One of the most surprising cameos in the Pokémon anime has just taken place, as DUX the Farfetch'd from Pokémon Red & Blue has appeared in Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
Farfetch'd was one of the original 151 Pokémon from Pokémon Red & Blue. The only way to acquire one (outside of trading with a friend) was through an in-game trade. In order to get a Farfetch'd, the player needed to travel to Vermillion City and find a girl who wants a Spearow. Once the trade is completed, the player will receive a Farfetch'd named DUX. In the Japanese version of Pokémon Red/Green/Blue, the Farfetch'd is referred to as Osho.
The current season of the Pokémon anime is called Pokémon Journeys in the west and it involves Ash traveling with a boy named Goh, as they use a teleporter to visit each region in the world. In the most recent episode of the anime, Ash and Goh visit a Pokémon Center in order to trade with the other trainers that are there. Once they reach the Pokémon Center, they see an old man trading his Farfetch'd with a girl who has a Spearow. The man refers to the Farfetch'd as Osho, which means that the Pokémon anime has✤ made one of ♓the first in-game trades canon in the series.
The Pokémon franchise has shown a lot of love to the Farfetch'd line in the current generation, with Galarian Farfetch'd being badass versions of🔯 the original birds. The line also gained a powerful evolution, in the form of Sirfetch'd. Ash even uses a G👍alarian Farfetch'd in his current team, suggesting that he will use a Sirfetch'd in what could be his final team in the series.
The most recent episode of the Pokémon anime has only just been b🌺roadcast in Japan and it likely won't be l🎉ocalized for a while, so it's unclear whether the English localization will keep the reference to the games and finally make DUX a canon part of the series. We hope that they do, as this bird has waited over twenty years for an appearance in the anime – and it deserves its time in the spotlight.