Here is the walkthrough for Detective Pikachu Returns, chapter by chapter, based on Serebii. Each chapter begins in Tim’s apartment and ends with a conclusion; the “story skip” mode lets you return to a given passage. The codes shown are those from the English version; check them in game.
Prologue: the ceremony
At the ceremony honoring Tim and Pikachu, a Corviknight swoops down on the crowd and carries off Pikachu’s hat. While searching for it, you help a fainted Pidove, thanks to the scent of an Aromatisse, and then a lost Applin: among the spilled apples you have to spot the real Applin, hidden even behind an Alolan Exeggutor that Pikachu climbs. With the hat recovered, the ceremony takes place; that evening, the news announces an explosion blamed on Pokémon.
Chapter 1: the missing jewel
Inspector Holiday entrusts Tim with the investigation into the theft of the Aurora Drop from the jeweler. In the jewelry room, you find Whimsicott cotton and a blue feather, which point to the butler and his Ducklett, who has disappeared. In Serenity Park, you question humans and Pokémon; back at the mansion, the household’s Growlithe follows the scent of Sleep Powder to Lilligant, whose powder was used to put the Pokémon to sleep. Everything leads back to a suspect and their Cramorant, which swallowed the jewel… before a device on its back carries it off again.
Chapter 2: the legendary aurora
With Rachel, you head to the ruins in the south, which are unusually frozen, to question Professor Gordon. The Passimian indicate that he went into the ruins with his Slowpoke. You have to match the Berries from the murals to the statues (Yache Berry on the left, Shuca Berry on the right), melt the ice with Monferno, cross a pit thanks to Slowpoke and the Lotad, then sneak past a hungry Galarian Darmanitan. Lured by a Slowpoke tail, it becomes your ally: it smashes ice and rocks. The professor reveals that the Aurora Drop is a Pokémon. After finding Darmanitan’s friends (Smoochum, Vanillite, Mr. Mime, Bergmite and Eiscue), you flee the ruins from a Mamoswine. That evening, Mewtwo flies over the city carrying Harry’s body.
Chapter 3: Pikachu in custody
Pikachu is arrested, accused of vandalism. While Tim investigates outside, Pikachu, in his cell, teams up with Luxray, who can see through walls. On Tim’s side, the crime scenes involving Inteleon, Morpeko, Pikachu and Impidimp lead, with Rachel, to a Ditto that imitates whatever it sees: it is the one getting the Pokémon blamed. Pikachu, for his part, finds in the office of the head of Pokémon protection the proof of the cubes that control Pokémon. Tim hands everything over to the police.
Chapter 4: memories of the bamboo forest
Worried about one of Rachel’s friends, Tim and Pikachu head to the bamboo forest village, where Harry and Pikachu first met. In flashbacks, you play as Harry: he heals an injured Pancham with a Berry, a pizza and a root found by a Bunnelby (the Oval Stone comes from a Happiny hidden in a bush), and protects Pikachu from a Lairon enraged by R. In the present, you gather ingredients (Shiftry for the grass, Chansey for the egg, Paras for the mushrooms), you find Pangoro… and you discover how Harry and Pikachu became partners.
Chapter 5: a plan that transcends time
The Unitas organization is based in an abandoned laboratory. With Growlithe, Luxray, Darmanitan and Pangoro, you enter by following a scent of food, then go down floor by floor:
- Basement 1: heal a dehydrated Wooper; its Damp Ability stops an Electrode from exploding; the staircase code is 7020.
- Basement 2: Pangoro moves the crates, then you have to sneak past a Dusknoir without being seen and free it from its cube; code 2806.
- Basement 3: an Excadrill under control, a Cramorant being chased; Excadrill drills through a damaged floor.
- Basement 4: a Klink hidden in a computer helps open the scientist’s laboratory; the secret room opens with 200122. The partners stay behind one by one to cover Pikachu.
- Basement 5: the final confrontation with the head of Unitas.
The ending, which we will not spoil, answers every question about Harry and Pikachu.
