Pokémon cosplay: Difference between revisions

'''Pokémon Cosplay''', or '''Pokémon Dressup''', is the act of dressing up in a {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} costume. This hobby is seen in both the Pokémon [[canon]] and among fans.

[[File:Spr DP Poké Kid.png|thumb|left|A {{tc|Poké Kid}}]]

[[File:Spr FRLG PokéManiac.png|thumb|A {{tc|Poké Maniac|PokéManiac}} in {{game|FireRed and LeafGreen|s}}]]

In {{2v2|Red|Blue}}, cosplay is reference by a {{tc|Poké Maniac|PokéManiac}} in [[Rock Tunnel]]. The PokéManiac asks if {{ga|Red}} has heard of costume players. After defeat, he explains that costume players dress up as Pokémon for fun.

In the [[Dare da?]] for the Japanese version of ''[[EP161|The Bug Stops Here]]'', [[Jessie]] turns out to be the subject, cosplaying as a {{p|Venomoth}}. When the "Pokémon" was revealed, the narrator says "Venomoth", but the children shout "Incorrect!"

{{Ash}} wore a {{p|Seviper}} costume in ''[[AG049|ZigZag Zangoose]]'' to help [[Nicholai]] figure out how to battle a {{TP|Jessie|Seviper}} using a {{p|Zangoose}}.

{{Ash}}, {{an|Dawn}}, and {{an|Brock}} entered a Pokémon Cosplay Contest in ''[[DP033|All Dressed Up with Somewhere to Go]]''. In this contest, however, it was their Pokémon which cosplayed, not themselves, though {{Si|Rhonda}}, [[Officer Jenny]], and [[Nurse Joy]] were respectively dressed up as {{p|Cherrim}}, {{p|Growlithe}}, and {{p|Chansey}}. Ash entered {{AP|Pikachu}}, who did many impressions of other Pokémon. Dawn entered her {{TP|Dawn|Piplup}} as a {{p|Weedle}}, but lost when he broke character and used a {{m|BubbleBeam}}. The winner of the contest was Brock and his {{TP|Brock|Croagunk}}, who dressed up as a {{p|Politoed}} and continued his impression of one throughout the entire episode.

File:Dare_da_EP161.png|Jessie dressed as a {{p|Venomoth}} in [[EP161]]'s "Dare da?"

File:PokemonSundayed8.jpg|Scene from ''YEAH!''

File:Dr Gordon Machoke costume.png|[[Dr. Gordon]] as a {{p|Machoke}}

File:DP033.png|{{si|Rhonda}} cosplaying a {{p|Cherrim}}

File:Croagunk Politoed.png|[[Brock's Croagunk]] dressed up as a {{p|Politoed}}

File:Dawn piplup costume.png|{{an|Dawn}} dressed up as a {{p|Piplup}}

File:Jimmy_Ray.png|[[Jimmy Ray]] in his {{p|Watchog}} costume

File:Pikachu Bouffalant.png|[[Ash's Pikachu]] dressed up as [[Alder]]'s {{p|Bouffalant}}

File:Axew Darumaka.png|[[Iris's Axew]] dressed up as {{p|Darumaka}}

File:Sawk Audino.png|[[Stephan's Sawk]] dressed as [[Nurse Joy's Audino]]

File:Pansage Emolga.png|[[Cilan's Pansage]] dressed as [[Elesa]]'s {{p|Emolga}}

File:The Lilligant woman.png|[[Ricard Nouveau]]'s fantasy involving Pokémon Cosplay between a {{p|Lilligant}} and a young woman.

File:MeowthSunflora.png|Meowth dressed as a {{p|Sunflora}}

While Cosplay doesn't officially appear in most [[Pokémon manga]], there is a technique based off Pokémon Cosplay in the [[Pokémon RéBURST]] manga called [[Burst]]. Unlike usual Pokémon Cosplay, the Burst techniques are used for battle purposes.

[[File:Teamrocket2000.jpg|thumb|A photo of someone cosplaying as [[Jessie]] at the [[Pokémon 2000 Stadium Tour]]]]

Like most anime, manga and video game fandoms, {{wp|cosplay}} is common within the Pokémon fandom. Most fans will dress up as human characters from the {{pkmn|games}} and {{pkmn|anime}} such as {{Ash}}, {{TRT}}, female generational protagonists [[Misty]], {{an|May}}, or {{an|Dawn}}, Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy. Many females {{wp|crossplay}} as either Ash or [[James]] because of their youthful male looks, commonly known in Japan as ''{{wp|Bishōnen|bishounen}}'', or "bishie" for short in the USA. Still, it is far from unheard of for fans to dress up in costumes of their favorite Pokémon species, especially if it is in the ''kigurumi'' or ''gijinka'' style of cosplay. '''{{wp|Kigurumi#Disguise Pajamas|Kigurumi}}''' is basically a hooded coverall pajama jumpsuit disguise of a character like {{p|Pikachu}}, while a '''{{wp|Moe anthropomorphism|Gijinka}}''' (also called "Moe anthropomorphism") is a human form of a species.  Because of the popularity of Pikachu as the mascot of the Pokémon franchise, many young women dress in a {{wp|Lolita fashion#Sweet Lolita|Sweet Lolita}} style of dress at conventions.

 

Cosplayers who dress up like Pokémon are sometimes targeted as being {{wp|furry fandom|furries}}, which have been the center of many controversies. However, while there is undoubtedly overlap, Pokémon cosplayers and furries are not one and the same; there are Pokémon cosplayers who are simply Pokémon fans and not interested in the furry fandom, and there are furries who would never want to wear a Pikachu costume.