How to Get Pikachu as Your Pokemon GO Starter

At the start of your Pokemon GO adventure, after picking a name and outfit, Professor Willow is going to offer you the age old question: Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur? Turns out if you’re stubborn enough, the game will cave and offer you a Pikachu too.

If you walk far enough away from the three starter options, rather than tapping on them to initiate battle, they’ll despawn and respawn at your new location. Do this enough times, and a Pikachu will spawn along with them. The number of times you have to rebelliously run away from Willow varied with our tests: sometimes we had to stamp away four times, sometimes it took six.

Since there’s about a 2% chance you aren’t already playing Pokemon GO, will you be restarting on a new account for a starter Pikachu? Let us know, and for all your other Pokemon GO tips, tricks, and guides, check out our ever-growing Wiki page here.

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