BODY: Ditto is at it again. The Pokémon Company announced today (July 3, 2026) that its beloved "Henshin! Metamon" ("Transform! Ditto") merchandise series is getting a fresh wave of plushies and mascot keychains, going on sale at Pokémon Center Online from 10:00 a.m. on July 9, and in physical Pokémon Center stores on July 11.
The gag behind the line is simple and irresistible: each item depicts a familiar Pokémon rendered in Ditto's signature purple, blobby, half-melted form — as if the shapeshifter transformed but forgot to finish the job. It's a look that has become a merchandising phenomenon in Japan since the series debuted years ago.
This new batch features seven Pokémon spanning multiple generations: the eerie Spiritomb, the shy Zorua, and the water-cat starter Sprigatito are among the headliners. The mix of a Gen 4 ghost, a Gen 5 fox, and a Gen 9 starter signals that the line is deliberately casting a wide net across fan favorites rather than chasing only the newest games.
As always, expect the plushies to come in standard huggable sizes alongside smaller mascot versions with ball chains, ideal for bags and backpacks. Given the series' track record, popular characters tend to sell out fast on launch day.
The insider take
From Tokyo, the "Henshin! Metamon" line is one of those quietly genius merchandising strategies that keeps Pokémon Center foot traffic reliably high. Locals know the drill: the purple-blob aesthetic photographs beautifully for social media, and each new drop reliably trends on Japanese X (Twitter) within hours. Spiritomb's inclusion is the sleeper pick here — its cult following among older fans means resale prices could climb quickly if stock runs thin. Anyone visiting a Pokémon Center this month should arrive early on the 11th.
Originally reported by 4Gamer.net − 最新記事 (Japanese).