Face of the Pokémon franchise hitches a ride to the International Space Station as part of European Space Agency mission.

Because Pikachu is such an iconic part of the franchise, the Pokémon games and anime have to be careful about introducing new powers for him. Sure, he always needs to be a viable candidate for whatever adventures are going to take place, but if Pikachu is made too powerful, he loses that quality of being an approachable, believable companion for the protagonist’s journey of growth.

So, ordinarily, Pikachu becoming a Flying-type Pokémon would be going a step too far. The following video showing Pikachu floating in mid-air is no ordinary situation, though, since it was recorded on his real-world trip to the International Space Station!

As revealed last month, a Pikachu plushie accompanied French astronaut Sophie Adenot on her trip to the ISS as part of the European Space Agency’s Epsilon mission. Pikachu even had his own custom-made ESA uniform, complete with a covering for his tail.

In the video, Adenot provides audio commentary for Pikachu’s tour of the ISS’ Nodes 1 and 2. He gets to take a look at the recycled drinking water dispenser, as Adenot explains that 98 percent of the water used on the ISS is recycled, as is its occupants’ urine, though she refrains from revealing whether or not Pikachu was asked to provide his as well. After stopping by the heavy-duty freezers used for experiment sample preservation in the node’s laboratory, Pikachu floats over into the crew quarters section of Node 2, specifically towards the area where astronauts are secured while sleeping, with Adenot hypothesizing that he’s ready for a nap.

▼ Sweet space dreams, Pikachu.

With his trip to the ISS, Pikachu joins the proud tradition of zero-gravity indicators, objects used for visual confirmation that a spacecraft has entered a zero-G environment, and also to demonstrate this status in photos and videos for people back on Earth. Despite their science-y name, zero-gravity indicators are often plushies, but Pikachu appears to the first Pokémon to fill this role.

As the video closes, Adenot mentions that Pikachu will be returning to earth before she does, but he’s still acting as a spokescharacter for the European Space Agency. To coincide with the currently ongoing World Space Week festivities, the Pokémon Center Online is offering a range of Pokémon/ESA crossover merch here, including two different astronaut Pikachu plushies.

Related: World Space Week official website
Source: YouTube/European Space Agency
Top image: YouTube/European Space Agency
Insert images: YouTube/European Space Agency, Pokémon Center Online
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