Ever since I first laid my eyes onPokemonthrough the show and the games in the late 1990s, I’ve not only wanted to catch ‘em all, but I’ve also wanted to pick them up and give them a big old hug. Not all of them, definitely not all of them. Hugging Sandslash will likely leave me with a scratched back and arms full of spines, and even though Geodude has big old arms, I can’t imagine it’s all that huggable. Pokemon has turned both of those and so many more into far more hug-friendly plush versions though, but Pokemon’s plushes have been missing one thing for two decades.
No matter how much and how hard you hug them, Pokemon’s plushes can’t hug you back. Until now.Four new plushes were recently added to the Pokemon Center, and their gimmick is these plushes can hug you back. Given longer arms than a regular plush, and also considerably taller at anywhere between 35 and a little over 39 inches, the plushes from this new range can be draped over and even wrapped around you, making it feel as if the Pokemon is hugging you back.
Bewear Pokemon Hugging Plush
Pokemon’s hugging plushes not only have long arms so it feels like they’re hugging you back, but they’re also quite a lot bigger than most Pokemon plushes. The Bewear hugging plush is 77.5 inches long which basically means you’re able to wear it like a backpack.
Aptly named Pokemon Hugging Plushes, there are four available, and best of all, the chosen Pokemon aren’t the ones usually selected for plush and merch duty. I love Pokemon and have a four-year-old who loves it even more, but that means there’s enough Pikachu and Charmander merch in our house to sink the S.S. Anne. A Pikachu with long arms would also look super creepy and not the kind of Pokemon you’d want a hug from.
Zangoose Pokemon Hugging Plush
Pokemon’s new range of hugging plushes have been given long arms so it feels like they’re hugging you back. They’re also considerably bigger than a normal Pokemon plush, Zangoose being the biggest of all at almost 40 inches long.
No, you won’t find Pikachu here. The Pokemon Hugging Plush collection is made up of four Pokemon to kick it off: Zeraora, Zangoose, Bewear, and Deoxys. All Pokemon that either have long arms already or don’t look out of place having their arms extended a little. Granted, aside from Bewear, none of the four are Pokemon I’d have picked to hug if given all of them to choose from, but now I’ve seen their hugging plushes, I understand the decisions made by The Pokemon Company.
All four Hugging Plushes are available now through the Pokemon Center for $64.99 each. Maybe a little more than you’re used to paying for a plush, but I’d urge you to take another look at the image near the top of this article. They might be more expensive, but they are quite a bit bigger than a standard Pokemon plush. If you’re looking to spend a little less than $65 on something Pokemon-themed this holiday season,GameStop has Pokemon waffle makers on sale for $15.
