So what exactly does a collaboration between a museum and Pokémon actually entail? Basically, Pokemon that look a lot like the fossils we have of prehistoric creatures will be used to help explain the anatomy of their real-life counterpart. The Pokémon Fossil Museum is going to kick off its nationwide tour in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, at the Mikasa City Museum. There, 30 different fossils that the museum already owns are going to be displayed alongside Pokémon that resemble them. The idea behind it is that kids can connect with a Pokémon they already know, and learn about the prehistoric creature that it is closest to!

There are plenty of Pokémon whose designs were inspired by real animals and fish, including extinct ones. Even in the Pokémon games, there is almost always a fossil that can be turned into a dinosaur-like Pokémon. That gives the museum a lot of source material to pull from, especially given how many different Pokémon there are these days. One of the coolest features that the Pokémon Fossil Museum will have is that the Pokémon will have their skeletons illustrated as well to show the similarities and differences between them and the real fossils. Pokémon skeletons are not something you’re going to get to see anywhere else!

One of the highlights of the Pokémon Fossil Museum is its host and mascot—you guessed it, none-other-than Pikachu himself. Only it’s not just any Pikachu, it’s special Excavation Pikachu! He is dressed as a palaeontologist with a blue vest, red Pokeball kerchief, and a brown hat. An Excavation Pikachu mascot character attended the announcement of the exhibit’s opening, and art of him will also be throughout the exhibition. Excavation Pikachu will serve as a guide throughout the Pokémon Fossil Museum, teaching visitors fun facts and explaining what they are looking at.

For now, the Pokémon Fossil Museum will be open in Hokkaido from July 3rd to September 20th, 2021. The exhibit will then move to Shimane Prefectural Sampei Nature Museum for the winter before arriving in Tokyo’s National Science Museum in Spring 2022. After that, it will be moving to the Toyohashi Museum of Natural Science in Summer 2022. The Pokémon Fossil Exhibition will run until sometime in 2023 with even more dates and locations announced in the future, which is great news as it gives everyone plenty of time to plan a trip to see it.

Especially now with Japan closed to all tourism, it's quite lucky that the Pokemon Fossil Museum is going to be around for around two years! It's also fortunate that the exhibit is starting in Hokkaido, which is not frequently visited, giving everyone a chance to make it to Tokyo (or another big city) before the exhibit does. Be sure to keep your eyes on the news for the Pokemon Fossil Museum’s exact locations and dates—and if you’re in Japan, keep your fingers crossed that it will be coming somewhere near to you!