Pokémon Go and the popular, long-running manga/anime One Piece are teaming up later this month for a crossover event, and frankly, it looks bizarre. Why or how this came to pass is anyone’s guess, but the idea sounds incredibly cool, and fans are no doubt excited to see Pikachu wearing Luffy’s straw hat.
The event is expected to last for a week, from the 22nd to the 29th of July. The main draw, of course, is the Straw Hat Pikachu mentioned above. Aside from that, you can also get one for your trainer as well.
In case you didn’t know, One Piece is a manga and series made by Japanese artist Eiichiro Oda. It first surfaced on the Weekly Shonen Jump of publishing company Shueisha back in 1997. Over the past 2 decades, it has spawned countless TV shows and videos games, and now, it’s crossing over with the smash-hit AR game Pokémon Go.
If you happen to be in Japan during this period, you can come to Kumamoto to witness the all-new One Piece statue with your own eyes, which also doubles as a Pokéstop. Moreover, some artworks from Eiichiro Oda will be exhibited there too.
This year marks the third anniversary of Pokémon GO and the 22nd birthday of One Piece. While Niantic’s title is still a very popular game today, its player base has certainly dwindled quite a bit compared to when it first came out. Hopefully, this event will bring back some of the old players who have since moved on to other games.
If you’re interested in making a return to the world of the Pocket Monsters, Pokémon Go is still available on both Google Play and the App Store for Android and iOS devices, respectively. Look forward to the crossover event to arrive next week!