Pikachu goes to space: Pokémon launches ESA collaboration for World Space Week

The Pokémon Company has partnered with the European Space Agency to celebrate World Space Week this October. The collaboration includes a line of merchandise, a Pokémon Go event, and a tour of museums across Europe to celebrate space exploration.

To kick off the collaboration, Pikachu accompanied astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station, where he spent over two months orbiting Earth. Now, he has joined the ranks of other space-faring plushies like Rise, the now iconic moon plush that rode along with the Artemis II mission earlier this year.