Pokemon stores in Japan are currently housing thousands upon thousands of Pikachu plushies that are made to encourage trainers to choose their very own electric partner that's unique to them. Pikachu is one of the more iconic creatures of the franchise thanks to Ash and his very own mouse-like starter, so it's understandable that the franchise would want Pokemon fans to be able to get a special Pikachu friend of their very own.
This new toy line, known as "Stuffed Toy My Pikachu" in English, features a set of plushies made after Pokemon's famous mascot that have different variations between them so they all stand out. As cute as these dolls are, Pikachu fanatics in Japan are currently running wild to collect them all as the plushies present a number of challenges that have them wondering if it's really possible to catch them all.
These Pikachu have a number of different ears, eyes, mouths, and even body types that make over a dozen different plush toy combinations. As they sit on the shelves in Pokemon Center stores across Japan, it's up to the buyer to pick which Electric-Type they like the best. From there, they can get a special themed tag that lists the plushie's name, and even the date in which the trainer and the Pikachu met and formed their bond.
However, while many Pikachu fans in Japan seem to be enjoying the campaign, collectors are running into shocking problems. Loyalists have worked together to list all the different variations of the My Pikachu toys, but they've also found that the unique nature of the plushies doesn't stop at the surface. The stuffed Pokemon dolls have a variety of different identification numbers on their tags to where it seems even toys that look similar aren't the same officially.
These unique IDs have Japanese Pikachu merchandise collectors scrambling to catalogize each of them, with some exasperating that this may be the nail in the coffin for those who have kept up with the toys and other items The Pokemon Company has released of the yellow critter for the last 27 years. It seems that it'll take quite a lot of time and money for those daring enough to gather every Pikachu that the "Stuffed Toy My Pikachu" line has to offer if they aim to get one with each specific ID. As far as the more international fans of the mascot go, there's no word if these plushies will be available on the online US Pokemon store as of right now.