The Pokemon franchise is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and the series' flagship character Pikachu is front and center. As 2021 draws to a close, Pokemon has teamed up with French luxury brand Baccarat, which is considered an international leader in high-end, exclusive crystal products. Now, Baccarat has added three gorgeous crystal Pokemon-themed collectibles to its extensive crystal collection.
Fans of the series may not be surprised to hear that of the three new Baccarat collectibles, two of them are renditions of Pikachu. The third is a highly detailed replication of the iconic Poke Ball. This isn't the first time Pokemon have been captured in solid art, but it may be the most expensive.
In a recent video posted to the official Pokemon Twitter account, fans were shown a glimpse of the 5.7 inch crystal Pikachu and 2.7 inch crystal Poke Ball statues. The clip appears to showcase one of Baccarat's artists in the process of creating the crystal collectibles, including shots of them glowing with heat and being placed on display trays. This rendition of the Poke Ball is made of transparent crystal with gold mesh detailing, while the Pikachu figure is sculpted entirely of transparent crystal.
However, the true centerpiece of the collection--the 11.8 inch-tall Pikachu Fragment figure--is not featured in the trailer. This seems to be for one main reason: unlike the rest of the collection, the Pikachu Fragment is incredibly exclusive and incredibly expensive. The crystal Pikachu figure costs $440 and the Poke Ball costs $410, but dedicated fans will be able to bring home the Pikachu Fragment for $25,000--assuming they can order one of the 25 units made. This may make the Pikachu Fragment one of the most expensive pieces of Pokemon merchandise out there.
As of writing, it appears that Pokemon fans are both impressed and confused by this team-up. This isn't the only partnership Pokemon has arranged for its 25th anniversary, but exclusive crystal figurines aren't often associated with the franchise. One Twitter user replied to the post by stating that more effort was put into creating these figures than the entirety of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, while a second expressed bewilderment that any Pokemon figure could possibly cost $25,000. A third user questioned why Baccarat hadn't made a crystal Onix when the Pokemon anime featured a unique crystal Onix. At this moment, it seems that the crystal Pikachu figure has been the most popular of the trio, as it is currently the only one sold out.
Source: Baccarat