Are you someone who longs to escape a dreary January by curling up next to a fire with a Fire-type Pokémon for a little while? If so, the official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel has the perfect video for you.
In an ASMR video entitled "Charmander's Fireside Slumber," fans can watch an adorable Charmander light up a pile of logs with its tail flame before falling asleep by a crackling fire for half an hour. Throughout its nap, the beloved Kanto starter Pokémon does things like roll from its side to its back and stretch its legs and tail. About halfway through the video, Charmander notices that the fire has gone out and relights it before drifting back into its peaceful slumber.
With an emphasis placed on the crackling sound of the fire, this clip is an ASMR video that's part of one of the most popular trends on YouTube. These "autonomous sensory meridian response" videos use sound to evoke what some describe as a pleasant tingling sensation that starts at the scalp and spreads throughout the rest of the body. Not everyone has this experience, but those who do can be relaxed by ASMR, which makes these videos especially useful for those having trouble falling asleep.
Most ASMR videos feature calming visuals and sounds made by people doing simple tasks. In the world of ASMR, the relatively mundane sounds of everyday life like cooking, gently whispering or brushing hair can take on entirely new dimensions.
ASMR has been popular for a few years now, and this aforementioned clip isn't Nintendo's first official step into that realm.
Last year, the official Nintendo YouTube channel posted four ASMR videos in a playlist named "Sights & Sounds." Most of these videos were short, especially by ASMR standards, but one "Nintendo Switch Lite Gameplay with Relaxing Fireplace" shows a person playing The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and Super Mario Odyssey on a Nintendo Switch Lite while a fire crackles in the background for half an hour.
However, Pokémon seems to be going all-in on creating pleasant and charming ASMR experiences for the iconic franchise's fans. Another video, this one aimed specifically at children, called "Chespin's Happy Snack Time" shows the grass-type starter happily munching on Poké Puff snacks.
For eight minutes, the Kalos starter Pokémon devours a pile of colorful treats. When he runs out, a Pikachu comes to exchange the empty plate with a full one, which Chespin proceeds to spend the second half of the video eating. Both Chespin and Poké Puffs come from Pokémon X and Y, and the Chespin in the video could be based on the one owned by Clemont in the anime. This Chespin was notorious for its gluttony, often stealing and hoarding snacks and eating to the point of getting bloated.
Like the Charmander video, the Chespin video is aggressively adorable, and both of these videos are well worth a glance. Even for those who don't experience the physical effects of ASMR, these videos are as relaxing as one of Jigglypuff's lullabies.