Throughout this wretched pandemic, I’ve been finding myself latching on more and more to the fandoms of my youth. When times are tough and days are cloudy, there’s nothing like a little digital light shining from a Pikachu’s tail.
If you’re a Pokémon fan, there are more ways to “catch ‘em all” than grinding away at the numerous games and mobile apps that have sprouted up through the decades. There are neat little accessories you can carry around with you, some of which help you play the games even if you’re not actively engaging with them.
Because I’m a Pokémon freak and find great comfort within the franchise, I put together a list of some of the most fabulous Pokémon accessories to equip yourself with. Honestly, a few of the picks are just me attempting to manifest the existence of these things in my life.
Find any of Casetify’s pixelated Pokémon collection
It’s been months since this collaboration between Game Freak and Casetify went live, and I can’t get the main webpage to load anymore. But if you do a little sleuthing on Mercari, you might at least find the pixelated poké ball AirPods case. It’s ridiculously overpriced in the second-hand store, but if you can find someone selling it in pristine packaging, consider it an investment in a collector’s item.
Carry around Pokémon like a Tamagotchi
OK, the official Poké Ball Plus is a Switch controller for Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, which launched over four years ago. If you have Let’s Go or Sword/Shield, you can virtually pop a Pokémon into the controller and take them with you on walks and hikes to raise their experience points and capture items along the way. The controller also syncs via Bluetooth to your smartphone to play Pokémon Go without opening the app.
Sorry, you can’t buy this adorable hand-sculpted Pikachu charger
This hand-sculpted Pikachu charger is seriously cool and the kind of fan service we applaud here at Gizmodo. This Pikachu is built entirely out of clay by artist Nendo Yoshirin. You’ll see some of the other clay-based Pokémon accessories they’ve customised if you click through.
Scroll through social media feeds with a Pikachu mouse
OK, this isn’t for your phone, but I’ve been seriously thinking about picking up one of these for myself for the sheer novelty of pushing a Pikachu around my desk to get things done. This Pikachu mouse, in particular, has picked up a ton of play in my social media feeds. It’s not the cheapest — $US65 ($90) plus shipping is quite a bit to pay for what is ostensibly a desk toy — but it could be just the thing to take you out of the doldrums of your workday. Plus, it’s an actual mouse — the “chu” in Pikachu’s name in an onomatopoeia that refers to the squeaks of the IRL rodent.
Almost worth a trip overseas: Galaxy Z Flip 3 Pokémon edition
I have to mention this collaboration again. Even though it’s primarily skins and stickers and a few themed accessories, I love the idea of purchasing a Pokémon-themed smartphone package, especially one that’s linked to one of the few folding smartphones out there that’s worth wielding. Here’s to hoping Samsung brings a collaboration like this stateside.
Definitely worth a trip overseas: Pokémon Galaxy Buds
Samsung has created a replica Poke Ball case for the Galaxy Buds 2. You can charge your wireless buds inside of it. There are knock-off cases like this on Amazon, but nothing quite hits like something that resembles reality. I might have to book a flight to South Korea for this one alone.
Hack your way through Pokémon Go
OK, I am not suggesting that you cheat your way through Pokémon Go (I kind of am?). But hear me out: I only recently got back into Go after dismissing it in its early days. I’m so into it that I want to be the very best like no one ever was. I have been in a battle with a person at the Pokémon gym closest to my house. They’re about Level 50-ish, while my partner and I are measly 30-something levelers. Whenever we fight against their Pokémon, we get knocked out in a single hit.
I think the person probably lives near the Pokémon Gym, which is how they can get some of the rewards needed to level up without taking huge walks. As a result, I’ve seriously considered one of these “phone walkers” that have sprouted up on Amazon. As much as I need the exercise, walking to capacity in Pokémon Go is not an easy feat when you’re an adult with a day job. I just want to claim my stake on my neighbouring Gym!