Scary looking Pokémon that just wants to be loved continues to chase after its dream of becoming just like its idol.
At first glance, Pokémon Mimikyu looks pretty creepy. Initially, it looks like some sort of dilapidated, deranged version of Pikachu, and even after you learn that it’s merely wearing a crudely made Pikachu disguise, it’s still sort of unsettling to see Mimikyu reach out from underneath the outfit and slash adversaries with its giant, jagged claws.
But just like how Mimikyu is actually a hybrid Ghost/Fairy-type Pocket Monster, so too is there another side to its personality. See, Mimiku just wants to be loved, and hopes that it can achieve that goal by mimicking the appearance of Pikachu, the most popular Pokémon of all. So if Pikachu has a yellow body and long ears, so will Mimikyu. If Pikachu raps, so will Mimikyu. And if Pikachu becomes an adorable PC cushion?
Yep, you guessed it.
Merchandiser Premium Bandai has unveiled the Mimikyu PC cushion, which follows similar functional Poké-plushies for Pikachu, Eevee, and Meowth. The cushion is 52 centimeters (20.5 inches) tall, which is taller than the character’s official height of 20 centimeters, but dimensional continuity sometimes breaks down across different branches of the Pokémon franchise.
Mimikyu comes equipped with a dual-sided keyboard-shaped cushion of its own, decked out with various species of Pocket Monsters on one side, and portraits of Mimikyu and its idol Pikachu on the back.
Mimikyu’s particularly long (for a Pokémon) arms make it look like it’d actually be a pretty competent typist, if its keyboard was an actual piece of electronic equipment, that is.
Of course, if you want to blow off writing that report, Mimikyu won’t tell your boss or teacher on you. It’s actually the perfect cohort for skirting your responsibilities, as it’ll quietly join in as you close your word processor and decide to read a book or watch some videos instead.
▼ Mimikyu is reading Sons of the Yellow Emperor, a study of Chinese emigration around the globe, but we’re guessing its interest is due more to the book’s titular color than the topic’s sociological importance.
▼ We can’t see the phone’s screen, but we’re going to assume Mimikyu is reading our coverage of this year’s Yokohama Pikachu Outbreak, where even Eevee showed up, and is wondering how it can get chosen to take part in the next iteration of the annual event.
The Mimikyu PC cushion is priced at 5,616 yen (US$51) and can be ordered here from Premium Bandai, with shipping scheduled for January. About the only fault we can find with it is that since the plushie is one solid piece, you can’t lift up Mimikyu’s disguise to sneak a peek at its true form, but since we already solved that mystery when we visited Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe, that shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
Source, images: Premium Bandai
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s hoping Abra gets a PC cushion next, since the Pokémon species is called “Casey” in Japan.