New Pokémon travel show will feature an actual Pikachu bus

If Arceus wasn’t enough to give you your fix of new Pokémon adventures, a new variety show set to hit Japanese television this April might just do the trick.

As pointed out by Kotaku, the show will be called Poké Doko: Pokémon to Doko Iku?! (which translates to “Where’s Poké: Where Are You Going With Pokémon?!”). The new show, which will be known with its abbreviated title, Poké Doko, will prominently feature a Pikachu-styled bus and will hit TV Tokyo, a major Tokyo television channel that specializes in anime.

Poké Doko is supposed to function like a travel show, only the hosts in this scenario will venture around the world to meet and interact with Pokémon fans, all in the comfort of the Pika bus. The whole thing makes my mind gravitate towards a hypothetical hot-dog show where enthusiasts travel the country in an Oscar-Meyer weiner mobile.

Who’s involved?— Ryogo Matsumaru is set to host the show, along with Shoko Nakagawa who will join as a navigator. Both of them have had experience working on Pokémon variety shows. Meanwhile the bus driver will be comedian Abareru-kun as well as an additional unnamed Japanese female celebrity — her identity will be revealed at a later date by TV Tokyo.

Poké Doko is replacing Pokemon no Uchi Atsumaru? (also known as Pokenchi), which is an existing Pokémon-related variety show. Where Poké Doko is focused on exploration and travel, Pokenchi was largely confined to a studio.

The variety show is meant to complement the existing Pokémon anime, and will air on Sunday mornings like its predecessor. Who would you like the Pika-bus crew to interview? Gary Haase, owner of the most prolific Pokémon card collection, would be on the top of my list.