I was already pretty damn excited for the November 15 launch of Pokémon Sword & Shield, I have to say. I was excited to explore GameFreak's interpretation of my home and native land, to roam the wide open spaces of the Wild Areas, to meet new monsters and conquer new gyms.
None of that, however, compares to the excitement I felt when Nintendo dropped a brief new trailer for the game yesterday and revealed a special Gigantamax form for Pikachu, which transforms the lovable yellow mouse into the fattest, squishiest boi you ever did see. Drink him in below. Oh lawd he comin'.
Giganatmaxing, and I won't pretend for a second its a normal name, is a new feature in Pokémon Sword & Shield in which you'll be able to transform your faithful companions into King Kong-sized monsters that tower over the battle and unleash devastating attacks.
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Truth be told, I wrote it off as a gimmick when I first saw it, but after some hands-on time with the game at E3 I had to admit that it added a certain cinematic flair to battles that just helps to make everything feel more... epic.
Most Pokémon that you, um, Gigantamax will just transform into much larger versions of themselves, but certain monsters will take on entirely new (and massive) forms - such as fat Pikachu.
Our chonky lad is joined in the trailer by am imposing Charizard with fiery wings, a Butterfree that looks more like Mothra, and a Meowth that essentially exists to serve as a reference to the old Longcat meme - because why not? Out of all of them though, fat Pikachu is the one that has me most excited.
Why, exactly, does a fat Pikachu fill me with such joy, you might well ask. Longcat Meowth is pretty sick, after all, and that Charizard isn't too shabby either.
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The simple truth is that as a kid who grew up with the original Pokémon games and had a few dozen Pikachu trading cards, the yellow franchise mascot is supposed to be fat, goddammit. Pikachu started life as a curvy, chubby, squishy cutie, and it was all the more endearing for it.
I'm not saying that the newer, slimmer Pikachu that the kids today know best is bad, but it's not the same. There was something infinitely more lovable about the dopey look of blissful contentment on the face of fat Pikachu. This was a Pokémon that was comfortable in its own skin, and I respected that.
So I salute you, Pokémon Sword & Shield, for returning Pikachu to its gloriously chonky roots. Bigger is better, and bigger is beautiful.
Featured Image Credit: NintendoTopics: Switch, Pokemon, Pokemon Sword & Shield, Nintendo