Every year in Yokohama, Japan, The Pokemon Company and Yokohama City come together for a fun celebration commemorating the shared love for Pikachu in an annual parade in the city. Dubbed the “Pikachu outbreak,” this event brings Pikachu fans of all ages together to witness the gathering of thousands of Pikachu mascots. This celebration usually occurs in August and is typically a great success.

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing regulations, this year’s Pikachu outbreak has been canceled. While this decision likely didn’t come as a surprise to anyone, it’s still disappointing to hear that a beloved celebration won’t be happening this year.

However, Pikachu fans are still finding a way to celebrate their love for the popular electric-type Pokémon mascot, even without a large gathering of people. Over the weekend, the hashtag “#みんなのピカチュウ大量発生チュウ” (translated as “Everyone’s Pikachu Outbreak”) began popping up on Twitter as fans posted their favorite photos and videos from past Pikachu Outbreaks.

There’s this series of photos from Twitter user @midori_asuka, who posted some images from a nighttime concert of the Pikachu Outbreak.

There’s also this tweet from Twitter user @pikachu_pcn, who decided to post some images of the different Pikachu-themed posters celebrating the event. From @pikachu_pcn’s tweet, fans can see posters depicting a single Pikachu, as well as some with many Pikachus all together.

Twitter user @plenielune418 decided to post a video, showing seven Pikachu mascots on a boat waving to fans. At one point, one of the mascots jumps up in the air excitedly while waving.

Finally, here’s another set of images from Twitter user @velupika810d7d. These photos have been taken in the Forests of Minato Mirai, where the Pikachu mascots hold a special performance as part of the festival. According to the website’s description, the forest is home to “an awe-inspiring performance featuring the largest number of Pikachu in history, set against the nightscape of skyscrapers of Minato Mirai glittering beyond the green space. Pikachu emerge[s] endlessly from the shadows of the trees of Rinko Park, their bounding figures giving Minato Mirai new impact.”

While there’s no word on when the Pikachu outbreak will be back, let’s hope things are safe enough for the mascots to return in 2021!

Source: NintendoSoup