FUME OTN - After a six-year hiatus, the Pokémon anime film franchise is returning with a newly announced movie titled Wildcard. Based on the trading card game rather than the video games, Wildcard promises a significant departure from franchise tradition.

Beyond just a new theme, the film features a pair of new protagonists seemingly designed from the ground up to be the antithesis of Ash and Pikachu.

While details remain scarce for now, the new project was announced simultaneously at the Pokémon World Championships and via the official Japanese Pokémon X account.

The film appears to star Mimikyu and—perhaps most intriguingly—a Pokémon Trading Card Game player. The X post also confirmed that Wildcard will be a feature-length animated film, giving fans plenty of reason to be excited.

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The accompanying poster reveals that the film will be animated by CloverWorks, directed by Katsuhiko Kitada, and feature character designs by Akemi Hayashi.

In addition to the X post, a teaser trailer was released on YouTube. It showcases the card game and offers a glimpse of the protagonists and Mimikyu.

Wildcard represents a breath of fresh air for Pokémon fans worldwide.

The last Pokémon film released was 2020's Secrets of the Jungle, the 23rd entry in the series. Although Secrets of the Jungle featured Ash and Pikachu, this version of the iconic duo differed from the ones fans were accustomed to seeing in the main Pokémon anime series and previous films.

While The Pokémon Company and the animation studio OLM had originally planned to release a new Pokémon film without Ash, plans for that 24th movie were ultimately scrapped.

Given this history, it is no surprise that Wildcard has been met with such enthusiasm. Furthermore, this marks only the second Pokémon animation project to focus entirely on the card game rather than the video games.

Despite the immense and enduring popularity of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the only other official animated project centered on the card game was the 2024 miniseries Path to the Peak.

This card game-focused title offers a vastly different perspective on the Pokémon world and will undoubtedly be a treat for long-time fans of the franchise. However, the most intriguing aspect is the prospect of two new main characters.

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Instead of Ash and Pikachu, Wildcard will feature an unnamed protagonist and a Mimikyu.

While concrete details about the protagonist and their Mimikyu are scarce, the promotional poster conveys enough information to suggest they are a very different kind of hero than what Pokémon fans are accustomed to.

First, the protagonist appears significantly older than Ash—likely in their mid-to-late teens—contrasting with Ash’s famously static age of ten.

Furthermore, the protagonist's hoodie and somewhat sullen expression suggest a much more reserved personality than Ash's, hinting that they may face social challenges.

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Of course, this isn't the first time Pokémon has moved on from Ash. The ongoing Pokémon: Horizons anime series features two successors: Liko and Roy.

While Liko and Roy differ from Ash in many ways, they still embody his enthusiasm and love for Pokémon. Given this, it will be interesting to see how the franchise handles a hero who, by all appearances, is far more brooding.

Regardless, Wildcard represents a bold new direction for the franchise. Although the card game is immensely popular, its digital adaptations have largely remained niche—with the exception of the aforementioned Path to the Peak and two Game Boy Color titles.

Pokémon Wildcard could mark a major step forward for the franchise, making the wait for its 2027 release all the more exciting.