Gaming History You Should Know – The Story Behind Those Pikachu Volkswagens, The PokePatrol March 28, 2021

It’s Sunday, and given the fact that Spring has sprung and Easter is just a week away I decided it was time to talk about something yellow. Welcome back to Gaming History You Should Know, where we highlight some of the best independently produced gaming history videos from across the web. Fasten your seatbelts, we’ve got a great one for all of you today!

In 1998, The Pokémon Company was preparing to launch Pokémon in the United States. To get the word out, a special VHS tape was distributed to Nintendo Power subscribers and Toys R Us customers which gave a preview of all things Pokémon. Produced to appear like it existed in the Pokémon world, the VHS tape previewed the new television series, the upcoming games, and the toys.

Towards the end of the VHS tape, Ash’s Aunt Hillary announced a fleet of Pikachu-Themed Volkswagen Beetles, dubbed by fans as the “PokéPatrol”, would be driving across the country and hosting exclusive Pokémon events wherever they stopped. These cars looked cool as hell, and since the event concluded they have gained an almost iconic status alongside the early days of Pokémon fandom.

Sadly, despite the fact that these cars were launched twenty years ago, there isn’t a lot of information about the PokéPatrol. Where did they come from? Where did they visit? What could you do at one of their events? And finally, what happened to them? Pokémon researcher and historian Mewisme700 has done fantastic history videos on the early years of Pokémon. Her video on the history of these original Pokémon Volkswagen cars is second to none. You don’t get much more yellow than this.

Special thanks to Mewisme700 for letting us feature their work here today. If you’re interested in seeing more of her work, she’s done some great early Pokémon history videos including this video about the history of the (now closed) Pokemon Center New York. Everyone should give her channel a watch!