Gozitans irked at their lack of Pokémon to catch were in for a surprise on Monday, after a real-life Pikachu popped up at some of the island's most iconic spots. 

In a video posted to Facebook, a Pikachu prankster can be seen climbing trees in Nadur, dodging traffic in Victoria, taking a stroll at Xlendi and even leaping into the sea at Ħondoq ir-Rummien. 

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality mobile game in which players walk around the real world to catch mythical creatures known as Pokémon. Pikachu is one of the most well-known Pokémon and serves as the mascot for the gaming franchise. 

Footage of the light-hearted prank, devised and carried out by a group of Studio 7 employees, is now going viral on social media. 

"A group of us head to Gozo every year," said a costume-less Owen Farrugia. "This year we decided to take Pikachu up with us." 

Inspired by the Pokémon craze that has taken the world by storm over the past month, the group decided to sew a Pikachu costume and take Malta's sister island by storm. 

"People loved it," Mr Farrugia told the Times of Malta. "Some people thought we were a bachelors' party, and we had a few puzzled stares from people who probably don't know anything about Pokémon. But everyone had a laugh." 

The decision to have Mr Farrugia don the Pikachu outfit was a no-brainer, given his love for dressing up in costume. "I love carnival and I'm always up for that sort of thing. But though I was the one dressed up, this was a team effort," he stressed. 

Given the effort the group made to make their yearly Gozitan outing a memorable one, you might think that they're all avid Pokémon Go players. 

"Not at all," Mr Farrugia laughed. "I don't think a single one of us has the app installed on their phone."