This Pichu figurine will actually charge your phone as it cuddles your device close to its cheek. It's totally adorable and I simply have to have one.
Pokémon and humans have a long history of working together to achieve a common goal, and Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield actually turned this into a feature of the game, boosting the pocket monsters' stats and even rewarding them with rare items. Dyeing fabric, shipping cargo, constructing pylons, delivering takeaways, cooking in a restaurant, there's all sorts of tasks to be improved with the help of a super-powered pal.
And this Pichu is no different! Artist Clay Yoshirin revealed their invention on social media, and the reception has raised the roof. Of course, Pichu's cheeks store small pockets of electricity, and they're able to accidentally discharge their power if they're excited or surprised. Fortunately, they don't gather very much voltage due to their size, which makes them the ideal source for a power bank.
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Yoshirin said that the creature's cheek has a MagSafe charger, allowing the phone to be "held" by Pichu's paws. Don't worry - the magnetism is strong enough to ensure the device doesn't drop suddenly, and the space between Pichu's paws is roomy enough to accommodate different devices. Here comes the bad news, though. It's not on sale, and it appears to be Yoshirin's own personal piece. They could be convinced to mass produce the figurine, especially after the amount of praise that's been lavished upon the sweet and stylish charger. We'll keep you in the loop as and when we know more.
2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the series, and as it's Pokémon week, there's lots to look forward to. We waxed lyrical over the very first Pokémon games we played, from Red, Blue, Yellow and Gold, and Will Nelson reflected on how much the series has changed from those humble origins. Mike dove into the nitty gritty of the titles that arrived on the Game Boy, and discovered that developing Pokémon Red, Green and Blue wasn't always smooth sailing. And, at the end of the month, we'll be treated to a virtual concert from Post Malone, held in collaboration with The Pokémon Company.
Featured Image Credit: Clay Yoshirin, The Pokémon Company
