Pokemon Teams Up with ESA for Space Week 2024

World Space Week is blasting off on October 4, and this year it's getting a major Pokemon twist. The European Space Agency (ESA) is teaming up with The Pokemon Company to celebrate space exploration, and yes, there's a very special Pikachu involved.

Back in June, French astronaut Sophie Adenot took a special Pikachu plush to space and back, capturing the whole adventure on camera. That was just the warm-up for the main event. During ESA Open Days and World Space Week, there will be exhibitions at ESA facilities and museums across France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The goal? To educate and entertain the next generation of explorers.

But let's be real: the exclusive merch is what everyone's really after. The collaboration will include plushies, Pokemon Trading Card Game accessories, and a replica of Adenot's Pikachu decked out in astronaut gear and a bomber jacket. The ESA online shop will also sell Pikachu-themed apparel like T-shirts, a tote bag, a notepad, and pins. Sounds amazing, right? Well, here's the catch: if you've ever tried to buy limited-edition Pokemon stuff, you know exactly what's coming.

Scalpers. They're the villains of every Pokemon merch drop, and this one will be no different. Remember the chaos at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam? People flocked for a limited-edition Pikachu card, and it ended with four workers fired for alleged misconduct. Even donuts aren't safe—the recent Krispy Kreme collaboration had people listing boxes of Pokemon donuts on eBay, some empty, some with an expiration date. So yeah, expect to see that astronaut Pikachu on resale sites for a premium.

In other Poke-news, Japanese airline All Nippon Airways just unveiled a Pokemon-themed airliner to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary. It features custom illustrations of popular Pokemon like Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Sprigatito. So even if you can't make it to an ESA event, you might spot a flying Pikachu in the sky.

Will you be trying to snag any of the Space Week merch, or are you sitting this one out to avoid the scalper madness? Let us know in the comments!