Pikachu is an exciting catch in any Pokémon series game and Pokémon GO certainly takes it to the next level, but the amount of costume Pikachu in the game may have made catching them feel less special. There have been numerous costume Pikachu introduced to GO through the years, creating a large task for Trainers who are trying to catch ‘em all. Special outfit Pikachu are some of the cutest and most exclusive additions to any Pokémon GO monster collection, but is it possible to have too much of a good thing?
The first costume Pokémon to appear in Pokémon GO was the classic Santa hat Pikachu in the holiday season of 2016, the same year as the game’s release. Since then, costume Pikachu have been a staple of GO holiday celebrations and in-game events. Pikachu has also received special outfits to highlight important causes, collaborate with designers, cosplay where Pikachu dresses up as other Pokémon characters, and even honor the anime One Piece’s creator. The more popular costumes return to Pokémon GO year after year; others will likely never be seen in the game again.
Pikachu wears costumes in many Pokémon mainline and spin-off games, but Pokémon GO is uniquely able to introduce special Pokémon continually. While this means opportunities for cute and unique designs, GO has overdone costume Pikachu. Another outfit is seemingly always being promoted, and yet the demand for many of them has gone down over time. Pokémon GO keeps adding more costume Pikachu, and it’s becoming a problem.
Pokémon GO Has Too Many Costume Pikachu
Costume Pikachu can be encountered by Trainers in a few different ways in Pokémon GO, like by completing research tasks or through raids. Most often, though, they are found in the wild like any other Pokémon. This makes collecting them almost too simple, easily taking up considerable Pokémon storage space after a few seasons or events. Additionally, special costume Pokémon cannot be transferred from GO to Pokémon HOME, which greatly limits options of how to keep them all.
Pokémon GO’s oversaturation of costume Pikachu presents a larger problem, though. As certain outfits return repeatedly, their rarity and exclusivity diminish immensely. GO has received similar criticism regarding the frequency at which Shiny Pokémon appear. Shiny costume Pikachu are unique Pokémon GO monsters, but they also become more common when their outfit makes a return. When a unique Pokémon is easy to find, part of what makes it so special to begin with is lost.
Pokémon GO has proven some players wrong in thinking there could never be enough adorable Pikachu in hats. However, a few simple changes in future events could make catching costume Pokémon exciting once again. Bringing repeat outfits back less frequently, having special outfit Pikachu appear less in the wild, and continuing to give different iconic Pokémon species from different generations costumes could all breathe new life into the game’s special events. Pokémon GO has the opportunity to highlight other incredible monsters and give Pikachu a well-deserved break.
