Pikachu with Regional Caps

Throughout the past few months or so, a number of Pikachu have circulated with an interesting feature: they wear Ash's distinctive cap from the regions he has been to, including Alola. Pikachu with different appearances are nothing new; in the previous generation there were the Cosplay Pikachu that wore different outfits. However, this Pikachu is not only different, but also widespread. It becomes a more unique Pikachu in that regard.

There are six Pikachu in all; official terminology states that they have the Original Cap (for Kanto and Johto), Hoenn Cap, Sinnoh Cap, Unova Cap, Kalos Cap, and Alola Cap. Their appearance is not too different from Pikachu in general, except for the caps that they wear, which are exactly the same as those which Ash wore in the different regions. This is different from the Cosplay Pikachu in that they are not completely dressed, but are only outfitted with a single accessory. They do, however, share a commonality in that they cannot evolve, which not only retains their Pikachu qualities but also makes them true to the anime.

These Pikachu are also now available with a code for those who possess the U.S. region game after being initially available for players in Japan. The catch? The code can only be used once, for a particular form. Right now, at the time of this post, it's for the Original Cap; the available form changes each week starting Tuesday. Interestingly, the evidence for their existence was discovered even before the actual Sun and Moon games were released when the demo version was checked for hidden data. Now that they're available, it's time for players to get in on the fun - of course, with their selected form. I happen to like the Hoenn Cap version since I have some attachment to this saga, so that's the one I will get.

For Shuffle players, however, all the cap forms can be gotten... or should have been gotten, since they were initially given a couple of months back and redistributed once. I was fortunate to catch the redistribution and now I have all six. For Go players, only the Original Cap is (or rather, was) available as of yet, but there might be the possibility of the others showing up as the later generations are added, but that'll be a long time from now. Those who didn't get them might see them again, though this may not be a guarantee.

All things considered, the Cap Pikachu are quite unique novelties. They may not have much purpose outside of aesthetic complements, but they do affirm one thing. The fact that they have a feature of the anime means that the anime is still properly recognized as a major part of Pokémon. As a fan of all things Pokémon and especially the anime, I quite appreciate this nod and gesture, as do and should others who enjoy the exact same things.