Every Pokémon fan has dreamt of riding one of the series’ monsters instead of using more mundane methods of transportation. Cars, trains, boats, and planes are just not as cool as riding a Pokémon friend to get where you need to go. Well, Toyota has made at least one rideable Pokémon a reality, but it’s unlikely any of us will get to ride this real-life version of Pokémon Violet mascot Miraidon.
The Toyota Engineering Society, an organization of the Japanese vehicle manufacturer’s employees dedicated to prototyping and iterating on the company’s technology, has created a real motorcycle that’s made to resemble the futuristic, motorcycle-like dragon Miraidon. While it’s highly unlikely it’ll be mass-produced and made available for purchase, the prototype looks pretty incredible and accurate to the Pokémon. (Thanks, Go Nintendo.)
Miraidon is both the mascot for Pokémon Violet and the player’s primary means of transportation. The electric/dragon-type monster is able to shift into different forms to climb, swim, fly, and roll through the world like a motorcycle. The mysterious legendary Pokémon helps facilitate the game’s open-world traversal and also plays into the larger plot involving a time machine that brings futuristic relatives of modern Pokémon to the present. Pokémon Scarlet had Koraidon, a prehistoric dragon who had the same abilities. However, it probably doesn’t make for a good real-world motorcycle, considering it doesn’t even use the wheels on its chest and legs when it moves around.
While a Miraidon motorcycle seems like a pretty logical step for an automotive manufacturer, the Toyota Engineering Society also worked on several projects that aren’t even related to transportation. These include a soccer-playing robot and initiatives to get kids interested in science and technology.
This isn’t the first time a real-world vehicle has officially been made to look like a Pokémon; the Pikachu Bug cars were a significant part of the series’ marketing back in the ‘90s.
