If you’re looking for some solidPokémonmerchandise and apparel, the Pokémon Center is always a good place to check out periodically. This month, we’ve already gotten some fun new releases that a lot of Poké fans will likely be pleased about. The Pokémon Center also has some new Year of Eevee releases this month, continuing a few existing merchandise lines that started earlier this year.
Another nice thing about the Pokémon Center’s merchandise selection is that it has a wide range of products, soas long as you like Pokémon, there’s probably something for you. Personally, I’m always excited to see some of the more absurd products that get launched, though practical ones like books for young kids are also a nice option. These new releases can also be great gift options for the Pokémon fan in your life with a summer birthday.
10This Beautiful Playmat Features Eevee & Umbreon
The Pokémon TCG: Eevee & Umbreon Twilight Playmat Costs $24.99
We’re still getting consistent new Eevee merchandise as part of the Year of Eevee promotion, and it’s hard not to include some of them on a list of the best merch. Eevee and the Eeveelutions are popular Pokémon, and the company has been doing a great job creating unique items for each of Eevee’s evolved forms. One of the new Eevee items that really sticks out to me is the Eevee and Umbreon Twilight Playmat. This mat features a silhouette of the two Pokémon looking up at the moon with a beatiful purple backdrop and landscape.
As a bonus, there are also silhouettes of other Pokémon, like Zubat, which feels appropriate for the time of day represented in the art. The mat is also darker and not too visually busy, so the cards you play on it will contrast it nicely. Any Pokémon TCG player might want to consider adding this mat to their collection.
9Eevee Makes The Best New Evolving Personalities Figures
The Afternoon Picnic with Eevee Evolving Personalities Figure Costs $29.99
As part of the Year of Eevee, the Pokémon Center has been selling a series of figures called Evolving Personalities. These are hard plastic figures featuring Eevee and its evolutions in different fun poses. As much as I like Umbreon and Espeon, I was a little disappointed by their figures in this line compared to theVaporeon figure and its water features. That said,the new Eevee figure from this month is still a fun addition to this line.
The Afternoon Picnic with Eevee figure features a perturbed Eevee with a berry splattered on its head, and another next to it rolling on the ground laughing. It’s a cute scene andboth Eevee show off a lot of personality, which is nice for a static figure. I was glad to see at least one of the Evolving Personalities figures came close to the quality of the first round, and I’m hoping the rest are more like this one than the relatively boring Umbreon and Espeon ones.
8The Wobbuffet Backpack Perfectly Fits The Pokémon
The Pokémon Center × GORUCK: Wobbuffet Backpack Costs $119.99
Pokémonhas partnered with the sporting goods company GORUCK to create a few different backpacks featuring Pokémon. The Pokémon Center has three listed under their new release section,a Pikachu one, a Gengar one, and a Wobbuffet one. All three look like relatively hearty backpacks, and it looks like a nice size for a quick day trip. While all three backpacks are essentially the same, and which one you personally like best will come down to your Pokémon preference, my vote for best of the three has to be for Wobbuffet.
Aside from the blue color just being more appealing to me, this one just feels the most fun. Wobbuffet is just kind of a blob, sothe backpack with its face on it looks almost like the Pokémon itself. In contrast, the Pikachu and Gengar ones look more like colored backpacks with an image of a Pokémon on them.
7The New Line Of Mega Evolutions Clothing Is Perfect For Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Mega Evolution Shirts Cost $24.99
Likely inspired by the upcoming release ofPokémon Legends: Z-A,the Pokémon Center has released a range of apparel featuring the Mega Evolutionsof quite a few Pokémon. Which ones you find the most appealing will likely come down to your personal preference in Pokémon, but there are a few that stood out to me as the top choices. Namely, the Mega Blastoise and Mega Ampharos shirts.
The Mega Ampharos shirt has a gradient purple and orange background that is reminiscent of a sunset. The Blastoise shirt has cool water features, and its gradient blue to light-blue backdrop feels like something you would see on a swimsuit.Both designs strike me as very appropriate for the summer, which is why they stand out compared to some of the other new releases this month. I did also like the Mega Charizard X hoodie, but I can’t help but thinkt it would’ve been nicer without the print on the back.
6This Pokémon Hat Makes It Look Like Jigglypuff Is Hitching A Ride On Your Head
The Jigglypuff Pokémon Partner Plush Hat Costs $24.99
Another fun item new this month is the Pokémon Partner Plush Hats, which make it look like a Pokémon is riding on your head. The options that came out this month are Jigglypuff and Togepi.Both of the plush are cute and these are the perfect Pokémon to choosesince they are just about the same size as the hat.
While I’d probably be happy with either hat,I have to give a slight edge to the Jigglypuff hat. This is just because Jigglypuff is already basically plush material. I also like this hat’s bigger eyes, and its curly hair is very cute. These might not be everyday hats, but they would be perfect to wear for Pokémon-themed events or to conventions and tournaments. I could also imagine any Pokémon content creators being thrilled to have these as an option to wear for videos.
5Umbreon Is The Latest Life-Sized Pokémon Plush
The 31 In. Umbreon Poké Plush Costs $399.99
Pokémon’s life-sized plush are some of my favorite products, even though they’re absolutely absurd. I’m not going to pretend that a 31-inch Pokémon plush that costs almost as much as a Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t a very niche product. However,it is the kind of product that I can appreciate for existing, even if I’m never going to personally buy one, like the $900JW AndersonPigeon Clutch.
Umbreon alongside Espeon is continuing the Year of Eevee’s line of large plush versions of the Eeveelutions. Although neither looks as cozy as Flareon, I still think they’re some of the coolest new items in the Pokémon Center shop this month. The Eeveelutions in general, are a great choice for these life-sized plush, and are much less disconcerting than the strangelife-sized Gardevoir plushthat came out earlier this year.
4Pixel Pins Are Perfect For Nostalgic Pokémon Fans
Pokémon Pixel Pins Cost $24.99
Because my appreciation for the series dates back toPokémon Blue,I have a special place in my heart for pixel art versions of Pokémon sprites. In general, I also just find pixel art appealing, whether it’s in retro games like theFinal Fantasyseries, or more modern titles likeStardew Valley. So, I’m always on the lookout for any new releases in Pokémon’s Pixel Pins series, and I am very happy with the latest batch on the Pokémon Center.
The newest Pixel Pins are four-packs featuring the full evolutionary lines of the Hoenn starters and Ralts. This includes the mega evolutions for each line, which goes well withPokémon Legends: Z-Abringing the mechanic back. It’s also fun to see pixelized verions of Pokémon that were introduced in newer games and didn’t have pixel art sprites in their original appearances.
3Celebrate Every Pokémon Type With This Hat
The Pokémon Types Tan Structured Hat Costs $29.99
The Pokémon Types hat is one of my favorite styles of nerdy apparel. While I’m not against wearing something with a Poké Ball or Pikcahu slapped on it, those types of items do tend to feel a lot less unique. In contrast, you don’t really see a lot of merchandise featuring just the Pokémon types on it, which makes this hat stand out to me a bit more.
I’m also a fan of designs like this that are a bit more subtle. Someone who doesn’t know Pokémon well will just see a hat with a variety of little symbols on it, but still an aesthetically pleasing one. In contrast, it will feel rewarding to other Pokémon fans if they spot your hat and are able to recognize it for what it is. To me,that’s more appealing than something that relies more heavily on brand recognition than design. Of course, I’m a millennial, so feel free to call me a hipster and pelt me with avocado toast.
2New Pokémon Primers Books Celebrate Fan-Favorite Types
The Pokémon Primers Books Cost $14.99
The Pokémon Primers books are a series of flip books for young children that each focus on a different type of Pokémon.Using something as inherently appealing to kids as Pokémon to make them excited about reading is a good strategy,and flip books can also help younger children develop fine motor skills. This month, three new books in the series were added to the Pokémon Center shop, focusing on Dragon-, Ground-, and Bug-type Pokémon.
Personally,I’m partial to the Dragon-type book, but Garchomp is also in the Ground-type one, so I would be happy with either. The Bug-type one seems like a toss up to me. Some kids are afraid of bugs, so cute Pokémon bugs could help them work on that fear, or it might just scare them. As I’m becoming a first-time uncle soon, I’m keeping these books on my radar for potential presents in a few years.
1Pokémon Legends: Z-A Pre-Orders Through The Pokémon Center Come With A Perk
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Costs $59.99 On Switch And $69.99 On Switch 2
This one feels a little like cheating, but I also didn’t see anything in the Pokémon Center store that I wanted more this month than a pre-order ofPokémon Legends: Z-A. As an added bonus,if you pre-order the game from the Pokémon Center, you’re able to great a free sitting cutie plushof one of the starters fromPokémon Legends: Z-A. I previously calledTotodile one of the best sitting cutiesplushes, so being able to get one for free with a game I was going to buy anyway is a nice perk.
PuttingPokémon Legends: Z-Aat the top of this list doesn’t mean that there isn’t any other goodPokémonmerchandise that came out this month. I’ll probably end up grabbing that Types hat for when I go to the driving range over the summer and I can also see some good gift options here. I’m interested to see what the next batch of Eevee merchandise looks like in the coming months, since I’m still waiting on items for my favorite Eeveelutions.
