After the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon has returned to the cultural zeitgeist in a big way, as even members of the Detroit Lions weighed in with their favorites. Coming off an unfortunate-yet-competitive loss against the Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills, breaking Detroit's three-game win streak, Lions players were asked about their favorite Pokemon following a practice session, with many of its players being cheerfully receptive to the question.
This hardly marks the first time Detroit's NFL team engaged with a popular Nintendo Switch title, as the Detroit Lions revealed their 2020 schedule through Animal Crossing. One thing that has since changed for the Lions, however, is the team's culture under Motor City's Dan Campbell – former tight end of the Detroit Lions, and now their head coach. After having a rough inaugural season, Dan Campbell's regime brought grit, perseverance, and just plain fun to the Lions that the Matt Patricia era sought to expunge. They were the subject of this year's Hard Knocks on HBO, which only shone a brighter light on the camaraderie and energy that Dan Campbell was igniting in Detroit.
The team's official TikTok channel posted a video where Detroit Lions players reveal who their favorite Pokemon is, and the footage kicks off with Julian Okwara choosing Pikachu, arguably the most famous Pokemon of the bunch. Okwara is followed by Jared Goff, who seems to be a fan of Charizard and Bulbasaur – two of out three iconic Pokemon starters. Squirtle gets a mention of its own further into the video as rising defensive star Aidan Hutchinson's favorite.
The most knowledgeable in the team when it comes to Pokemon might well be Anthony Pittman, picking Piplup – a Gen 4 Pokemon – as his favorite. One important person missing in the video is Jamaal Williams, the former Green Bay Packers player who is the leader in rushing touchdowns for 2022 across the league, and a pivotal piece in the Detroit Lions offense. To the disappointment of the Lions media team, it would appear that Williams missed the question sign on his way out of practice.
As the Detroit Lions prepare to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars next week – who have just defeated the Baltimore Ravens in a game-winning drive by Trevor Lawrence – Pokemon Scarlet and Violet continue to captivate their audience despite an incredibly messy launch. With characters like Nemona trending on Twitter, and selling over ten million copies in just three days, it has firmly established itself as the biggest Nintendo launch of all time. Gen 9 may have its issues, but like the Detroit Lions, post-launch support could still right the ship and make its fans proud, as the potential is certainly there.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.