163 |
| Stardust | 2,163 |
| Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounters | 3 |
The three Pikachu encounters are the main attraction, as each one provides another chance to find the newly released costumed Pokémon.
Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu can potentially be Shiny. The official announcement also confirms that the new Pikachu can appear with a team leader–specific Special Background if the player is lucky.
Professor Willow’s Birthday Field Research Tasks
Event-themed Field Research is also available from PokéStops.
The currently reported Professor Willow’s Birthday Field Research tasks are:
| Field Research task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Catch 10 Pokémon | Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounter |
| Win a Raid | Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounter |
| Spin 50 PokéStops or Gyms | 10 PokéCoins |
These Field Research encounters provide additional chances to catch Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu after completing the three Timed Research pages.
The official event announcement confirms that Field Research rewards can include PokéCoins, Lucky Eggs and additional Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounters.
Individual Field Research tasks are collected by spinning PokéStops. Players can delete an unwanted task and spin another PokéStop to collect a replacement.
How to Get Professor Willow’s Assistant Pikachu
Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu debuted during the birthday event and is available through several methods.
Players can encounter it through:
- Willow’s Birthday Timed Research
- Event Field Research
- Snapshot surprises
- One-star raids
The official birthday announcement confirms all four encounter methods.
The Ultra Unlock announcement also confirms that Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu remains available in raids until Monday, July 27 at 8:00pm local time.
This gives players who missed the short July 21 birthday window another opportunity to obtain the costume through raids.
Can Professor Willow’s Assistant Pikachu Be Shiny?
Yes. Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu can be Shiny.
Each Timed Research encounter therefore provides a possible Shiny opportunity, although the research does not guarantee one.
The Pikachu may also have a team leader–specific Special Background. This creates several possible collectible combinations:
- Standard Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu
- Shiny Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu
- Pikachu with a team leader–specific Special Background
- Shiny Pikachu with a Special Background
The Shiny and Special Background outcomes are chance-based.
When Does Willow’s Birthday Research Expire?
Professor Willow’s Birthday Research expires on Monday, July 27, 2026 at 8:00pm local time.
Every task must be completed and every reward must be claimed before the deadline. Any unfinished pages or unclaimed encounters may disappear when the Timed Research expires.
This is different from Special Research, which normally remains available after being received.
Do not leave an unclaimed Professor Willow’s assistant Pikachu encounter sitting on the final page after the deadline. Catch the Pokémon and claim all item, Stardust and XP rewards before 8:00pm.
Fastest Way to Complete Willow’s Birthday Research
The fastest way to complete Professor Willow’s Birthday Research tasks and rewards is to play near several PokéStops with available wild Pokémon.
Before beginning:
- Collect three easy Field Research tasks.
- Make sure Pokémon storage has space.
- Check that at least three friends can receive Gifts.
- Stock enough Poké Balls for at least 30 catches.
- Aim for Nice or better throws on every encounter.
- Claim each Field Research reward as soon as it is completed.
- Spin additional PokéStops before beginning the next page.
The research requires at least 30 Pokémon catches and nine completed Field Research tasks across all three pages.
It can be completed in one longer session, but players have until July 27 at 8:00pm local time to finish and claim everything.
Professor Willow’s Birthday Research tasks and rewards are worth completing for the three costumed Pikachu encounters alone. The additional Lucky Egg, Star Piece, TMs, Balls and Lure Module make the free research particularly useful during the wider Ultra Unlock anniversary event.
