‘Pokémon’ Pikachu Comes to Funko

By Brittany Vincent

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Pop culture collectibles company is adding a new ” Pokémon ” Funko Pop! vinyl figure to its massive list of . The company announced on Thursday that it would be debuting its first-ever “Pokémon” Pop! figure at Target in July, though a specific date would not be given. The honor has been given to the iconic yellow electric mouse Pikachu, which is number 353 in the long line of collectibles.

It’s not clear if this is the beginning of a long line of “Pokémon” toys to come, or if this is a one-off situation, but due to the colossal popularity of “Pokémon” and the fact that new Nintendo Switch games “Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!” and “Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!” are scheduled for a fall release, it would make sense to see a brand new army of toys debuting in their honor. With hundreds of Pokémon to choose from, this series is a lucrative addition to the Funko empire. It remains to be seen which characters could be chosen for inclusion next, but trainer Ash Ketchum could be a good starting point and a companion for Pikachu.

Funko has previously released Pop! toys based on a number of franchises, but “Pokémon” has yet to be one of them. From video games to television shows, there’s been a set of miniaturized versions of fan-favorite characters available as soon as content has been produced, with some of the most recent additions including the newly-announced “Friends” series as well as “TaleSpin” toys. There’s even a selection of special San Diego Comic Con exclusives , including the thirteenth doctor in “Doctor Who,” portrayed by actress Jodie Whittaker.