In the autumn of 2026, two seemingly distant worlds — the boundless imagination of a beloved entertainment franchise and the rigorous ambition of space exploration — found common ground aboard the International Space Station. The European Space Agency and The Pokémon Company have announced that Pikachu will travel to orbit as part of a partnership timed to World Space Week, accompanied by a Europe-wide exhibition and an exclusive merchandise collaboration with London's Science Museum. It is a moment that asks us to consider how wonder is transmitted across generations, and whether the characte