Don’t miss the chance to see a thousand-plus Pikachus drenched in water this summer.
Since their triumphant debut in 2014, the mass gathering of Pikachus in Yokohama is one of the events we most look forward to every summer. Called “Pikachu Tairyou Hassei-chu!“, or “Huge Pikachu Outbreak-chu“, the affair is a spectacle to behold, with more than a thousand electric rodents marching through the streets, waving at crowds and dispensing hugs to passers-by.
Following the success of their initial gathering, the sea of yellow returned to Yokohama again last year, this time with a new theme called “Dancing? An Outbreak of Pikachus”. As suspected, the event turned out to be a step up from the previous year’s festivities, with the gang of Pikachu characters incorporating some cute dance moves into their mass appearance.
In an attempt to up their game from last year’s widely watched performance, the organisers behind the annual event announced today that this summer’s mass outbreak will be called “Huge Outbreak of Pickachus – And This Time They’ll be Getting Wet???”
▼ The face on the character in the foreground says it all – “This time I’m gonna be wet???”
The Minato Mirai mall area in Yokohama where the pointy-eared characters will be appearing is known to get frightfully hot on summer days, when the sun reflects off the asphalt with enough power to make spectators sweat. Heaven knows what effect it has on a furry round Pikachu or – spoiler alert! – on the person inside it. Any or all of these reasons could be behind the decision to incorporate water into this year’s festivities, which will include the awesome-sounding “Dripping Wet Splash Show”.
He might not have topped this year’s poll for favourite Pokémon, but Pikachu will certainly be the star of the show at this summer event, which runs from 7 – 14 August. What effect water will have on more than a thousand electric Pokémon is yet to be seen, but one thing’s for sure – we can’t wait to find out!
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Source, images: Pokémon
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