Pokemon is collaborating with Katy Perry for its 25th anniversary

(Image credit: People)

Popstar Katy Perry is collaborating with Pokemon to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary. In an announcement earlier today via People, the partnership said that there'll be "surprise global activations" of their work together throughout the year.

The Pokemon Company's reveal comes via a YouTube video, in which an impressive Rube Goldberg machine runs through the franchise's history, touching on everything from the games and anime series to the likes of the trading card game and even the Detective Pikachu film. At the end of the journey, a plush Pikachu on a skateboard rolls past bright lights that spell out "Katy Perry & Pokemon," before activating a record player that seems to play a snippet of Perry's upcoming song.

The singer says she's a fan of the franchise and Japanese culture in general, having visited the country "every year" since she turned 17. She also claims that her favourite Pokemon is Pikachu, a character whose story she "understands," suggesting that its cute exterior masks a more feisty personality.

Beyond the brief preview in that video, it's not clear when we'll get to hear the rest of the song, or what shape the 25th anniversary celebrations will take throughout the rest of the year. The video above suggests that The Pokemon Company will be hoping to capture fans' nostalgia, but whether that'll culminate in a new game remains to be seen, especially so soon after Pokemon Sword and Shield.

To help celebrate 25 years of Pokemon, check out our list of the best Pokemon games.

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