Several Pokémon fans have spotted a massive plush Snorlax in one of the most unlikely of locations: stuffed inside a prize machine at a local arcade. The massive and sleepy Snorlax, who was inspired by Game Freak planner Koji Nishino, made its debut in the original Pokémon Red and Blue on the Game Boy in the late 1990s. There, two members of the species are found napping on the roads needed to advance the game's journey and require the use of a Pokéflute to be awakened and captured. Since then, Snorlax has become a fan favorite due to its fun design and comically lazy personality, with many gamers considering the napping giant to be one of the most popular non-legendary Pokémon in Nintendo’s long-running franchise.
Snorlax has appeared in virtually every mainline Pokémon game, as well as the various spin-offs and tie-in media. It has also generated plenty of merchandise - including massive and expensive Snorlax plush dolls and bean bag chairs that perfectly recreate the sleeping giant. Some parents have even used the stuffed version of Snorlax as a makeshift baby gate, calling back to its role in the games as an obstruction that keeps aspiring trainers from proceeding on their quest. however, in an ironic flip of roles, Pokémon fans have recently encountered a Snorlax in a peculiar situation.
A few days ago, Reddit user UltimaBahamut93 shared a photo to r/pokemon of a giant plush Snorlax that has been stuffed inside a prize machine. The unlucky critter is posed quite humorously, with Snorlax seemingly pressing itself against the confines of the machine in an attempt to break free. Other users in the comment section of UltimaBahamut93’s post have joked that Snorlax is simply taking a nap in the prize machine, while others have playfully urged any bystanders to help free Snorlax from its glass prison by winning the machine’s game. These calls to action increased when the Out Of Context Pokémon Twitter account shared UltimaBahamut93’s Reddit post, with a few fans offering to fly over to the arcade to free Snorlax, suggesting its imprisonment could be the work of Pokémon’s nefarious Team Rocket.
Aside from getting itself trapped inside claw machines, Snorlax has kept itself quite busy over the past few years thanks to its appearances in games like this year’s Pokémon Legends: Arceus - with fans regularly chased down by the ever-hungry Pokémon in the game’s pseudo-open world landscape. Arceus’ version of Snorlax has even demonstrated a surprising level of super-speed thanks to glitches, and others have reportedly spotted an unlikely romance between Snorlax and a similarly-sized Blissey. Snorlax’s next gaming appearance could come in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which are set to launch on the Nintendo Switch this November.
While there is good irony in the plush Snorlax's predicament, it is likely once he is freed he will make the perfect addition to a Pokémon fan's personal collection. Additionally, the chance to free it from the glass game machine could offer those who enjoy the Pokémon games an opportunity to catch a companion in real life, though an arcade game win is definitely different from tossing a Poké Ball in any of the main series Pokémon games.
Source: UltimaBahamut93/Reddit (via Out Of Context Pokémon/Twitter)