Pokémon Sword and Shield’s lovable if slightly alarming Ball Guy is coming to Pokémon Go, in celebration of its next event.
You’ll be able to dress up with your own Ball Guy costume as part of the game’s Go Tour Poké Ball Prep Rally, which begins this Friday 18th February at 10am local time.
This is Ball Guy.
The event is designed as one last marketing push for the impending Pokémon Go Tour: Johto, the ticketed global bonanza set for the Saturday after. Ahead of that, you’ll be able to stock up on Poké Balls, catch various spherical creatures, and evolve the recently-added Hisuian Voltorb for the first time.
Who is Ball Guy? It’s a good question. In Sword and Shield, he cheers you on ahead of gym battles and gifts you Poké Balls at certain points. He also became something of an internet meme.
Some fans speculated Ball Guy’s mask was actually his head – a terrifying concept, and one this new Pokémon Go hat happily proves wrong. Unless you’re actually putting his head on your head? No, let’s not think about that.
Artwork showing Ball Guy’s debut, below, has him squaring off with a Hisuian Electrode. I’m not sure who spheres who?
