Pokémon Squishmallows are real and they’re here to take all of your money. Yesterday, the official Pokémon Twitter account teased an upcoming collaboration with the plush toy makers behind Squishmallows. Then just this morning, the brand manager for the toy company posted photos of the Pikachu and Gengar plush that are currently being displayed at San Diego Comic Con.
I’m just excited that the collaboration lets Pikachu be fat again. In the past, the Pokémon mascot used to be a lot rounder in both the video games and the anime. The design started to slim down considerably over time. Fat Pikachu made a return as a Gigantamax Form in Pokémon Sword and Shield, but the plush cost $400. Fat Pikachu appreciators who didn’t want to fork over that kind of cash were left in the dust. Until now. According to the brand manager Aaron Margolin, these Squishmallows will not be a San Diego Comic Con exclusive.
Squish Alert, an app that tracks Squishmallow availability, claims that Togepi and Snorlax Squishmallows will also be coming to Target. When Instagram commenters asked about the source, the account responded that these Squishmallows have been spotted in Target’s inventory system. There has been no official confirmation of these leaks’ validity. Kotaku reached out to both Squish Alerts and Target, but did not get a response at the time of publication.
Squishmallows are a popular plush toy series that first debuted in 2017, but took off in popularity during the height of the pandemic. Collectors own dozens to hundreds of Squishmallows, and the obsession has been compared to the Beanie Baby boom. Rare Squishmallows have already been difficult for fans to buy in-stores, and it’s likely that these toys will be even more difficult to acquire when paired with a popular gaming IP. Right now, fans are extremely hyped to buy these cute squishables.
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Margolin told Kotaku that more news about these Pokémon Squishmallows will be announced at 9AM P.T.
