- Gladion Pokemon Guide - August 25, 2022
- Pokemon Squishmallows Guide - August 6, 2022
- Kleavor Pokemon Guide - August 1, 2022
For gamers, nerds and collectors alike, San Diego Comic-Con is one of the most exciting times of the year. Lasting for four days, this event tends to produce highly anticipated releases of merch and event-exclusive items.
So when the news of the Pokemon x Squishmallow collaboration hit social media, you can probably imagine the following excitement. With Squishmallows being one of the most popular plush toy brands and Pokemon having millions of adoring fans and adorable characters just begging to be made into these cuddly creatures, this collaboration has already been taking the world by storm.
But there are several questions revolving around the announcement, mostly asking why this is so significant and why so many people are losing their minds about it. This may feel like another Pikachu plushie to people who don’t understand the hype of Squishmallows. But this is huge to people who have been hot on plush collecting for the past few years.
I am among the thousands of people who adore Squishmallows and the millions of players who have loved the Pokemon franchise since they were young. In addition, I’m an avid collector of all things cute and cuddly, so this collaboration is a dream come true. And there are tonnes of people who are just as excited as me.
So if you’re still confused about these plush toys and why this news is groundbreaking as far as merch announcements go, then this is the guide for you.
What is the Pokemon x Squishmallow Collab?
At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Squishmallow announced their collaboration with the Pokemon company. Teasing the partnership on Twitter at first, this collab feels like a cultural reset for both Pokemon and Squishmallow fanatics.
A handful of Pokemon have been adapted into the adorable Squishmallow design and will hit shelves in late 2022. Although this is a reasonably new announcement, this release has been anticipated by fans of both companies since the hype of Squishmallows started taking the internet by storm.
After the success of the Animal Crossing x Build a Bear collaboration, Nintendo has been taking leaps and bounds toward providing fans with plushies they can collect and adore.
Since it was announced at Comic-Con, many people assumed the release would be event-exclusive. But to our surprise, it’s not. Additionally, the collection isn’t a limited edition, meaning everyone has a fair chance at purchasing a Squishmallow of their favorite Pokemon from Wave One.
However, many fans have been comparing the release of the Pokemon x Squishmallow to the already existing Microbead Plush collection, which has a similar design and feel to Squishmallows. But when fans saw the Pokemon Squish at SDCC, the comparisons slowly fazed out.
Although the microbead collection has a similar rounded design and simple details for each plushie, they don’t look anything like the Pokemon x Squishmallow collaboration. Additionally, the two collections have different characters to the Pokemon announced by Squishmallow.
Which Pokemon Will Be in the Collection?
The Pikachu and Gengar 14” Squishmallows made their debut at San-Diego Comic-Con, and have been titled the first wave of the collaboration. I was shocked when I saw a Gengar Squishmallow, as it’s not a character you’d expect to have merch of – especially over popular characters like Eevee, which has always been seen alongside Pikachu.
As for Pikachu, we all expected him to be the first character in this collection. After all, what’s a trainer without their Pikachu? Plus, the egg-shaped style of a Squishmallow suits Pikachu’s design. So even though I feel like fans have been overrun with Pikachu merchandise, this is a plush design I could get behind and add to my collection.
These plushies will be available in a 14” size, the only size currently announced. But with the second half of the wave hosting larger dimensions, I hope Gengar eventually comes in a 20” size. My ghost-loving heart would love to curl up with a huge Gengar cushion with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Although there aren’t any pictures or product samples, Togepi and Snorlax have been announced to join the collection slightly after the Gengar and Pikachu release. Once again, these are two Pokemon I didn’t expect to join the collaboration. However, as much as I love Eevee, it’s great to see more underappreciated Pokemon receiving the attention they deserve!
Togepi and Snorlax will be available in the same 14” Size as Pikachu and Gengar, but the pair will also receive a 20” counterpart.
I adore giant plushies despite how hard they are to display, but one of the main appeals of Squishmallows is how they can be used as pillows and cushions and look adorable. The 20” size is the perfect pillow equivalent, so taking a nap on a Snorlax will be a Pokemon trainer’s dream come true!
Even though the first wave of this collection has only four members, I find it hard to believe that there won’t be any further releases from the collection. I would love to see some more underrated Pokemon receive a Squishmallow version, and it’s a reasonable way for the company to continue selling units!
So long story short, the Pokemon being released in Wave One of the Pokemon x Squishmallow collab are as follows:
- 14″ Gengar
- 14″ Pikachu
- 14″ Togepi
- 14″ Snorlax
- 20″ Togepi
- 20″ Snorlax
First Opinions of the Pikachu Squishmallow
As much as I love our fan-favorite electric mouse, it’s tough to go wrong with a Pikachu plushie. Pikachu’s relatively simple design perfectly mirrors a Squishmallow’s style. However, I think his design has a few flaws that could’ve been translated slightly better.
For example, Squishmallows don’t tend to have arms, even if the creature they represent does. Sadly, this was ignored when it came to designing the Pokemon Squish.
Both Gengar and Pikachu have the outline of embroidered arms on the front of their bodies – and frankly, I wouldn’t say I like it. It looks out of place and drives away from the simplicity of a Squishmallow. On the other hand, if the arms were removed, I think the pair would look flawless.
Aside from the embroidered arms, the Pikachu Squishmallow has two black embroidered eyes with white circles representing pupils and a cute curved mouth to accompany a tiny black nose. I appreciate that the details are embroidered onto the plush rather than printed since it looks much higher quality.
To each side of Pikachu’s mouth, just below both eyes, are the iconic red cheeks of this Pokemon – which would be ridiculous to miss out! I’d say that they are one of Pikachu’s most iconic features besides the lightning-bolt tail, so having a plush without them would be shocking.
The back of the Pokemon maintains the same level of detail as the front, and two brown lines of mochi fabric separate from the yellow. Additionally, the iconic tail I just mentioned is included with this design. I think the tail is my favorite design feature of this plush, despite going against the simplicity of a Squishmallow.
It aids the adorableness of the design without looking tacky and once again captures the essence of Pikachu. The top of the plushie also hosts two long black-tipped ears.
Each Squishmallow is tagged with a Pokeball logo towards the bottom of the back. It’s a very small logo, so it can easily go unnoticed. Which I appreciate since the last thing you want from a Pokemon plush is significant branding in your face!
As a whole, the Pikachu Squishmallow is cute, but when is a Pikachu plushie not? As I said, it’s hard to get the design of this Pokemon wrong. It’s had so many different marketable plushies now, in a way; I kind of wish they had given the position to a Pokemon like Eevee, who is still one of the more popular Pokemon but doesn’t have anywhere near as much merch as Pikachu.
First Opinions of the Gengar Squishmallow
After being relatively confident in my knowledge of a Pikachu Squishmallow being announced, my shock when I saw Gengar was like a kid in a candy store.
As someone who has been in love with ghost Pokemon since their first experience with the franchise, getting any merch feels like a result. Let alone a Squishmallow collaboration! Before I had even seen it, I knew that this Squish, in particular, had to come home with me.
The Gengar Squishmallow is by far my favorite of the pair. I didn’t expect such a sharp Pokemon to suit a rounded style. The front of the Squishmallow shows Gengar’s toothy grin under his bright and somewhat evil red eyes. In terms of facial detail, Gengar’s design is a lot simpler than Pikachu’s without losing any of the charm. More of Gengar’s elements utilize the shape of the Squishmallow to represent, which explains why I love it so much.
However, like the Pikachu counterpart, Gengar has the same hands embroidered. I don’t understand why they have added this feature to the designs because it doesn’t benefit them. If they had added 3D appendages to the plush, it would take away from the simple design, so why bother adding embroidered ones? I want to be able to love Gengar with my whole heart, not be put off by its tiny invisible hands!
But as I said, most of Gengar’s detail is on the back and top of its plush body. The top of the Pokemon has its perfect pointed ears and the somewhat fluffy ‘fringe’ between. The back of the plush immediately had me researching where to find it, though.
Rather than ignoring Gengar’s spikey back, the Squishmallow features three rows of adorable spines, which go from the top of the Pokemon to the base, leading to its pointed tail.
I think this attention to detail could’ve easily been overlooked when creating this Squishmallow, but I am so thankful it wasn’t. Including these spines and spikes pulls together the whole design. Again, Gengar has the same Pokeball branding on the back of the plush, which we can assume is a feature of each Pokemon-themed Squish.
What Fans are Thinking
As I’ve already said, the Pokemon x Squishmallow collaboration has been highly anticipated by hundreds, if not thousands, of fans worldwide. The adorable design of Squishmallows took the internet by storm in 2020, let alone throwing Pokemon into the mix.
Most fans took to Twitter to share their adoration for the collab, where the release’s initial tease was posted. Since the tweet announcing the potential collab was published, it has received over 1.1k retweets and over 8.5k likes. Initially, fans struggled to believe that the collaboration would happen, but a few days after the teaser, videos, and photos of the Squishmallow booth and the Pikachu and Gengar began to circulate.
TikTok user @SuperDuperDanni was among the first to post about the release and showcase Gengar and Pikachu at SDCC in their video. Receiving over 29.8k likes and 2.2k shares, it’s safe to say that people are incredibly excited for these fluffy friends to be released later this year, finally!
I’ve been loving watching so many people get excited about this collaboration. It’s such a wholesome thing for people to share their excitement, and it’s great to have so many people I can speak to with similar joy. In particular, I’ve been loving how many people are designing and speculating which Pokemon will receive a Squishmallow counterpart in future waves of the release.
Here are some of my favorite tweets from fans sharing their excitement and love for the collaboration:
@Suncheynejoy: Not to be dramatic, but I will, in fact be devastated if I don’t get a Pokemon Squishmallow
@__RightMeow: Squishmallow x Pokemon Collab… I’m going to cry
@Patriciazsz: Pokemon x Squishmallow Collab… everyone stay calm
Which Pokemon Would Also Suit This Style?
Even though we have received news of four Pokemon receiving a squishy rendition later this year, fans have been quick to design their own plushies.
Since the collection was released as wave one, there’s a lot of speculation that several waves will follow, given the release is as popular as it currently seems. But with over 900 potential Pokemon to make into a squishy toy, the question of which ones would best suit the Squishmallow style is raised.
Alongside almost every fan excited for the release, I’ve been giving this a thought. And after consideration, I’ve come up with three Pokemon that I think would ideally suit a Squishmallow.
Starting with Spheal, a perfectly rounded seal-like Pokemon that already has a simple design. Additionally, there is already a seal Squishmallow, which captures the animal perfectly, so I don’t see how Spheal wouldn’t fit the criteria! Additionally, it’s a semi-underrated Pokemon that doesn’t have a lot of exclusive merch, so much like Gengar, it may be given the attention it deserves!
Secondly, I think Chansey would make a fabulous Squishmallow. Since she already has an egg-shaped body and is referred to as ‘the egg Pokemon, you can’t go wrong.
Plus, her pastel pink color makes her even cuter! I think the axolotl Squishmallows would be a perfect starting point to build a Chansey since they have the same frills on either side of their head. Also, because she’s from Gen One, many old-school Pokemon fans would appreciate having a plush of a Pokemon that took such good care of them.
Finally, I think Wailord would make a fantastic 20″ jumbo Squishmallow. They are the perfect Pokemon for anything oversized, and their somewhat simple and rounded design would translate to a Squishmallow well. Of course, the same could be said for Wailmer, but I think an XXL Wailord plushie would be a huge hit with Pokemon fans, pun intended.
But I think there is potential in hundreds of Pokemon. It’s hard to draw the line at a few, so I hope more are released in the future. With all the excitement and joy coming from seeing only two Pokemon Squishmallows, it would be a shame to throw it all away with only one wave!
So, Where and When Can I Buy Them?
As of right now, there is no set date regarding the launch of the Pokemon x Squishmallow collab, but it’s been rumored that the collection will release in the latter half of 2022.
With Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, alongside Generation Nine, also being released in November 2022, the timing of this collaboration could be incredibly beneficial for sales. With two massive releases from the Pokemon company later this year, I can already feel my excitement bubbling.
Luckily because of their vague scheduled release, the Pokemon x Squishmallow collaboration will not be Comic-Con exclusive. This is a massive relief for people worldwide, as we can’t all get to Comic-Con (as much as I’m sure we would all like to.)
Jazwares announced that these plushies would also become available at retailers like Target towards the end of 2022. But you better act fast if you want to get ahold of one since I can see these plushies becoming a collector’s item pretty quickly.
Before their release in retailers, the Pikachu and Gengar Squishmallows will first be sold via the Pokemon Center. So the US and UK Pokemon Center websites, alongside Centers in Japan, will be among the first few stores to sell this adorable collection. After this first wave of sales, I’d imagine this collaboration will hit most, if not all, retailers you can currently buy Squishmallows from.
Additionally, I am incredibly relieved that this collab will not be a limited run. I’ve never had much luck purchasing exclusive or limited edition items, so knowing I might have a chance to buy this collection at some point is fantastic. However, this doesn’t mean that the product will never sell out. It just means that they will continue to be produced until they are discontinued.
I’d imagine with the popularity of Squishmallows in 2020 and the already bubbling excitement for this collaboration, finding these plushies ‘in the wild’ will be like finding a shiny Pokemon. But, much like my ethos with Shiny Hunting, I will not give up until I have one.
FAQs
Question: Will Nintendo collab with Squishmallows with another game?
Answer: The Pokemon x Squishmallow collaboration is currently the only time Nintendo has partnered with Squishmallows. There is no speculation that these companies would collab again with another game, but I think Animal Crossing x Squishmallows would be another incredibly successful collection! The simpler, cutesy Nintendo Characters suit the Squishmallow design to a T, which is why it works so well.
Question: Will they release a second wave of Pokemon x Squishmallow?
Answer: As I’ve mentioned a few times, I find it hard to believe this will be the only release from this collaboration. I can already tell that this release will be incredibly popular, so I’d imagine several waves will also be released in the future. There are far too many Pokemon that would suit this adorable eggy design, and there are far too many Pokemon I would love to see!
Question: How much will a Squishmallow cost?
Answer: Much like further details of where this collection will be available, there has been no published information on the pricing of each item. If they are priced similarly to standard Squishmallows, then a 14” Pokemon Squish will cost between $30-$40, and a 20” Squish will cost $40+. These prices are taken from the standard retail price of Squishmallows. Still, with the likeliness of these plushies becoming a collector’s item, I can only imagine the price will increase over time.
Pokemon Squishmallows Guide: Summary
With over 900 Pokemon before the release of Generation Nine, surely there have to be a few more that would suit this egg-shaped design! Even though this release hasn’t reached distributors yet, I’m already excited to see what the future of the Pokemon x Squishmallow collab holds.
I’d love to see seasonal releases like Squishmallow does already. For example, Delibird for Christmas or Mimikyu and Pumpkaboo for Halloween. There’s already so much potential for this collaboration.
However, I will need to expand my display if there are future releases from the Squishmallow x Pokemon collection. Sure, I’ve got enough space for Wave One right now. But just like they say in the anime, I gotta catch ‘em all.
