There are currently 898 Pokemon available to capture, train, and interact with across the Pokemon franchise, and many of them have already been implemented in Pokemon GO. The popular mobile title features detailed 3D models of each Pokemon that players catch, allowing some players to pick up on little details they missed before. One Pokemon GO player recently spotted a weird detail about Galarian Meowth while examining the pocket monster's character model.
Galarian Meowth is a Steel-type Pokemon that appears to have a very fluffy body reminiscent of a long-haired cat or a real-life Persian kitty. However, the Pokemon also features a pair of small horns on its crest, longer claws than the main version of Meowth, and a leering grin that gives it an air of menace. Between these features and the new evolution Perrserker, which gains a sword, it appears that Galarian Meowth is based on the aesthetics of the Vikings.
Perrserker's design makes it clear that the Pokemon sports a Viking-esque beard to go with its built-in horned helmet. However, Redditor voicecrack_ recently discovered that Galarian Meowth also sports a beard. According to a turnaround image of its character model, Galarian Meowth's seemingly furry body is actually just as smooth as any other Meowth's. The appearance of fluff comes from the wild beard that hangs down from the Pokemon's chin.
Although this may seem like an odd design choice, a bipedal cat with a beard is far from the strangest image a Pokemon has been designed around. In the past, some weird Pokemon designs have included creatures modeled after ice cream cones, lei, keychains, and even whipped cream. Furthermore, the Galar region is implied to be based on Europe, which had a definite Viking presence both in Scandinavia and in other areas like England and Ireland.
As of writing, it appears that voicecrack_ and more fans are genuinely distressed about this revelation. However, other fans of the series don't appear to be nearly as impacted by this strange design choice. One user immediately stated that any fan upset about Galarian Meowth's beard will be shocked to discover that the long pieces of brown fur on Legendary Pokemon Entei's chest are actually a pair of long, drooping ears. Another user pointed out that Piplup has a light blue back, meaning that the patch of dark blue feathers dangling over it is actually a built-in cape.
Pokemon GO is available on iOS and Android mobile devices.