Some Pokemon Legends: ZA players think they've seen an Ash Ketchum and Pikachu Easter egg while running around the game. Much anticipated since the announcement, Pokemon Legends: ZA returns players to the Kalos region first introduced in 2013 Pokemon X and Y. Set in Lumiose City, which was created with Paris as inspiration, it allows players to explore the urban location both day and night.
Launched on Nintendo Switch platforms on October 16, the latest Pokémon Video game releases have generally been received positively by critics, while gamers have received a few more complaints. The title currently holds an 83 critic average on OpenCritic, but Pokemon Legends: ZA received a wave of negative reviews from gamers at launch, and its user score on aggregate review site Metacritic now stands at 4.7. The gripes are many, from technical issues to the lack of an open world to a weak story. Despite this, fans of Pokémon comics have also found things to get excited about in the game.
Pokemon Legends: ZA gives a nod to Ash and Pikachu
A couple of players have spotted a nod to Ash Ketchum and his eternal sidekick Pikachu hanging out in the overworld of Pokemon Legends: ZA. Content creator ChocolateKieran shared the information and ThePokeRaf recorded the discovery. In a Lumiose City park, the player encounters an NPC named Pikami who hangs out with a Pikachu on a tennis court. The young lad is dressed in a blue and green jacket, red sneakers and a red beanie, and the color scheme appears to be a clear callback to the legendary Pokemon collector. Engaging in the conversation, Pikami confidently says, “My Pikachu is the strongest in the world!” This initiates Side Mission 107: The World's Greatest Pikachu, where Pikami challenges the player to a 1v1 against his high-level Pikachu. In battle, the young combatant even holds his Poke Ball in the same manner as Ash before throwing it down.
If players come across Ash and Pikachu Easter Eggs before they are ready for battle, there are a couple of ways to find a Pikachu for themselves in Pokemon Legends: ZA. Of course, they can only play through the game until they reach Wild Zone 3, where some Pikachus hang out. Or they can evolve a Pichu, which is found in Wild Zone 1. And for fans of the series, fighting the Ash clone will be well worth it.
There are undoubtedly plenty of other discoveries awaiting players, some more secret than others. For example, a glitch to duplicate shiny Pokemon in Legends: ZA was recently revealed, allowing hunters to take some clones to trade.
- Released
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16 October 2025
- ESRB
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All 10+ / Fantasy violence, in-game purchase
