Remember that episode of "The Simpsons" where Lisa makes her own doll to compete with Malibu Stacy, and in response, the Malibu Stacy company releases the same version of their doll, only with a hat, and everyone goes nuts over it? It seems like The Pokemon Company took some cues from that because its mascot will stick around the anime, only a different version with a hat. The official Pokemon Twitter made the announcement to unveil two new characters — Friede and his partner, Captain Pikachu. The two will accompany the new protagonists on their journey somehow, and given how they're both decked out in flying gear, it's safe to say a plane will factor in somehow, but it's unclear at this point.
The release of the new characters was accompanied by a press release from Pokemon Company marketing VP Taito Okiura, who said, "For 27 years, Pikachu has been synonymous with the Pokémon franchise, and we look forward to seeing this beloved Pokémon continue to have a significant presence in the animated series and remain an icon for the brand."
What we really want to know is whether Pikachu actually earned the title of "Captain." Are we to believe this electric rat completed 1,500 flight hours and holds a license to control commercial airplanes? No doubt fans will just be delighted to see a Pikachu exists in some capacity in the anime going forward, but if you want to see the final adventures of Ash and Regular Pikachu, new episodes of "Pokemon Ultimate Journeys: The Series" just dropped on Netflix.
