Captain Pikachu joins Professor Friede in new Pokémon animated series
The Pokémon franchise is flying high as new characters Captain Pikachu and Professor Friede are unveiled for the upcoming animated sequel.
When it was confirmed that Ash Ketchum’s journey to becoming a Pokémon master would be ending in 2023, news outlets around the world covered the story as if the MC was a real person.
However, for the millions of Pokémon fans around the world, past and present, the changing of the guard will mark an important step in the development of the iconic animated franchise.
This has now been expanded with the announcement of two new Pokémon characters; Captain Pikachu and Professor Friede – here is everything that we know so far.
Meet Pokémon’s Captain Pikachu and Professor Friede
On February 24, The Pokémon Company shared a press release in which they detailed two new characters coming to the animated series; Captain Pikachu and his companion, Professor Friede.
Both Captain Pikachu and Professor Friede are set to be major characters in the new animated adventure who will assist and battle alongside the new Pokémon protagonists, Liko from the Paldea region and Roy from the Kanto region.
Whilst details on each character’s backstory remain scarce (likely to be explored in the series’ storyline itself), the character design for Captain Pikachu features a pilot’s cap with Friede sporting a pair of flight goggles; indicating that the pair will have the ability to fly around the region.
Taito Okiura, the VP of marketing at The Pokémon Company International, explained how “As the Pokémon world expands and evolves, fans will be able to embark on a new journey of action, adventure and friendship through the eyes of unique characters like Friede and Captain Pikachu when the next animated series begins premiering later this year.”
“For 27 years, Pikachu has been synonymous with the Pokémon franchise, and we look forward to seeing this beloved Pokémon continue to have a significant presence in the animated series and remain an icon for the brand.”
The new Pokémon animated series arrives this year
In 2023, Pokémon fans will reach a landmark moment for the franchise when a brand new animated series premieres later this year.
According to The Pokémon Company, the new series will feature popular characters from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, including Sprigatito Fuecoco, and Quaxly.
“Fans can look forward to these characters’ incredible journeys as they unravel the mysteries of the Pokémon world, experiencing everything from exciting Trainer battles to fun Pokémon encounters.”
The new series will undoubtedly be celebrated by the global Pokémon community; however, it will be somewhat sad to see the series not featuring the iconic Ash Ketchum as the MC.
Whilst Ash’s story is set to finally come to an end, there will be new mysteries to uncover in the upcoming animated sequel – which Oricon reports will release in Japan on April 14.
“Fans can look forward to what’s to come in the new animated series, which will represent everything they love about Pokémon animation, including action, adventure, friendship, and—of course—Pokémon.”
By Tom Llewellyn – [email protected]
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Tom Llewellyn
@https://twitter.com/Tom__Llewellyn
Tom Llewellyn is the Head of World Content, Anime, and Comics at HITC Entertainment and also helps oversee all things deemed ‘nerd culture’ at Forever Geek. After gaining a BSc degree in Animal Behaviour, Tom continued his education with a Master’s degree in Science Communication (MSc) and post-graduate research; with his own independent project being published in the Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens in 2021. Since joining GRV Media in early 2020, Tom has amassed over 48 million views on his content and has conducted interviews with various actors and filmmakers from the wonderful world of anime.
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