There’s a New Unicorn Pokémon and It’s The Cutest Thing We’ve Ever Seen

Remember when there were only 151 Pokémon whose names you had to learn? Well, those days are officially over. There are currently more than 800 Pokémon in the Pokéverse, and new ones are being added in every game. 

There’s one that is basically just a ring of keys. There’s one that’s a literal pile of garbage. There’s Mr. Mime (even though most of us would like to forget about him). And now, there’s Galarian Ponyta — a magical unicorn Pokémon with a mane that looks like cotton candy.

Fans first spotted the magical unicorn in a recent 24-hour Pokémon Sword and Shield stream. Just moments before the broadcast came to a close, two Pokémon came into view. They had long, pastel-colored manes and a horn in the middle of their forehead. Unicorns, obviously. As you might expect, the fandom was sent into a tizzy wondering about the identity of the new unicorn Pokémon.

This morning, the Pokémon Company revealed the identity of the new, magical pocket monster. It’s the Galarian Ponyta! The unicorn-like Pokémon is a Psychic-type. It’s 2 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs in at 52.9 pounds. (Interestingly enough, that makes it both shorter and lighter than the standard Ponyta, which is 3 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 66.1 pounds.)

So far, we know about two abilities for Galarian Ponyta also has two abilities: “Pastel Veil” — which protects against poison, and “Run Away” (which we’re assuming is pretty self-explanatory.) We also got a hint as to why Galarian Ponyta looks so different from its non-Galarian counterpart. 

According to the official Pokémon website, Galarian Ponyta’s unique appearance is due to its exposure to the “overflowing life energy of the forest.”

And that’s not all. Apparently, Galarian Ponyta’s mane also sparkles! (You know, in case the pastel coloring and the fact that it’s a unicorn wasn’t fabulous enough.) The Pokémon can absorb life energy of its surrounding atmosphere and store it in its mane. Pretty cool party trick, right?

So, OK, we all want to add Galarian Ponyta to our Pokémon collection. Obviously. In another tweet this morning, the Pokémon company also confirmed what many of us already suspected: Galarian Ponyta will be exclusive to Pokémon Shield. 

That means that Pokémon fans will have to choose between purchasing Pokémon Sword to catch Sirfetch’d — the wild duck Pokémon who wields a sword made out of a leek (yes, really) or going with Shield to add Galarian Ponyta to their roster. Or you can always get both games to truly catch ‘em all. No judgment here!

Regardless of whether you’re a Sword-er or a Shield-er, you can rest assured that you’ll encounter plenty of new Pokémon in the Galarian Forest. Many of the new creatures (including Galarian Ponyta) are simply Galarian versions of the Pokémon you already know and love, but there are some brand-new buds as well. For instance, we can’t get enough of Morpeko, the adorable hamster that turns into a demon when it’s hungry. (Honestly, same.)

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are both set to come out for the Nintendo Switch on November 15. If you need your Sword and Shield fix before then, though, you can get a Sword-and-Shield-themed Nintendo Switch Lite on November 8!