“Pokémon” turns 30 this year, and the series kicks off Sunday’s Super Bowl with a star-studded (and Pokémon-filled) ad.
Trevor Noah, Lady Gaga and other celebrities reveal their favorite Pokémon and appear alongside their animated versions in a commercial titled “What’s Your Favorite?” Noah begins by asking, “What’s my favorite thing?” while walking along a sunny boardwalk. Actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever, Freaky Friday) then sits in a makeup chair and explains his favorite “pitch black” Pokemon. F1 driver Charles Leclerc aptly stated that his favorite was “very fast,” rapper Young Miko said he liked his “infinite” Pokémon, and Blackpink member Jisoo said his Pokémon were “very cute.”
In the recording studio, Lady Gaga revealed that her Pokémon “has a 12-octave vocal range” and that she “always finds ways to make it interesting.” The camera pans to reveal Jigglypuff, the adorable singing Pokemon, sitting on the couch. The two huddle in front of a microphone for a duet, singing Jigglypuff’s iconic self-penned song that puts people to sleep in the Pokémon anime.
The remaining stars will soon be joined by partner Pokémon. Noah is paired with Psyduck, a goofy yellow duck. “Every time I encountered a new Pokemon, I felt like I discovered a new part of myself,” he says. “He likes to sleep, just like I do,” said Luxray, a large electric lion, as he took a nap on Ramakrishnan’s desk.
Jisoo likes Eevee, which can transform into different forms, and the young shrine maiden loves the ghost Pokemon Gengar because “he likes mischievous things, but that’s his love language.” Spanish soccer star Lamine Yamal is paired with the fearsome legendary Pokémon Zygarde, but Leclerc reveals his partner is the fast and powerful Fire-type Arcanine.
“This is one of those moments where you can reward your childhood self,” Noah told Variety about being offered the Super Bowl ad. “Pokémon has been a part of my life since I was 9 or 10 years old. Pokémon first appeared in South Africa as a Pokémon trading card pack. Kids were obsessed with trading Pokémon. But it really exploded into my life thanks to the Game Boy.”
Noah said playing the original “Red,” “Blue” and “Yellow” versions of the first “Pokémon” video game and seeing Psyduck on the animated TV show solidified the creature as his favorite. Psyduck, one of the main Pokemon used by Misty in the series, was a water type that could use powerful psychic moves, but the timing and effectiveness of its abilities were hampered by its constant headaches.
“I think ‘Pokémon’ is a perfect allegory for society. It’s like this crazy world with all these different characters that have their strengths and weaknesses,” he explained. “The reason I chose Psyduck is because I grew up as a neurodivergent kid and I still don’t understand what ADHD does in the brain. When I was watching Psyduck on the TV show, it’s this little weirdo in a weird world. Psyduck can’t handle his own brain. He’s trying to figure out how things work. It’s the most powerful and then the most powerful. You can literally freeze the whole world, levitate everything, and throw it away, but sometimes that happens.” You can’t even walk in the right direction from a Poké Ball, it was the classic story of an unlikely hero that we all hope to have in our hearts, and despite all the odds, you figure it all out and come out on top. ”
“Pokémon” will celebrate its 30th anniversary with the new life simulation game “Pokopia” released on March 5th for Nintendo Switch 2. This month, Tokyo’s first outdoor Pokémon facility, Poké Park Canto, also opened.
