‘Pokémon Go’ Pikachu Hat: Everything you need to know about Ash Ketchum’s anniversary special hat

The Pokémon Go one year anniversary has arrived. Now trainers can take part in raids, enjoy an overhauled gym structure and catch a Pikachu wearing a special hat — Ash Ketchum’s hat, from the Pokémon anime, in fact.

If you’re wondering about some of the specifics, we’ve got some answers for you.

Pokémon Go Pikachu Hat: Everything you need to know

Much like with previous Pikachu hat events, fans are keen to get the full scoop on when exactly the hat will show up. According to a post on the Silph Road, there’s a chance Pichu will spawn with Ash’s hat when you hatch it from an egg. This may only happen if you obtained the egg while the event is live, as another poster discovered.

This happens because the game timestamps eggs when you receive them, not when you hatch. This led to a lot of confusion during the Eggstravaganza event. So if you want a hat-wearing Pichu, you’re going to have to clear out all those old eggs sitting in your Pokédex.

If you’re looking to catch a hat-wearing Pikachu in the wild, you can’t catch a Pichu or Raichu — it has to be a Pikachu. According to another post on the Silph Road, only Pikachus will spawn wearing the hat. Two posters confirmed that Raichu spawned, but without wearing the hat. Pikachu is the only Pokémon out in the wild that spawns wearing it. To get a Raichu wearing that stylish ball cap, you’ll need to catch a Pikachu wearing one and evolve it.

The anniversary event goes from July 6 to July 24 — more than enough time to stock up on cool, hat-wearing Pikachus. What you do with them after that is up to you.

More Pokémon Go news, updates, tips and tricks

Raids are here! See why they may be the key to legendary Pokémon. Find out how to determine how long it will take you to reach level 40, and see what we think of the Gen 2 Pokémon added to the game. Here are the kinds of Pokémon you get from 10-kilometer eggs, and here’s where you can check out what you missed during the Water Festival and Solstice events. Find out more about the upcoming Chicago event and why you’ll probably be able to catch Unown while you’re there — if you’re not busy searching for rare evolutionary items, that is.