Pokemon anime replaces Pikachu with another Pikachu in a hat

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Welcome Captain Pikachu aboard

Pokemon The Animated Series
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon: The Animated Series is going to replace Ash's Pikachu with... another Pikachu.

But hey, this Pikachu is wearing a hat! That's right, Captain Pikachu is coming aboard Pokemon: The Animated Series when the new season of the adventure debuts later this year, and this creature will be acting as the trusty sidekick of fellow newcomer character Friede, who you can see on the left just below.

Pikachu's body isn't even cold yet, and Pokemon: The Animated Series is already lining up another Pikachu to replace him. Hopefully fans of Ash's adorable ally can bond with Captain Pikachu just as they have done with the iconic electric mouse over the past two decades.

"I mean this Pikachu is cool and all but is this PIKACHU. Cuz let’s be real the only Pikachu is Pikachu," writes one long-time Pokemon fan under the tweet above. "As much as I have loved Pikachu since Ash first met him, it would have been nice to see another Pokémon get some love," chimed in another similarly-disappointed fan.

There's also the brilliant use of a scene from The Simpsons just below to depict how Pokemon fans are feeling right now. Not everyone really wants another Pikachu starring in the new Pokemon animated show, but the relentless march of capitalism stops for no one.

The new season of Pokemon: The Animated Series, where Captain Pikachu will make his grand entrance, arrives later this year in April, in Japan at least. Currently, there's no official word on an international release for the anime, but it's a good sign that the English-facing Pokemon Twitter account is hyping up Captain Pikachu.

Earlier this month, we got a look at the Pokemon series' two new protagonists: Liko and Roy, who'll be heading up the new animated series together. 

In terms of games though, you can check out our upcoming Switch games guide for a look at all the games Nintendo have planned over the next year. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.