Pokemon and Build-a-Bear are continuing their long-standing partnership, as trainers can now purchase a new Ponyta plush for their collections. The Ponyta Build-a-Bear plush comes with a sleeper as part of the purchase, so Pokemon fanslooking to get one should act while supplies last.
Known as the Fire Horse Pokemon, Ponyta first debuted in Pokemon Red and Blue as one of the first Fire-type creatures to appear in the Pokemon series. Ponyta is known for its cream-colored body, flaming mane, and natural speed. The critter evolves into Rapidash starting at level 40, where it becomes a fast physical attacker. In Pokemon Sword and Shield, Ponyta and Rapidash gained Galarian regional forms. Galarian Ponyta and Rapidash are Psychic-type critters, with Galarian Rapidash also having the Fairy-type as its secondary type. Both the original and Galarian forms of Ponyta have been popular Pokemon throughout the years.
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Ponyta Is Now Available Through Build-a-Bear
Months after Pokemon and Build-a-Bear released a Litten plush, trainers can now get another Fire-type critter for their plush collections. Ponyta is now available through Build-a-Bear's website with an MSRP of $59.50 before taxes and shipping fees are applied. Shipping rates start at $10 for the economy delivery option in the continental US, and can take one to two weeks for Build-a-Bear orders to arrive. The Ponyta plush comes with an additional blue sleeper sweater that can be removed or kept on. The Ponyta plush from Build-a-Bear also has a 5-in-1 sound chip that plays voice lines that can be heard by pressing on one of Ponyta's hooves. Ponyta's sounds in the Build-a-Bear plush are similar to those used throughout the Pokemon anime series. The Ponyta Build-a-Bear plush stands about 14 inches tall, or a third of its average size of three feet and three inches in the Pokemon video games.
However, there are a few caveats for Pokemon trainers to keep in mind. The Ponyta plush cannot be purchased unstuffed and additional adjustments to the Pokemon's stuffing can't be made. The Ponyta plush is an online exclusive item to the Build-a-Bear website, so Pokemon fans will not find it at any Build-a-Bear retail locations. Pokemon products through Build-a-Bear are also only available as exclusive bundles and cannot be combined with any promotions and coupons.
The new Ponyta plush is also the first Kanto Pokemon to appear at Build-a-Bear in over five months, when the Giant-Size Gengar plush bundle was first made available. The Giant Gengar Build-a-Bear plush costs a staggering $149, nearly three times the cost of the new Ponyta plush. The Giant-Size Gengar plush arrived alongside a plush of the Galarian sheep Pokemon called Wooloo. As of this writing, Pokemon products continue to be available through Build-a-Bear's website, so trainers can see which ones they want to add to their collections.
Ponyta's Build-a-Bear Debut Comes at a Good Time
Given that Pokemon from the first generation, like Cubone, have also been available through Build-a-Bear, Ponyta's addition to the growing list of Pokemon products at Build-a-Bear is not surprising. When compared to other Build-a-Bear products, Ponyta's $59.50 price tag is just 50 cents cheaper than the Eevee plush bundle, and is $14.50 cheaper than the aforementioned Cubone plush. Ergo, the new Ponyta plush from Build-a-Bear is one of the cheapest dolls that Pokemon fans can currently purchase through its website.
Additionally, Ponyta's arrival at Build-a-Bear comes at a great time for Pokemon fans. Pokemon's 30th anniversary as a franchise will be observed throughout the year, with Pokemon ramping up its promotional campaigns on social media. Given that Pokemon Day is on Friday, February 27, trainers are looking forward to hearing more information about the next mainline Pokemon games. While The Pokemon Company has only confirmed that Pokemon Champions and Pokemon Pokopia will arrive in 2026, time will tell what else Pokemon has planned to make the year one of the strongest yet for the long-running franchise.