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Pikachu plushie actually goes into space as part of Pokémon/European Space Agency collaboration

Shared spirit of adventure leads to team-up between Pokémon franchise ahead of World Space Week.

French astronaut Sophie Adenot is currently on her first trip to space, as part of the European Space Agency’s ongoing Epsilon mission. Adenot isn’t the only one making her maiden voyage beyond Earth’s gravitation pull, though, as she’s been accompanied by another first-time spacefarer: a Pikachu.

Adenot blasted off back in February from Cape Canaveral, but as revealed in a just-released video that was recorded prior to her departure, Adenot took a Pikachu plushie, dressed in an ESA uniform, with her to the International Space Station.

The reveal coincides with the announcement that Pokémon Company is helping promote the ESA’s World Space Week events, which will be taking place from October 4 to 10. The ESA says that the two organizations’ shared values of curiosity and imagination and spirit of adventure are the result of “a common ambition: to inspire new generations to dream big, explore and experiment.”

As part of the celebration, there are two new Pikachu plushies on the way, one male and one female (female Pikachus have a heart-shaped tail tip), as well as crossover pins, patches, tote bags, apparel, and Pokémon Trading Card Game accessories coming to both the Pokémon Center and ESA online stores.

▼ There’s no word as to whether Sailor Moon’s Artemis was part of the ground control team for the Pikachu plushie’s spaceflight.

Though Pokémon is best known for its in-game/anime pseudo-science such as Dragon-type attacks being ineffective against Fairy-type Pokémon or Eevee only being able to evolve into Umbreon under the light of the moon, in recent years the franchise has partnered with a number of educational, scientific, and cultural organizations, as seen in the Pokémon Fossil Museum events, the Pokémon x Crafts Exhibition, and Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum collaboration.

Full details regarding prices and on-sale dates for the Pokémon/ESA crossover merch are yet to be released, but ostensibly they should be available by the start of World Space Week on October 4.

Related: Pokémon Center, ESA online shop
Source: Pokémon official website, European Space Agency
Top image: Pokémon Center
Insert images: European Space Agency, Pokémon official website, Pokémon Center
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