Most fads tend to come and go but Pokémon is one of the exceptions. Ever since the '90s, Pokémon has delighted fans of various ages with its unique combat system and adorably marketable characters. It truly seems like this cash cow (or money Miltank) will never run dry.
But it's that kind of hubris that has lead to some strange choices in terms of merchandising. The Pokemon Company has slapped their label on products that people wouldn't normally associate with Pokemon or just didn't turn out right. Even so, that didn't stop them from making these ten weird pieces of Pokemon merchandise.
10 Snorlax Bean Bag Chair
Out of all the Pokémon to make a bean bag chair, Snorlax seems like an obvious choice. Snorlax is a big, pudgy creature with a pillowy stomach often associated with sloth and laziness. It seems only natural that a bean bag chair is designed to look like it. At least, until you see the pictures of Snorlax chairs with sunken bellies as a result of prolonged sitting. At that point, it looks less like some napping next to their favorite pal and more like sleeping on a taxidermied creature.
9 Cologne
Ever wondered what it would be like to smell like a Pokémon? Look no further than Pokémon Cologne courtesy of Air Val International. Every bottle of the unisex perfume contains a sweet, citrusy aroma for the average Pokémon trainer on the go. The product line was started in 2003 and it may come as a shock (or not) to hear that the line has been discontinued. Probably because marketing a perfume based on a fictional, wild animal didn't appeal to people. Apparently, not many people wanted to smell like Pikachu.
8 Ionix Dolls
For years, companies have tried to replicate the phenomenal success of Lego often with mixed results. Ionix is one of those brands and somehow they managed to secure the rights to Pokémon. Resulting in a less than stellar product and a line of figurines that don't look anything like the characters they are based off of.
The humans look like transformers with shoulder pads and a majority of the Pokémon look like they're in the middle of a duel and ready to draw their weapon. It might be best to let Lego handle making blocky toys.
7 Slowpoke Tail Plush
It doesn't take a genius to figure out why there are so many Pokémon plushies. The show was made to sell toys so it's only natural the characters be designed to look adorable. What is a head-scratcher is the decision behind making a plushie solely for Slowbro's severed tail. It would make sense if they made a plushie with Slowbro's tail being bitten by Shellder and one without but it's hard to imagine there being a demand for just the tail. Let's hope they don't continue the trend with other disembodied body parts.
6 Pikachu Loves Ketchup Figurines
There is an abundance of different Pokémon figurine collections. There are figurines of Pokémon looking cute, Pokémon in the middle of an attack, Pokémon sleeping, Pokémon climbing trees, etc. Would you believe that there is a set of figurines dedicated exclusively to Pikachu's love of ketchup? Well, there is.
"Pikachu Loves Ketchup" is a collection of figurine with Pikachu drenching different food in and hugging his favorite condiment. It's adorable but out of all the things they could dedicate to making a figurine set of, this is one of the weirdest.
5 Ditto Plushies
Marketing a line of plushies based on a shape-shifting Pokémon like Ditto might be one of the laziest or smartest gimmicks for selling toys. All it takes is designing a common Pokémon like Charizard or Eevee and swapping the face with Ditto's simplistic smile and dot eyes. It's a clever tactic to get die-hard collectors to purchase more merchandise but there's something about uncanny about how they look. It's like the eyes and mouth don't quite match the bodies they are attached to. Hopefully, the customers buying these toys will know they are buying a Ditto otherwise they'll be making a trip back to the store for a refund.
4 Funko Pops
Everyone has probably seen a Funko Pop being displayed in the past few years and everyone has their own opinion on the matter. Some people like the stylized figurines of famous celebrities and pop culture icons while others find them to be disturbing. Just like Tokyo Ghoul or the Golden Girls, Pokémon are not exempt from this craze and have their line of figurines.
While most of this chalks up to personal taste, it's hard to deny how eerie these creatures look with their soulless beady eyes. It's like they got a visit from the Other Mother from Coraline.
3 Kikinrui
Like all beloved franchises, Pokémon have had food based around them from candy to cereal. Only in Japan can anyone come across the exclusive Pokémon Kikinrui. Or in other words, edible seaweed meant to be placed on top of rice. While it's more common in Japan, it's still a strange concept of packaging seaweed that's been cut into the shape of different Pokémon. While it's not the strangest tie-in product, it still stands out among Pokémon food products.
2 X-Ray Machines
It can be scary for a kid to go to the doctor but seeing the familiar faces of Pikachu and Piplup could ease their worries. That's certainly one explanation for why two types of Pokémon x-Ray machines were created. Manufactured by the Shimadzu Corporation, this Japanese-exclusive had a mobile and stationary version built. Aside from featuring the likenesses of several Pokémon painted on the side, the machine operates similarly to the Shimadsu X'sy Pro. The only way someone might get their hands on this is if they were Nurse Joy's sister.
1 Pikachu Car
After reading through this list, hearing that there is a car designed to look like Pikachu might not come off as a surprise. What should come as a surprise is that there's not just one. Since 1998, several Pokémon-themed cars have been designed through collaborations with different automakers. The designs may vary but they all consist of a bright yellow paint job, jagged tail, ears, and red dimples. Without casting any critique on the craftsmanship, it's not a practical car nor a subtle one serving more as a collector's item than a mode of transport. A nice keepsake but not something worth the risk of getting dirty or damaged.