How to get all 8 versions of Ash's Pikachu in Pokémon Sword and Shield
Finally, one of the greatest anime characters of all time joins your party.
For more than two decades, Ash and Pikachu have been gaming's most dynamic duo, and now The Pokémon Company is giving you the chance to claim that exact version of the Pokémon in Sword and Shield.
There are eight copies of Ash's Pikachu to collect, all of them come with a different cap that was once worn by Ash during his journey. Here's how you catch 'em all.
Is Pikachu a good Pokémon?
Pokémon Number 025 is an icon. They’re the first Pokémon that anime watchers meet and the indisputable mascot of the whole franchise.
The electric Pokémon is mediocre, but often nothing special. They have a base stat total of 320, which is a far cry from Raichu. Once evolved to Raichu, the Pokémon has a base stat total of 485. Unfortunately, Ash's Pikachu is unable to evolve into Raichu, they’re permanently stuck as Pikachu.
Two Pika-pals
If you’d like to try making them a member of your team, Ash's Pikachu comes with some excellent starter moves. For example, Thunderbolt does a great deal of STAB damage. They also have Iron Tail and Electro Web at their disposal, aping Ash's Pikachu's canon moveset. All eight Pikachus have the same base moveset, and they can also learn Volt Tackle at the Move Reminder.
Ash's Pikachu is more of a novelty than anything competitive.
If you want an electric addition to your team, Ash's Pikachu isn’t it. Try getting a Raichu instead. You can breed Ash's Pikachu to make a normal Pikachu, which can then be evolved to Raichu by using a Thunder Stone. Teach that Raichu a few cool moves and you’ll have a winner on your hands. You should keep Thunderbolt for STAB damage and teach them TR77 Grass Knot for field coverage, TR68 Nasty Plot for a boost, and Nuzzle to stun your foes.
When is Ash's Pikachu available in Pokémon Sword and Shield?
Codes for various versions of Ash's Pikachu will be distributed between September 29 and November 30, 2020. All codes are set to expire on November 30, 2020.
It seems like they'll be distributed in pairs, perhaps at a pace of about two every two weeks, but that remains to be seen.
How do you get Ash's Pikachu in Pokémon Sword and Shield?
Obtaining Ash's Pikachu should be simple if you're at all familiar with how the Mystery Gift System works.
Currently, two of the eight Pikachu are available for Pokémon Sword and Shield redemption with more to come at a later date.
Two Available Pikachus: Original (on left) and Reboot (on right).
Original Cap Pikachu code: P1KACHUGET
Reboot Cap Pikachu code: 1CH00SEY0U
Hoenn Cap Pikachu code: P1KAADVANCE
With those codes in hand, launch Pokémon Sword or Shield on your Nintendo Switch and perform these six steps.
- Select Mystery Gift on the X menu.
- Select Get a Mystery Gift.
- Select Get with Code/Password to connect to the internet.
- Enter your password.
- Watch as the gift arrives in your game. (Pokémon will appear in your party or your Pokémon Boxes.)
- Be sure to save your game.
Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Crown Tundra will launch on October 22.
This article was originally published on
