Summary
Two newPokemon-themed Squishmallows modeled after Pikachu and Piplup are now available to pre-order. The Squishmallow brand first started in 2017, but would explode in popularity following the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Replicating the round “kawaii” look of Japanese plush toys, Squishmallows are now available atmost retail stores like Walmartand feature a variety of over 1,000 unique characters with their own names and backstories. Squishmallows have also crossed over with other properties likeMonopolyandPokemonfor a special board game and licensed plushies respectively.
The first set ofPokemonSquishmallows was announced in July 2022 and featured the ever-popular franchise mascot Pikachu andGeneration 1’s ghostly Gengarin soft polyester form. The pair were soon joined by the colossal Snorlax and eggshell-wearing infant Togepi back in January, and it wouldn’t be long before another round of Squishmallows was announced in the form of a winking Pikachu variant andPokemon Diamond and Pearl’s penguin-like Water starter Piplup a few months later.
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Now theWinking Pikachu and Pipup Squishmallowsare available to pre-order at the Pokemon Center UK website, as announced by the PokemoNewsUK Twitter account. A new promotional image of the latest Pokemon Squishmallows was also shown, featuring Pikachu and Piplup rendered as cute, round plushies in the style fans have come to expect from Squishmallows.
The past two waves of Pokemon Squishmallows have been incredibly popular with fans, to the point where retailers struggled to keepthe initial Pikachu and Gengarin stock over the past nine months. Responses to the reveal of the Winking Pikachu and Piplup seem to indicate that things will be the same for this newest line, with Piplup in particular drawing attention for being the first Water-type Pokemon to be honored with a Squishmallow. Likewise, the Winking Pikachu Squishmallow will certainly charm fans of the beloved Electric mouse mascot, who has been featured in various merchandise like Build-A-Bear over the years.
The latest wave ofPokemon-branded Squishmallows look just as cute and charming as the previous two line-ups, and fans won’t have to wait too much longer to attempt to get their hands on the adorable Piplup and Winking Pikachu plushies now that they are up for pre-order. Given how quickly the previousPokemonSquishmallows sold out, anyone interested in pre-ordering this new set will probably have to hurry if they want to secure one or both from the first batch - whenever they release.
