Summary
- Pikachu and Piplup Squishmallows are now available to pre-order, continuing the popular Pokemon-themed line of plush toys.
- Previous waves of Pokemon Squishmallows have sold out quickly, indicating that these new additions will likely be highly sought after as well.
- Fans can expect the same cute and charming design that Squishmallows are known for, and should act fast if they want to secure these plushies.
Two new Pokemon-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 at most retail stores like Walmart and feature a variety of over 1,000 unique characters with their own names and backstories. Squishmallows have also crossed over with other properties like Monopoly and Pokemon for a special board game and licensed plushies respectively.
The first set of Pokemon Squishmallows was announced in July 2022 and featured the ever-popular franchise mascot Pikachu and Generation 1’s ghostly Gengar in 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 and Pokemon Diamond and Pearl’s penguin-like Water starter Piplup a few months later.
Now the Winking Pikachu and Pipup Squishmallows are 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 keep the initial Pikachu and Gengar in 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 of Pokemon-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 try to get their hands on the adorable Piplup and Winking Pikachu plushies now that they are up for pre-order. Given how quickly the previous Pokemon Squishmallows 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.
Source: Pokemon Center UK