Pokemon GO: Willow's Birthday Research Steps and Rewards

Happy Birthday, Professor Willow! To celebrate the festivities in Pokemon GO, there's new Timed Research available today (July 21) that will disappear on July 27 at 8 pm, giving you less than a week to complete the three steps of the tasks.

By completing the steps, you'll get encounters with Professor Willow's Assistant Pikachu, adorned with an adorable white lab coat and glasses. There are other ways to get this special Pikachu in Pokemon GO, so we'll get into the details below.

Willow's Birthday Research Steps and Rewards

• Step 1/3
  • Catch 10 Pokemon (21 Poke Balls)
  • Complete 3 Field Research Tasks (Fast TM x3)
  • Make 10 Nice Throws (Silver Pinap Berries x3)
    • Total Reward: 721 XP, Professor Willow's Assistant Pikachu encounter, 721 Stardust
• Step 2/3
  • Catch 10 Pokemon (Great Ball x21)
  • Complete 3 Field Research Tasks (Charged TM x3)
  • Send 3 Gifts to Friends (21 Ultra Balls)
    • Total Reward: 721 XP, Professor Willow's Assistant Pikachu encounter, 721 Stardust
• Step 2/3
  • Catch 10 Pokemon (1 Lucky Egg)
  • Complete 3 Field Research Tasks (1 Star Piece)
  • Spin 10 PokeStops or Gyms (1 Lure Module)
    • Total Reward: 721 XP, Professor Willow's Assistant Pikachu encounter, 721 Stardust

Other Ways to Get Professor Willow's Pikachu

You can actually catch Professor Willow's Assistant Pikachu in various ways during the event:

• Try taking a snapshot of your Pokemon and Pikachu might show up. Once it does, it should spawn on the field, ready to be caught.
• Pikachu will also show up in One-Star Raids until July 27 at 8 pm. There's also a chance to encounter a shiny!
• Complete the Field Research Tasks to catch 10 Pokemon or to win a Raid. The raid task is part of the ongoing Ultra Unlock event, which also ends on July 27.

If you're looking for even more Pokemon content, there have been a lot of rumors and leaks surrounding the next mainline duo of games, Pokemon Winds and Waves. Word on the street is there's a new evolution for Salandit, a bunch of new regional forms, and the cost of the game might end up being more than any Pokemon before it.