We're stepping away from hardcore retrogaming news to talk about a partnership that's as unexpected as it is exciting.

On 11 December, The Pokémon Company announced that a joint project with Aardman was in production and would be released in 2027.

Pokémon needs no introduction, and I'm sure you're already familiar with Aardman's productions, even if the name may sound less familiar.

This British studio is behind such titles as Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run and Shaun the Sheep - three major hits. The Aardman style is instantly recognisable, thanks to a unique ‘paste’ 😉 both literally and figuratively.

The studio uses the stop motion technique, animating models and characters made from modelling clay. This time-consuming and meticulous process produces a stunning result that no computer-generated image can match.

This partnership is particularly surprising, as Aardman has never before collaborated with a company as large as The Pokémon Company. Until now, the studio had concentrated on its own universes, animating mainly its emblematic characters mentioned above.

I say ‘work’ rather than ‘film’ because the final format of this project remains unknown. A feature film seems obvious, but Aardman also excels in series. In fact, Pokémon has already explored stop motion with the Japanese series The Pokémon Receptionist in 2023, although it went relatively unnoticed.

For now, we'll have to make do with the press release, in which the vice-president of the Pokémon Company said:

This is a dream partnership for Pokémon. Aardman is a master of their craft, and we've been blown away by their talent and creativity. What we've been working on together ensures that Pokémon fans around the world are in for a real treat!

Sean Clarke, CEO of Aardman, added:

We feel truly privileged to be responsible for bringing the Pokémon characters and universe to life in a whole new way. Bringing together Pokémon, the world's biggest entertainment brand, and our love of craft, characters and humorous storytelling is incredibly exciting. ‘

Pokémon has conquered many formats, from video games first and foremost to TV series and card games. Even if we retrogamers are sometimes a little lost when faced with multiple generations, many of these creatures were with us during our youth.

We can't wait to rediscover them in a new light, in the talented hands of a studio as creative as Aardman!

In the meantime, there's plenty to keep you busy! If you own the titles, you can already rediscover the first three generations of Pokémon on Recalbox, thanks to the Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance, across eight games!