Pikachu to depart: a brief history of the world’s favourite Pokémon

In the run-up to Pokémon Day – an anniversary created to celebrate the first Pokémon video game, released on February 27 1996 – a small but significant piece of news was announced.

There is to be a new Pikachu character, named Captain Pikachu. This Pikachu will partner with a new human, Professor Friede, in an animated series based on the most recent video game: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

The pokémon has been a global marketing tool for Nintendo products for over 25 years. Fans are used to seeing Pikachu dressed in all manner of outfits, including 2019’s Detective Pikachu.