'Pokemon' Anime Drops Hilarious Pikachu Meme Nod

Pokemon remains one of Japan's most popular franchises, and it is not afraid to poke fun at itself. After all, the latest episode of Pokemon's anime went in on a fan-favorite meme, and fans won't be able to unsee it.

Recently, Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon debuted its latest episode, and it saw Ash Ketchum team up with Pikachu as usual. The pair are still exploring the Alola region, so things are toasty out there for a wannabe Pokemon Master.

This, you see, is why Ash makes the decision to switch up his usual outfit... and give nod to Surfing Pikachu along the way.

pic.twitter.com/j8myg1C04T

— Ashita (@AshitanoGin) December 9, 2018

As you can see above, Pokemon dropped a little easter egg in Ash's new outfit. The boy s seen at one point outside, and his usual costume is missing. Instead, Ash is wearing a blue t-shirt and a familiar print of Pikachu on a surfboard can be seen.

For fans, the image should be a familiar one. After all, the Pokemon Trading Card game made Surfing Pikachu a thing years ago. The card was released as a basic Pokemon card as a Wizards Black Star Promo. Surfing Pikachu simply had the electric-type creature catching a wave, and its Pokedex data says Pikachu took up the sport quite naturally. Now, Ash is rocking the guy on his shirt, and fans are loving the little homage. After all, Surfing Pikachu has become something of meme within the Pokemon fandom, and it seems Ash is on board with the joke.

Did you catch this little reference? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime

If you haven't kept up with the current run of the anime, Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon is described as such, "What starts as a summer vacation in the tropical Alola region turns into the next exciting chapter in Ash Ketchum's quest to become a Pokémon Master! There's plenty for Ash and Pikachu to explore in this sunny new region, with exciting new Pokémon to discover and interesting people to learn from along the way—including the cool Professor Kukui and the fun-loving Samson Oak.

More new faces will help guide Ash's Alolan adventure, in the form of a group of skilled Trainers—Kiawe, Lana, Mallow, and Sophocles—and a mysterious research assistant called Lillie. Frequent foes Team Rocket have also made the trip to Alola, looking to swipe some high-powered new Pokémon. But they have some heavy competition on the villainy front: the ruffians of Team Skull, who delight in causing chaos and may have more sinister intentions..."