[WATCH] New Pokemon anime shows Pikachu's origin as Pichu, explores prequel story

Every Pokemon fanatic would remember how Ash Ketchum came across his most loyal companion pokemon, Pikachu in the classic animated series. But was Pikachu always in the same form? or is there a backstory that was never explored? Fortunately, the new Pokemon anime will be exploring the character's prequel storyline before he encounters Ash.

It seems like there's no stopping the Pokemon franchise's dominance in the gaming and film industry. Pokemon GO game is by far the most successful grossing over $3 billion in revenue since its launch. Added to that, the first live-action Pokemon film, Detective Pikachu also fared well at the box office and can be argued as one of the bare few titles to break the video game movie curse.

At present, the franchise has no worry over losing its fanbase and the upcoming Pokémon anime could likely pull in more audiences than before. Earlier today, a new trailer for the anime was released by The Pokémon Company and the first episode is titled "Birth of Pikachu".

As several scenes from the trailer hints, it looks like fans will get to see what life was like for Pikachu in his earlier form, Pichu. Here's the translated synopsis for the episode (via Crunchyroll). "In a forest somewhere in Kanto, there once was a lonely Pichu. This Pichu – who was still quite young – had a certain encounter and farewell. This took place shortly before Ash and his partner Pikachu started traveling together. This is the beginning of the anime 'Pocket Monster'."

It will certainly be exciting to explore that part of the backstory, especially since the earlier anime as well the animated movies never touched upon that plot point. Moreover, it also looks like Ash's first moments with Pikachu would be different than the original version. Unlike the classic anime, it's disappointing to note that the trailer emphasizes more on Ash's journey with his travel partner rather than his other companion, Pikachu. But that could change as the anime progresses.

The Pokemon Company will also be releasing its upcoming Nintendo Switch title, Pokémon Sword & Shield in two weeks. And it's likely that the new Pokemon anime's release is also being line-up with the game for a bigger success. The upcoming new season doesn't seem to be a continuation as it isn't being referred to as season 23. Titled as "Pocket Monster" it's possible that the new anime could be a soft reboot. But that remains to be seen until it begins airing on November 17.