We know what you’re thinking and no, Nintendo hasn’t lost the plot. The publisher of all things Pokémon, however, will assuredly be disheartened to learn that one fan has taken it upon themselves to introduce Game Freak’s creations to the (very) unsafe streets of Los Santos.
Why? Perhaps a more pertinent question is why not? Rockstar’s satirical sandbox series has long been subject to all sorts of weird and wonderful mods created by players, but this one in particular, well, words just can’t do what you’re about to see justice. Check out the clip, posted by user MyNameGifOreilly on Reddit via the link below, but be warned: these aren’t the adorable, harmless Pokémon you know and love.
Clearly outraged by their benched status for this year’s Sword and Shield, both Gen 1 starters Squirtle and Bulbasaur have decided to take their anger out on civilians, even going so far as to brandish weapons. Water Gun and Vine Whip just aren’t going to cut it in this dog-eat-dog world, it seems. As for Charmander fans, the fire-breathing lizard is included in the mod, too, and, what’s more, can actually be seen performing its flamethrower attack while heading into oncoming traffic. Balls of steel, this one.
Joking aside, it’s not immediately clear who the creator of this particular mod is, though, given the subject matter, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the Big N do its best to have the mod scrubbed from existence. That’s a tall order, of course, given that what’s uploaded to the internet usually stays put, but we’ll see.
For now, at least, you too can enter an underground boxing tournament as a hammer-wielding Charmander.
Those that prefer their Pokémon content to be, let’s say, more traditional, can start a different kind of adventure on November 15th with the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield.