Pokémon and ESA launch Pikachu astronaut plushies and TCG accessories

Pokémon and the European Space Agency (ESA) have launched a new merchandise collection featuring two Pikachu plush toys wearing ESA astronaut suits, based on the toy flown to the International Space Station by astronaut Sophie Adenot earlier this year. The collection also includes clothing, pins, and Pokémon TCG accessories like a binder, deck box, and playmat, with artwork showing Pikachu alongside Lunatone, Cosmog, and Minior. Items are available via Pokémon Center in Germany and the US, and physically at Space Expo in Noordwijk, Netherlands, timed for World Space Week starting October 4. The collaboration began April 11 when the Pikachu plush spent 67 days in orbit, circling Earth over 1,000 times. A Pokémon GO space event starts October 3, and the release aligns with Pokémon's 30th anniversary, aiming to inspire fans about space's possibilities.