Hatterene’s unlikely ascent to Pokémon sex symbol

One of the best parts of having the newest Pokémon games blow up in popularity is getting to watch the fandom run wild with the characters to produce amazing jokes and lovely artwork. But if there’s one Pokémon I’d caution everyone to avoid searching for on social media, it’s Hatterene, a new fairy/psychic-type monster.

Well, I’d advise against it unless you want to witness some stuff that you might not be able to unsee.

Hatterne’s fandom grew quickly, even prior to the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield, after images of the unannounced Pokémon leaked on the internet. Fan artists latched onto Hatterene’s unusually curvy appearance —the witchy creature only spawns as a female —and immediately started sexualizing her.

After release, a wider swath of fans discovered that Hatterene had sassy animations, and these clips went viral on social networks like Twitter. Coupled with anthropomorphic design choices that make Hatterne look like she’s wearing a long, flowing dress along with a hat, Hatterene has now joined the (somewhat cursed) ranks of Pokémon sex icons such as Incineroar and Gardevoir. (Incidentally, it is also dangerous to Google those Pokémon.)

What makes this fandom-created narrative particularly amusing is that, if you actually examine Hatterne for more than a second, you realize that the voluptuous body that has made her famous ... isn’t actually a part of the Pokémon. Hatterene appears to be a small, alien-like creature that resides within a larger protective shell, a detail that is most visible when she enlarges into her Gigantamax form.

It almost looks like Hatterene is piloting a mech. Then again, even in her normal appearance, if you zoom in, you can clearly make out the Pokémon’s tiny stubby legs and arms. So while one portion of the fandom salivates over Hatterene, another segment of the Pokémon fandom keeps cracking jokes about what the fairy would “actually” look like if you stripped away her accessories.

Hatterene’s actual lore also complicates her existence as a sex icon. According to the Pokedex, the pastel alien is extremely sensitive to strong emotions:

This Pokémon can read the emotions of creatures over 30 miles away. The minute it senses hostility, it goes on the attack.

And so another sect of the fandom keeps riffing on Hatterene’s violent tendencies, and how it’s at odds with her gentle exterior.

Of course, because this is the internet, some have just folded that hostile lore into their wank material — I’ve seen folks depict Hatterene as a controlling succubus who demands her partners show no strong emotions during sex, among other things.

Perhaps Hatterene’s feminine design sealed her lusty fate on the internet, but even so, it’s funny to think people are extremely horny over a tiny, bald alien that could have come out of Area 51.